IT’S JOY FOR JAYDEN

Sub’s at heart of vital win as Ayr go three points clear

LEE BULLEN hailed the impact of substitute Jayden Mitchell-Lawson after the winger found himself at the heart of the win that took Ayr three points clear at the top of the Championship.

The 23-year-old came on for Logan Chalmers midway through the second half against Arbroath at Gayfield on Saturday – and within minutes had earned the penalty from which Ben Dempsey put the visitors ahead.

And with Dick Campbell’s men pushing forward in search of a late equaliser, the former Swindon man unleashed a quality strike in the 89th minute to complete a perfect week for the Honest Men.

Saturday’s win, coupled with last

Tuesday’s 4-2 defeat of Partick Thistle at a pulsating Somerset, put clear blue water between Ayr and the Championship’s chasing pack – and set up another huge game this Saturday at home to second-top Morton.

Speaking to the club’s own media team after Saturday’s match, Bullen said he felt all three 64th-minute changes – with Jordan Houston replacing Nick McAllister and Mark McKenzie coming on for Brad Young – had played an important role in the result.

“I know players get upset when they get taken off,” he said, “but Nick had been on a yellow card and he’d given a foul away just after half-time.

“Brad played 90 minutes the other night, and then Jayden came on for Logan, who had taken a dunt very early on and was seeing stars at one point.

“Jayden just tempts defenders into challenges, and that’s where the penalty’s come from – and then with the second one I’m screaming ‘just give us a bit of magic’, and that he did. It was a great finish.”

Mitchell-Lawson’s goal on Saturday was his first since moving north from the County Ground during the summer and suffering an injury blow – and the winger said he’d been given a simple instruction by his manager before entering the fray.

“He just told me to make an impact, to go on and try and change the game,” Mitchell-Lawson said.

“It’s been tough to get myself back into the team after having a knock, but I’ve been grinding away and grinding away, and chances like that you need to take.”

Watch the full interviews online at ayrunitedfc.co.uk/ayr-united-tv.