FANTASTIC 4
Shankland savours historic goals haul in Tannadice triumph
Lawrence Shankland has been scoring goals for fun this season, writes Lochlin Highet.
And now the prolific hitman has another accolade to boast about as he became the first visiting player to score four at Tannadice in 60 years.
The Somerset Park goal king bagged two first- half strikes before making it four of the best with a double in the last five minutes.
He is the first opposition player to score four or more at the home of the Arabs since John White scored five for Alloa during a 7- 1 win in 1958.
Ayr now lie six points ahead of Dundee United and two ahead of Ross County at the top of the Championship.
And Shankland is more than happy to prove the critics wrong.
He said: “This result shows what we’ve got.
“A team winning by five goals at Tannadice is virtually unheard of.
“Some people were maybe thinking we’d fluked our way to the top of the table.
“But if you’re still top at this stage of the season, then you’re obviously not a bad side.”
Until now it has been a dream.
But Ayr United can start believing after this incredible night on Tayside.
That 5- 0 flattered Robbie Neilson’s reborn Arabs said everything about a performance being labelled one of Ayr’s best of all time.
Lethal Lawrence Shankland stole the headlines with four in a rout that could – and probably should – have been far more.
But to a man there were no failures in an Ayr side who delivered as close to the perfect display for their beaming boss.
Little wonder Ian McCall, a man notoriously hard to please who has seen it all in the game, ranked this as one of his best nights in management.
Ayr had entered this with everything to lose as their reducing lead at the top of the Championship stood to be eroded entirely.
The Terrors, revitalised under new boss Neilson, approached the game with the bounce of a club knowing their time was now.
But they were never allowed to settle here as Ayr roared from the blocks with an intensity which proved far too much for the hosts.
And it took just two minutes for the visitors to strike as Daniel Harvie centred for Shankland to plant a clinical header past Benjamin Siegrist.
Ayr were flying and Shankland almost doubled the lead seconds later but clipped a shot over Siegrist and just past the post.
United were all at sea and when Siegrist limped off after 15 minutes, Ayr sensed blood.
Robbie Crawford, reinstalled to the centre of midfield, was running an increasingly impressive show, and the hosts simply couldn’t live with Ayr’s movement up top.
Declan McDaid, who gave United a torrid evening, was next to go close with a shot over the top before Michael Moffat fired over from close range.
The game should have been buried after half an hour and Ayr got a wake up call when the unmarked Paul McMullan headed straight at Ross Doohan.
That was as good as it got for United and they were soon put to the sword as Ayr streaked further clear before the break.
A brilliant team move from back to front ended with McDaid crossing for Shankland to slam home from 10 yards and put Ayr firmly in control.
If McCall and his men feared an onslaught after the break, it never arrived, and the night was only set to get better.
Moffat should have killed the game when clean through but saw his shot saved rather squaring for the unmarked McDaid.
But he would atone when slotting home after a great through ball from Andy Geggan.
Shankland then wrapped up his hat trick from the spot before slamming a fifth in front of the emptying Tannadice stands.
McCall said: “When you put everything together you get a night like that.
“It’s up there with my best as a manager.
“These boys are a credit to the club.” Arabs boss Neilson said: “It’s nowhere near acceptable.
“We’ve got to take the slap and respond.”