Ayr United 2-2 Inverness CT: Highlanders miss chance to go top

Patrick Reading's goal ensured a draw at Somerset Park

Inverness Caledonian Thistle missed the chance to go top of the Scottish Championship after twice ceding a lead to Ayr United.

Kilmarnock's defeat by Partick Thistle meant the Highlanders could have gone a point clear, but instead remain a point behind.

Sean Welsh and Michael Gardyne put the visitors in front, with Joe Chalmers and Patrick Reading twice levelling.

Ayr remain sixth after ending a run of back-to-back defeats.

Both teams took some time to settle and it was the visitors who took the lead, Welsh heading in from close range.

Ayr hit back almost instantly as Andy Murdoch's corner was met by Chalmers from six yards out.

The influential Gardyne struck from long range for his fifth league goal of the season.

Inverness had further chances in the first half but were left to rue them when the home side equalised early in the second period. Reading burst up the left, cut in and finished from the edge of the area.

The visitors pushed for a winner and had several chances, with Gardyne and Billy Mckay linking up well, but Ayr goalkeeper Aidan McAdams produced some brilliant saves to keep them at bay.

Ayr United manager Jim Duffy: "I think we have to accept that a point is a decent result against a good side. The players now realise they have the quality to come back into matches."

Inverness CT manager Billy Dodds: "It was self inflicted for us. We dropped a couple of runners and they scored two goals. I thought we should have taken three points but we're still in there battling."