Inverness Caledonian Thistle have a good Ayr day to move out of relegation zone
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Scottish Championship
Ayr United 0
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 2
Scorers: MacKay (31) Sutherland (53)
Goals from Daniel MacKay and Shane Sutherland saw Inverness Caledonian Thistle move out of the relegation zone after picking up their first win of 2021.
Inverness leapfrog Ayr United into eighth place after a fine performance at Somerset Park which was their first victory since beating Queen of the South on December 4.
It ended a run of six games without a win as they look to close the gap with the play-off zone as they are only four points behind fourth place.
Caley Thistle broke the deadlock after the half hour, when in a breathtaking surge upfield, Nikolay Todorov sent the ball in from the right wing to find Sutherland who set up Mackay who fired a low drive into the net from 12 yards.
Mark Ridgers pulled off two excellent saves just before half time from Luke McCowan, first from a low drive from 12-yards and the second a close range effort to keep Inverness in front.
The visitors doubled their advantage eight minutes into the second half when Todorov's strike hit Sutherland in the box.
But the Caithness man controlled the ball and fired a low drive into the net.
Robbie Deas almost made it three when he beat the Ayr defence to Cameron Harper’s free kick, but his header was well saved by Viljami Sinisalo.
Ridgers pulled off another outstanding save with 10 minutes remaining, when he stopped a powerful volley from former Inverness winger Tom Walsh finding the net.
Caley Thistle will look to keep their good form going against Alloa Athletic at the Caledonian Stadium on Tuesday night.
Ayr United: Sinisalo, Muirhead, Miller (McKenzie 56), Ndaba, Murdoch, Moffat, Chalmers, Smith (Hewitt 75), Walsh (Zanatta 86), McCowan, Baird.
Subs (Unused) Hare-Reid, Reading, McGavin, Roscoe.
Caley Thistle: Ridgers, Duffy, Devine, Carson, Sutherland, MacGregor (Welsh 75), Harper, Allardice, Deas, Mackay (McKay 86), Todorov (Storey 67).
Subs (Unused) MacKay, Keatings, Nicolson, Hyde.
Referee: Peter Stuart
