Ayr Away

 

Matchday two will see us head to Somerset Park Ayr for a tough game against the Honest Men. It's a standard 3:00pm kick-off and both clubs will be looking for better results after drawing blanks in the opening day fixtures when Ayr went down 3-1 at Morton and we lost 2-1 at the Caledonian Stadium to Queens Park. Like us, Ayr have brought in five new faces for this campaign and lost some familiar faces. Notable outs are the Championship's top scorer Dipo Akinyemi who has gone to York City and long time servant Michael Moffat who spent eleven years over two spells at Somerset Park scoring 77 goals in 263 appearances. 

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Match /Ticket/Bus Info (£20)

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Ayr United have advised that there will be no cash gates in operation and tickets must be purchased online. ICT supporters can purchase tickets HERE (West Stand only)

Adult – £22

Concession – £15 (Over 65s and Students)

Juvenile – £15 (13-17-years-old)

Child – £6 (Under 13s)

Venue - H2H v Ayr United

Pld

Won

Drn

Lst

For

Agst

+ / -

Home	24	10	11	3	39	26	+13
Away	25	12	6	7	47	31	+16
Neutral	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	49	22	17	10	86	57	+29

Last seasons Competitive Meetings: Ayr finished 2nd last season, we finished 6th.

1 - 2 (H)

2 - 1 (A)

2 - 2 (H)

1 - 0 (A)

Two away wins last season but the final game ended our interest in promotion:

The final game of the regular season would decide who went into the play-offs and who ended their league campaign now. It couldn't be tighter across the Championship on Winner Takes All Weekend.

David Carson was a surprise omission from the starting XI after his Cup suspension with Wallace Duffy retaining his place at right back. Billy Mckay was hoping to be a record breaker as he searched for his 101st goal for the Caley Jags. Only a win would be good enough for Inverness who could finish third or sixth, depending on results elsewhere. A win would end speculation and put Inverness in the play-offs. As it turned out we ended the season in sixth place and Ayr, Queen's Park and Partick Thistle will battle it out in the play-offs for a Premiership place alongside Champions Dundee.

Ayr United never read the script properly and deservedly took the plaudits in a 2-1 win at the Caledonian Stadium. A first half goal from Josh Mullin who looked close to being offside and Nathan Shaw in a crowded box with ten minutes left looked to be enough for the Honest Men. However Mark McKenzie ensured it would be Ayr's night with an 88th minute strike to shatter our hopes after such a strong finish to the season. Alas we fell at the last hurdle and now have a month to wait for a Scottish Cup Final appearance.

SATURDAY 12th AUGUST 3:00pm

Airdrie v Partick

   Ayr United v Inverness CT

Dundee Utd v Dunfermline

 Queen's Pk v Arbroath FC

     Raith v  Morton

Team News

Inverness CT will be without Roddy MacGregor and Lewis Nicolson for the first few months with knee injuries. Sean Welsh has a groin injury and will miss out again. Adam Brooks missed the Queens Park game whilst Danny Devine remained on the bench after injury. New sensation Keith Bray has a bright future ahead of him and will be difficult to keep out of the starting XI given his performances off the bench recently and Billy Mckay will be eager to add to his record breaking exploits at Inverness. We have frailties in defence and errors are costing us big time at the moment so we'll have to see if Billy Dodds will address those issues as rumours abound on new recruits.

 

Ayr United have done some shrewd business in the summer, Aiden McGeady and Jamie Murphy signing on, but have also lost some quality; Akinyemi, Moffat, Mullin and keeper McAdams departing. McAllister and Murdoch both took knocks at Cappielow but are hopeful making the squad.

Here's Lee Bullen with the Billy Dodds script after the game at Morton:-

 

Ins & Outs @ Ayr

In: Jamie Murphy, forward (St Johnstone); George Stanger, defender (Alloa Athletic); Olly Pendlebury, midfielder (Aldershot Town); Francis Amartey, forward (Aldershot Town); Robbie Mutch, goalkeeper (Edinburgh).

Loan in: Elicha Ahui, defender (Lincoln City).

Out: Dipo Akinyemi, forward (York City, undisclosed); Daire O'Connor, midfielder (Glentoran); Josh Mullin, midfielder (Raith Rovers); Jordan Houston, defender (Queen of the South); Michael Hewitt, midfielder (Hamilton Academical); James Dolan, midfielder (Stranraer); Kinlay Bilham, defender (Stenhousemuir); Michael Moffat, forward (Glenafton Athletic, loan to permanent); Jayden Mitchell-Lawson, midfielder; Chris Maguire, forward; Aidan McAdams, goalkeeper; Alex Jeanes, defender and David Bangala has also left the club, he had been on loan at Cove Rangers.

Loan ended: Alex Kirk, defender (Arsenal); Reece McAlear, midfielder (Tranmere Rovers).

Loan out: Lyall Holding, defender (Glenafton Athletic).

Ayr United team in 3-1 defeat at Cappielow:

Albinson

 

McAllister (Ahui 45)   Musonda   McGinty   Reading

 

Amartey (Rose 70)   Dempsey   Murdoch (Pendelbury 40)   Murphy

 

McKenzie (Ashford 81)   Bryden (McGeady 70)

 

Subs not used: Mutch; Smith, Ecrepont, Tomlinson.

1 minute ago, Robert said:

 

Two games, two defeats,

100% record

2 minutes ago, Satan said:

2 ? !!!!!

Corrected!

I did mention Covid brain fog earlier in this thread! That’s my only excuse!!

I look forward to hearing from those at the game how we played and what our tactics were.

3 minutes ago, Satan said:

2 ? !!!!!

Should have gone to Specsavers, Robert 

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱

9 minutes ago, robbylad said:

If his remit includes scouting,  surely he has to see the team play to know what areas need strengthening. 

No, it’s absolutely not the role of a scout to decide what we need. He should get told what we need and then needs to find someone to fit the bill.

11 minutes ago, Satan said:

2 ? !!!!!

Wonder if  robbo is covering the shinty ? 

That’s 5 defeats in a row. All by just 1 goal, but that’s not a great deal of comfort.

12 minutes ago, snorbens_caleyman said:

Should have gone to Specsavers, Robert 

At least I’ve given some light relief!

25 minutes ago, Yngwie said:

Well he’s clearly not required to work on Saturdays!

I get the impression he's 'required' to do very little. 

Pity most of  recent comments are on Robbo (me included ) and not on todays game. I wasn’t at the match and would like to hear from those that were. BBC reports that we came close on more than 3 good chances but failed to get the equaliser. 
Doesn’t sound as though we were too far away from getting something from the game? Just wish we could get through a game without loosing a goal. Not meaning to discard any attacking play, just right now it’s always a claw back position which piles the pressure on the team as the clock ticks down.

 

Can anyone blame him for not wanting to watch us

I was at the match today, very disappointing.  Lacking quality and composure in a variety of positions and rarely look a threat going forward.  Ayr weren't great either but once again played with more urgency and determination.  Some may blame the referee but he was not the reason we lost.

Got back in the car and heard John Robertson on Radio Scotland talking about the County game.... Said to myself surely it's not ICT Sporting Director John Robertson..... Others on this forum have highlighted it was.....

Early signs are this could be a long hard season to endure.... 

 

Caley Thistle lose five competitive games in a row for the first time since January 2009, when Craig Brewster was manager and Gordon Brown was Prime Minister.

At least that run of defeats included Celtic and Rangers rather than Dumbarton and Airdrie

Just listened to Barry's post match interview on YouTube,  same Shyte as last week I'm afraid, Usual fare, slow to start, low energy, missed half chances, conceded a goal which was coming.

To me it looks like Brewsters team on his second term as manager, going though the motions with a lack of confidence. 

I wish I could ask some questions.

 

7 hours ago, Yngwie said:

Don’t worry, if we lose, the forum will come alive with the usual suspects going into meltdown!

You got that right Yngwie 

There have been instances of other players downing tools to force a change of coach or manager. Now, I'm not saying our players would even contemplate doing that and I'm sure that everything in the club is happy and rosy, but there must be a reason why the coaches say the team is slow to start and low on energy? Is it the training? The tactics? Lack of fitness? Or lack of good quality coaches?

1 hour ago, IBM said:

You got that right Yngwie 

We shouldn’t though, criticism is unwelcome on the forum! 

Edited August 12, 20232 yr by big cherly

2 hours ago, Jaggernaut said:

There have been instances of other players downing tools to force a change of coach or manager. Now, I'm not saying our players would even contemplate doing that and I'm sure that everything in the club is happy and rosy, but there must be a reason why the coaches say the team is slow to start and low on energy? Is it the training? The tactics? Lack of fitness? Or lack of good quality coaches?

What is puzzling me is the absence of Sean Welsh...last seen completing a full game in the Scottish Cup Final, not even mentioned currently...anyone know if he is injured? We seem to be missing a leader in midfield and one in the back four [did people see Robbie Deas being highly commended in his match in the SPL last week at Kilmarnock, he's not been replaced]. No sign of Duffy or Ram [will he ever be fully fit]. And the subs bench looking thin already? In all the games we've lost we have had chances to get something out of them [it seems from reports] but our defence looks frail.

Sometimes margins between success and failure are small

Two weeks before the Airdrie game...lets hope we use it wisely!

Edited August 12, 20232 yr by Eagle4Caley

9 minutes ago, Eagle4Caley said:

What is puzzling me is the absence of Sean Welsh...last seen completing a full game in the Scottish Cup Final, not even mentioned currently...anyone know if he is injured?

He’s got a groin injury (from Tm4tj’s excellent preview). 

We’re never going to win many games with Sean Welsh missing. We’ve got loads of players who can play CM but that’s quantity not quality. If Sean wasn’t forever carrying knocks he wouldn’t be with us. 

The club’s report:

https://ictfc.com/match-report-ayr-united-v-ictfc-12-08-2023/

The really depressing thing is, you really don't have to be very good nowadays to have a better than even chance of beating ICT.

The fantastic work and even better achievements of the first 22 years of our history has been completely undone by what has happened in the last 7.

43 minutes ago, DWH said:

The really depressing thing is, you really don't have to be very good nowadays to have a better than even chance of beating ICT.

The fantastic work and even better achievements of the first 22 years of our history has been completely undone by what has happened in the last 7.

Sadly, I can't disagree. Rather than give Dodds a 2 year contract the Board should have shown some ambition and appointed Warren, Tremarco and Draper. In fact they should have done that in 2016 instead of Foran.

12 hours ago, Yngwie said:

Well he’s clearly not required to work on Saturdays!

Or Friday evenings in Partick 😇

We normally provide longer contracts to Managers after reaching Scottish Cup Finals and then so far get relegated.  We can but hope that if results remain poor and without a string of injuries that there is some wriggle room on ending Dodd's contract.  Something has to change soon.  Arbroath play Queens Park next Friday so a point for them leaves us where we currently deserve to be. We have two weeks to put in a decent performance at Airdreonians. It is unlikely that we will hammer them.