AYR United boss Scott Brown says there are "a lot of positives" to take away from his side's draw with Ross County.
The Honest Men drew 1-1 with the Dingwall side on Saturday at Somerset Park - making it four draws and one loss to open up their Scottish Championship campaign.
The match got off to a perfect start for Ayr as they took the lead after just two minutes when Ethan Walker finished a well worked move down the right flank.
United held their lead until half-time but former player Jay Henderson - who Brown admitted was a summer transfer target - levelled early in the second period.
The home side had their chances to claim victory later in the match but the points were ultimately shared in South Ayrshire.
“I thought it was a very good performance overall," Brown told Ayr United TV. "We were top of all the stats – for us, it’s a really good place to be in after that game.
“If you look at a Ross County team, their budget is three or four times what ours is, but our lads competed really well.
“For long periods of the game, we controlled it, first half we were unlucky not to score a second goal.
“At the same time, at the start of the second half we have got to be tighter but teams like Ross County are going to create chances.”
There were plenty of positives for the Ayr boss to take out of the match - none more so than the return of Anton Dowds and Ben Dempsey from injury.
He added: “I was delighted to see Anton [Dowds] back on the pitch, Ben [Dempsey] back on the pitch.
“You can see around the stadium, what it means to them as well, the buzz from the fans to see them coming back in.
“We’ve missed the two of them. They’re not really there yet but they’re getting there.
“They’ve come back in, they look in a really good place and that’s what I’m more delighted for.”
And the Somerset Park boss is confident that the match could prove to be a catalyst for his men who are still seeking their first win of the league season.
Brown continued: “We’re in a miles better place than what we are. The lads dug in deep throughout the first four or five games because we’ve not had a lot of bodies.
“The same ones had to go continuously, a few boys had to play out of position. Now, the lads are back in and it’s looking fresher.
“There are a lot of positives to take out the game, the only one negative is we didn’t win the game, didn’t get three points and we haven’t won that game yet.”
Ayr will not be in action this weekend, with their scheduled match against Partick Thistle postponed due to their opponents participation in the League Cup quarter-finals.
United will not be back on the pitch until Tuesday, September 23, when they travel to take on Dunfermline Athletic.
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