Ross County top of the table after Ayr win

Ross County 2

Ayr United 1

Scorers County: McKay (23) Mullin (34) Ayr: Shankland (48)

Ross County are back at the top of the Scottish Championship but had to fight off a ferocious second half fightback from Ayr United to move into pole position.

It was a nervy start from the Staggies and they were fortunate in the opening minutes of the game after Callum Morris failed to control the ball in the box under pressure from Lawrence Shankland. But the Ayr striker was penalised for pushing for what looked like a soft foul before he could get a shot on target.

Ross County responded when Keith Watson charged down the right wing and his cross was only inches away from finding the foot of Billy McKay to score from close range.

But the home side’s nerves were eased when Sean Kelly's cross from the left wing took a touch off Jamie Lindsay's head in the box and the ball fell to McKay who hammered the ball into the top right corner from 12 yards to give them the lead.

Davis Keillor-Dunn almost doubled their advantage on the half hour mark when his thunderous low drive from 25 yards beat goalkeeper Ross Doohan but smacked against the left hand post.

However, Mullin did manage to put daylight between the two teams in the 34 minute when he released a screamer from 20 yards that found the top right corner to give them a 2-0 lead at the break.

But Ayr stormed back into the game and reduced the deficit to one in the 48 minute when Shankland ran on to a long ball and held off Morris in the box before firing a low shot from 12 yards into the bottom left corner of the net.

Ayr piled on the pressure throughout the second half which caused panic in the Ross County defence with Declan McDaid seeing his free kick from the edge of the box whistle inches past the right hand post.

Stelios Demteriou also had to put a last ditch tackle to deny Shankland a chance at goal from 12 yards after United carved the back line open.

Shankland was denied again in the closing stages when he saw a powerful shot from 12 yards tipped over the bar as County held on to win the game.

County: Fox, Kelly, Fontaine (Demetriou 18), Morris (Grivosti 51), Lindsay, McKay, Vigurs (Graham 78), Mullin, Watson, Keillor-Dunn, Cowie

Substitutes (Unused) McManus, Munro, Dingwall, Stewart.

Ayr: Doohan, Harvie (Moore 45), Kerr, Rose, Geegan, Moffat (McDaid 45), Crawford, Adams (Forrest 75), Shankland, Murdoch, Smith.

Subs (Unused) Hare-Reid, Bell, Ferguson, Docherty.

Referee: Steven McLean