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Youngsters Grab That First Win
Ayr United and Inverness first met on 28th August 1999 and United drew first blood with a 1-0 win at Somerset Park. Ayr United first played at Inverness at Caledonian Stadium on St Andrew's day in 1999 and a disappointing 1-1 draw was earned by Ayr and 1-1 was the score on Ayr’s second visit on 25th April of that season also ended 1-1 but we were confident that the following season we would record our first win there. In between Caley recorded their first win at Ayr, by 3-1 on 7th March 2000.
A 7-3 league defeat on 2nd December 2000 was a disaster but on 27th January 2001 United were 3-0 ahead at half in a Scottish Cup 3rd round tie and that ellusive win was hours - or rather it wasn't. Caley banged 4 into the Ayr goals in the second half to win 4-3. Three goals in an away tie usually gives you a win - but to do it twice at Inverness and still lose meant that forbidden phrase - bogey team - was on the tips of Ayr fans lips. Ayr had to endure two draws at Ayr in this season.
A 1-0 defeat on 14th April 2001 in the league completed a unenviable hat trick for Ayr - at least we didn’t score 3 in the third lost game - although if we had we would have won.
Season 2001/02 would be the season - we thought. A 3-1 defeat early in the season was a blow but when Ayr beat Inverness twice in four days at home in November 2001 (3-0 in the league and 5-1 in the cup) we thought that they bogey had been beaten. As they lined up on 2nd February 2002 we were confident. Alas Ayr found themselves 1-0 down at half time and we were thankful to earn a 1-1 draw at the finish.
Season 2002/03 began with the usual defeat for Ayr on 5th October, a 2-0 win being registered by the highlanders. United had managed a good home 3-1 win on 7th December 2002. With Inverness flying high and challenging for the league championship United took their team of confident and talented youngsters north on 18th January 2003 and, on their ninth visit to Inverness, registered their first ever away victory over Inverness Caledonian Thistle thanks to a third minute strike from Stewart Kean.
Despite late pressure from the home side and a Paul Lovering red card, United's young guns held on to record an excellent win over the league leaders. Ayr followed this up with a 1-0 victory at Somerset park on 29th March 2003.
On 13th September 2003 it was business as usual with Ayur losing 1-0 in the Highlands and 2-1 there on 17th January 2004 In between United lost badly by 3-0 at home on 8th November 2003 and only recording a 1-1 draw at Ayr on 20th March 2004 - a dismal season indeed for the Honest Men.
United’s next foray to the Caledonian Stadium was for a Scottish Cup on 7th January 2006 which ended in a superb 1-1 draw, considering Ayr were two divisions below Caley at the time and considering their overall dismal results away to the Highland club. However, United lost the home replay by 2-0.
With Caley’s relegation from the Premier league and Ayr’s promotion in 2008/09 the clubs again found themselves on league duty on 15th August 2009 and, on United’s thirteenth visit to Inverness, they pulled off an excelelnt 0-0 draw only to be soundly beaten at home by 5-1 on 24th October 2009. Struggling to avoid the relegation places United went to Caley on 27th February 2010 and produced a superb display to lead 3-2 in the 90th minute. However, the referee gave a controversial penalty and Caley managed to salvage a 3-3 draw.
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