SHANKS A MILL FOR GREAT DAY
McCall hails ‘irresistible’ hat-trick hero Lawrence
Ayr United .......................... 4 Queen’s Park ..................... 0 Ian McCall last night hailed hat- trick hero Lawrence Shankland as irresistible as leaders Ayr took apart bottom side Queen’s Park.
Shankland took his season’s tally to 28 goals while sub Craig Moore hit a penalty for his 24th as Ayr stayed six points clear at the top from Raith.
United have now scored 115 goals in all competitions and Shankland is on course to become the first United player to hit 30 in a season since John Sludden back in 1987-88.
Somerset boss McCall said: “We made it comfortable with Lawrence’s hat-trick – he was irresistible.
“But there were a lot of good
performances. Defensively we were really sound and we made the game reasonably easy. “I don’t know if Queen’s Park had a real chance to be honest.
“It’s not easy when Queen’s are f ighting for their lives down at the bottom with Forfar and Albion Rovers.
“It’s a great three points and a great day for Lawrence.”
Ayr had to reorganise before a ball was kicked when Andy Geggan strained his calf in the warm-up and was replaced by Craig Reid. But the late enforced change didn’t affect Ayr as they raced ahead after only 10 minutes.
Declan McDaid and Michael Moffat combined to set up Shankland who dinked the ball past Spiders keeper Michael White.
Queen’s hit back with an Anton Brady free- kick that picked out Adam Cummins at the back post – but the defender glanced a free header wide.
Shankland grabbed his second goal in 29 minutes.
He brilliantly chested down a McDaid free-kick before knocking the ball past White.
The red- hot striker sealed his hat-trick 10 minutes before the break when he met a McDaid free-kick on the turn and volleyed the ball past White. Queen’s started the second period with more fire in their bellies but the damage had been done.
Robbie Leitch and Cummins had efforts saved before a clumsy challenge by Gregor Fotheringham on sub McGuffie led to a penalty that Moore blasted home.
Queen’s boss Gus MacPherson has his work cut out to save the Spiders from the drop.
He said: “We lost the game in the first half hour. You can’t defend the way we did against a team with the quality that Ayr have.
“We kept going and competed considerably better in the second half but we lost bad goals and Ayr didn’t have to work hard for them.”