White’s double puts Inverness in pole position

JOHN ROBERTSON is adamant that Inverness Caley Thistle’s Premiership play-off with Ayr United is ‘far from over’ despite an impressive first-leg victory at Somerset Park.

Charlie Trafford had Robertson’s side leading at the break before Jordan White doubled their advantage shortly into the second half of this quarter-final tie.

Michael Rose gave the Honest Men hope of at least taking a draw to the Highlands, but a late penalty converted by White confirmed Caley Thistle will take a two-goal advantage into the home leg on Saturday.

But a cautious Robertson insisted: ‘The players have to be congratulated on a job well done tonight, but it’s only tonight.

‘We’ve got to go back on Saturday and regroup. Play exactly the same, with the same intensity and quality.

‘If we do that, then we’ve got a chance. But we’re taking nothing for granted. This tie is far from over.’

Ayr looked back to their best in the early stages, having rested key players such as Rose and Lawrence Shankland in the final games of the standard Championship season.

However, Inverness were happy to soak up the pressure and, in the 33rd minute, they knocked the wind out of Ayr.

Joe Chalmers picked out Trafford in the box with an in-swinging corner and the Canadian international rose high to nod the ball home.

Robertson’s side then doubled their lead six minutes into the second half. Liam Smith should have cleared his lines after Aaron Doran took a poor touch on the edge of the box.

But a similar miscalculation from the full-back allowed White to rob him of the ball and Caley’s top scorer remained calm as he dinked the ball over Ross Doohan.

With the tie getting away from his side, Ayr boss Ian McCall threw on Luke McCowan just after the hour-mark and the young striker made an immediate impact.

He was the architect in the 65th minute as he fired a set-piece towards the far post, where Rose was lurking to head the ball down and over the line.

But Ayr’s hearts were broken in the 75th minute when referee Alan Muir pointed to the spot after Mark Kerr fouled Jamie McCart on the goalline as he tried to knock Coll Donaldson’s shot over the line.

White then made no mistake as he sent Doohan the wrong way to re-establish his side’s two-goal advantage.

McCall said: ‘We’ll go up there and have a real go. If we can score first, then who knows? It’s game on if that happens. We need to score first.’