Goals galore as Burgh topple ArdeerThistle

Johnstone Burgh produced a stellar display to come away from Ardeer with all three points.

Making the trip through to Ayrshire, Burgh were confident of continuing their winning run of form as they bid to put their season back on track and get back in the promotion fight.

And the Keanie Park side delivered on a damp afternoon in Stevenston as they triumphed in emphatic fashion.

Burgh came flying out of the trap and striker Keiron Magennis was unlucky not to open the scoring, as his tremendous work rate wasn’t rewarded with a goal, but his impact on the game with his pace and trickery was so important to his team mates.

Ultimately, it took 28 minutes for Jamie McKim’s side to break the deadlock, as a few chances went astray, but captain Scott Robson connected sweetly on the volley from a corner on the right hand side, giving the hosts’keeper no chance.

Ardeer found themselves back in the game almost immediately, as their striker rose highest in the box to send a header looping into the top corner.

An equaliser almost became a go-ahead goal soon after, as keeper Cammy Sinclair was adjudged to have pushed in the box but he made amends as he saved the low-driven penalty comfortably.

Burgh took the lead again, as some slick combination play resulted in Sam Esplin firing low into beyond the keeper.

Two turned into three as Billy Davies took advantage of a keeper mishandling to bundle the ball across the line.

The tails were up at the start of the second half, and it wasn’t long before Paul McCallum made a darting run across the six-yard box to meet a drilled cross and powered it high into the empty net.

Sam Esplin scored his second and the goal of the game, as his blistering pace, which caused the right back problems all game, gifted him plenty of time as he raced into the box floated the ball with a side-foot shot into the inside netting to make it five for Burgh.

Substitute Johnny Boyd opened his Burgh account five minutes from time.

He stunned the whole stadium into silence as he finished from an impossible angle, leaving everyone barring himself wondering just how he’d managed it, which rounded off the scoring for the day.