The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Connolly breaks hat-trick hoodoo
Raith Rovers midfielder Aidan Connolly went home clutching the match ball on Saturday night after recording the first hat-trick of his professional career.
His goals helped the Kirkcaldy men ease their way into the Scottish Cup fourth round with a comfortable victory over non-league opponents Auchinleck Talbot.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said Connolly.
“In the past I always seemed to score a double, then get subbed off, before I got the chance to score a third.
“It’s great to get the hattrick. I’ve waited a while for it.
“You want to score goals and you want to win games but it’s getting the victory that’s most important.”
Connolly is in what manager Ian Murray describes as “a rich vein of form” at present, having notched eight goals in his last five games, taking his total this season so far to a career-best figure of 12.
When asked what the secret was to his recent goalscoring prowess, he merely states “hard work and not thinking too much about the game beforehand”.
His first goal – midway through the second half – was similar to his one against Queen’s Park last week.
Connolly collected the ball on the right, cut inside and curled a glorious shot high into the net.
He plays down the fact, however, that such efforts are becoming his trademark.
“They’re just hit and hopes,” was his modest assessment.
While his second goal, which came 18 minutes from time was also similar, the last-minute strike which gave him his coveted treble was a close-range tap-in, unselfishly provided by a perfect pass from Ethan Ross.
“Ethan put it on a plate for me,” said Connolly. “And just to make sure I
don’t forget, he wrote ‘you’re welcome’ on the match ball when he signed it after the game.”
The game, itself, was a potential banana skin for Rovers, with their West of Scotland League opponents having eliminated both Ayr United and Hamilton Accies from the tournament in recent seasons.
In an evenly contested first half they certainly matched their Championship rivals in every department.
The picture changed after half-time, however, and two goals from Connolly killed off the challenge of the battling Ayrshire outfit before his third in the closing stages rounded off an outstanding individual performance.