The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Deadly double act fire Fifers
EA ST FIFE romped to victory at Elgin last night, with four- goal Nathan A ustin in red-hot form and trialist Derek Riordan turning in a sparkling performance.
Fifers’ player/boss Gary Naysmith hopes to tie up a deal with Riordan this week.
He said: “I think at the end of the day the difference was ‘Fash’ (A ustin) and the quality of Derek Riordan.
“Fash was different class, he was unbelievable and it was as good a performance as I’ve seen from anybody this season.
“We’ll speak to Derek and his agent in the next couple of days and hopefully we’ll get him signed until the end of the season.”
Former Scotland international Riordan played in his third and final game as a trialist, making his first start for Naysmith’s side.
The former Celtic and Hibs man had a huge impact in the first half, making two goals and scoring another as the Fifers ran riot.
But A ustin was the real hero, netting surely one of the quickest hat-tricks in the club’s history with a nineminute treble.
A fter being denied by the legs of Elgin keeper Ross Laidlaw on 11 minutes, he opened the scoring on 25 minutes. Sean Dickson’s drive was well saved by Laidlaw but A ustin lashed home.
Within a minute he scored again, steering home Riordan’s free-kick.
His hat-trick came on 35 minutes, a back post header with Riordan once more the provider from the left side.
Elgin hit back with a goal of their own five minutes later, the pacy Craig Gunn leaving the Fifers defence for dead before slotting home at the near post.
But right on half-time another Riordan free-kick evaded everyone in a crowded penalty box and skidded in to make it 4-1.
East Fife made a poor start to the second half, conceding a goal within 25 seconds as Brian Cameron’s attempted chip cross caught the wind and floated in.
A ustin didn’t take long to get in on the act again, cutting in from the right to smash home a low drive on 53 minutes.
The contest fizzled out in blizzard conditions and A ustin was subbed midway through the half, much to the home side’s relief.
Fifers’ keeper A lan Fleming flapped a Craig Thomson corner against his own bar late on before Daniel Moore struck with a 25- yard free- kick on 90 minutes to grab a consolation.