MCKAY’S A CRACKSHOT
Fracture agony for County hat-trick hero
BILLY MCKAY broke his arm burying a hat-trick to keep relentless Ross County five points clear at the summit.
Ayr levelled twice in an incredible end-to-end battle only to tumble eight points behind the Staggies, who have a game in hand.
Mckay’s treble took him to the 20 for the season but the striker suffered agony sliding in for a 75th-minute winner.
The 30-year-old landed awkwardly and had to head off to hospital as co-boss Steven Ferguson said: “All our thoughts are with Billy.
“We managed to get a chat before he left by ambulance but his contribution was absolutely huge with a hat-
trick. He’s been fantastic all season but tonight is certainly bittersweet. Billy will need to get this fixed and it’s going to take time.”
Before Mckay’s exit came one for Ross Stewart – albeit nowhere near as bad – as he hobbled off with a thigh injury 22 minutes in.
The 22-year-old had four goals in four games although an ever- reliable Mckay stepped up in 35 minutes, expertly controlling Jamie Lindsay’s looping ball then tucking home from six yards. Josh Mullin clipped what could have been a Staggies second off the bar before the break as United moved level 17 minutes after it.
Liam Smith collected a Lawrence Shankland pass to race past Jamie Lindsay in the box then returned it for the star to slam in his 31st of the season from eight yards.
County were back in front in 70 minutes as Mckay took a Lindsay pass on the edge of the box and thrashed past Ross Doohan. Ayr were level inside four minutes when a Shankland cross from the left was scooped up by a sliding Michael Moffat for Andrew Murdoch to nod in.
Remarkably, though, it was wiped out as Keith Watson’s header was saved by Doohan only for Mckay to pounce for Ferguson and fellow gaffer Stuart Kettlewell.
Ferguson said: “Stuart and I set the players a little target of six points from Partick and Ayr and they’ve delivered again. We can’t speak highly enough of the group of players we have and the character they show.”