What Duncan Ferguson said after Inverness Caley Thistle lost to Ayr United
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MANAGER Duncan Ferguson says a lack of killer instinct cost Inverness Caledonian Thistle as they lost 2-1 to Ayr United at the Caledonian Stadium.
Inverness remain in the relegation play-off zone in ninth place in the Championship, two points off Queen's Park in eighth.
But Fraser Bryden scored the winner on the hour mark to consign Inverness to defeat.
Ferguson says not creating enough chances in front of goal cost Caley Thistle a result.
"We gave a lot of effort. The goals came from two set-plays. We started the game well, created a couple of chances. We were the better team but not at our best.
"We didn't defend the set-plays, the short corner and the throw-in, well enough.
"In the second half, that was the first time they went up the pitch and they scored from the throw-in.
"We were a wee bit nervous in possession and we never really had the quality in the final third.
"I put all the strikers on and kept Alex Samuel on to try and create that chance. We never had the killer instinct."
Ferguson added: "The hardest part of the game is making it count in the final third. We could not create the chances, yet we started well enough.
"Max Anderson had a good shot, James Carragher head a header, Alex Samuel had one over the bar, so on another day they might have gone in. Cammy Harper flashed one across the box as well, but we didn't have anyone to attack the ball.
"It was a story of two set-plays. My goalkeeper does not have a save to make. We didn't create enough.
"Our midfield were not as good as they have been. A couple were off it. Having been so solid defensively, from having three clean sheets in a row, to giving away two goals from set-play - we could certainly be defending better."
Inverness Caledonian Thistle head to Dundee United next week and know points are required if they are to avoid a battle against relegation towards the end of the season.
He said: "Dundee United have pressures to go up and we have the pressures of trying to stay in the division.
"We seem to be slipping up at home. We lost here to Arbroath and Queen's Park and now Ayr. Our home form has put us on the back foot and in this position.
"If we'd taken a couple of draws in those games, or even one win, we'd be around mid-table. But our home form has been poor all season.
"There will be more twists and turns to come. Teams will lose games. We have been on a bit of a run. We have got to keep going and we need to find three wins from somewhere.
"We will do our best at Tannadice. We need to play much better than we did today."
Ferguson felt that there should have been more injury time at the end of the match.
He said: "That was incredible considering the subs we'd made and the time-wasting from Ayr, It was unbelievable the referee only found three additional minutes.
