Ayr revival tested as County set pay a visit

Neither Ayr United manager Ian Mccall nor Ross County co-manager Stuart Kettlewell described the game between the top two in the Championship as a “Christmas cracker” but both expect excitement at Somerset Park this afternoon.

Mccall, whose Honest Men lead by a point having played a game fewer, said: “Every game is exciting and big for us because of where we have come from but this one does have a bit extra.

“Hopefully we can get 2,500 fans behind us, which is a huge change to when I first came in nearly three years ago. Then it was below a thousand with no atmosphere. This will be different.”

Ayr return to playing for the first time since they hammered Dundee United 5-0 at Tannadice after their game against Inverness Caledonian Thistle last weekend was postponed. “It was the right decision but a frustrating one,” Mccall said. “We are looking forward to facing County all the more as a result. They beat us in our last meeting as they ran over us in the first half. It could have been more than two nil.

“However, after the break we played well and got a goal back, but we had given ourselves too much to do. We cannot afford to start slowly this time.”

Kettlewell, meanwhile, says he is a big fan of Somerset Park, which he describes as “a proper football ground with a great atmosphere”.

“I was always motivated by simply playing there and I am sure our players will be the same,” he said. “The fact that there is the chance to go top just adds to that. I watched Ayr at Dundee United and their work ethic and organisation impressed. People have said that Ayr will fall away but there are no signs of that and I do not think that it will happen.”

Inverness host thirdplaced Dundee United while Queen of the South are looking to keep visitors Dunfermline at bay.

Partick, who won for the first time under Gary Caldwell last weekend, welcome Alloa and bottom side Falkirk host Morton.