DYLAN CAN BE DANGER MAN
With sport in lockdown, many are heading to the computer to get their adrenalin fix of competition.
Some of the world’s top sportsmen and women have been taking part in esports events including footballers Raheem Sterling and Trent Alexander-Arnold, and F1 drivers Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc.
Nearer to home, a 15-year-old Bridge of Allan schoolboy beat the odds to win the SMRC Esports Spring Xbox Championship.
But it was a nail-biting final race for Ayden Wilson before he was declared the winner. The Wallace High School pupil took part online over four weeks.
Going into the final round at Silverstone, Ayden held a 37-point lead but a connection issue during the qualifiers meant he failed to qualify –and he had to wait to see if secondplace Tam Hamill could claw back the points in the two races.
A third-place finish in round one reduced the deficit to 21 points but contact with another car in the second saw him spin out, retire – and hand the title to Ayden.
More than 200 drivers took part in the championship and a delighted Ayden picked up a £25 voucher for his win.
The teenager is keen to get behind the wheel of a C1 at Knockhill in the future after his exploits on screen.
“I really enjoyed it,”he said. “When I didn’t make the final it was hard waiting to see if I would win.
“I’m a racing fan so when I saw the competition online, I thought I’d like to get involved.”
Thrilled mum Pam added: ”We hope to get him in a real car soon in the C1s at Knockhill. He has driven at tracks in England but the dream is to get him a team and race professionally.”
Stirling Albion manager Kevin Rutkiewicz has tipped striker Dylan Mackin to be a key player for the team next season.
The 23-year-old is one of seven players under contract for 2020/21, along with Kyle Banner, Blair Currie, Dom Docherty, Sean Heaver, Jordan McGregor and Paul McLean.
He made his debut in Rutkiewicz’s first game in charge in October 2018 after moving from Falkirk and netted 11 times that season, with two goals for the Bairns and nine for the Binos.
Mackin has also previously played for Motherwell, Livingston, Airdrie, Alloa and Brechin and scored four times in season 2019/20.
It was something of a stopstart period for the forward, who missed a number of matches in the first half of the season, but Rutkiewicz believes he is capable of pushing on next term. The boss said: “Dylan was off the boil in the first half of the season and just wasn’t taking the chances that came his way. The Annan penalty typified things, whereas the previous season when he took a penalty it just wasn’t in doubt.
“He went through one of those spells that all strikers go through but towards Christmas it was more like the Dylan Mackin we are accustomed to.
“His goalscoring ratio improved and I think he would have finished the season in double figures.
“I know he can score goals at this level and above – he needs to give himself the best chance and be conditioned but he has been working hard.
“His running times on Strava are improving, which is encouraging, and you could see the difference in him physically in the second half of last season.
“What we got out of that was better performances and with a smaller squad next season, the chances of playing time will probably be more and I think that will help him.
“It’s also about us getting the right service to Dylan and using him in the right way.
“For a while we were playing 4-2-3-1 and Darryl Duffy was the guy in form so Dylan had to bide his time.
“Then he became a handful and, for want of a better word, he was bullying defenders, which is what we need from him.
“We need him to be using that stature and strength and it’s up to us to get the right players round about him.
“I’ve likened big Dylan to Chris Templeman – he wasn’t the quickest but he had terrific feet and was a handful. It took him until he was about 25 to learn how to do it but he was probably one of the best part-time strikers in Scotland for 10 years.
“Dylan is right there with him in terms of ability – he has a terrific touch and a natural eye for goal.”