MOST HAUNTED
Shankland grabs hat-trick for United as he piles pain on his former boss McCall
ROBBIE NEILSON and Ian McCall bickered over who could provide Lawrence Shankland with the best coaching experience earlier in the season.
Whoever is responsible for the polished product who took his scoring streak this season for club and country to 25 can take a bow.
Thankfully, both managers were content to step aside and permit Shankland the credit for a performance that showcased everything that is good about him.
He plundered a perfect hat-trick, and the only argument was which was the pick of the Scotland striker’s second-half finishes. Both were beauties, but the one on the hour mark just edged it because of the solo run in the lead-up.
Two games is a goal drought for the nation’s top marksman. He went three without scoring in January last year and did not find it fun.
So here, the 24-year-old was on a mission against his former Ayr United gaffer Ian McCall to return to scoring form.
He did so with his head, then right then left boot, and hoisted his club tally for the season to 24.
‘That was the best I’ve played since I came back from injury,’ stated Shankland. ‘Outwith the three goals, I felt I was decent in my all-round game after being disappointed in my last two performances.’
United are getting exactly what they paid for when prising Shankland from McCall when the Thistle boss was at Ayr last July.
The dividend will be a title procession and place back in the Premiership for United.
The yawning gap to the rest is now 17 points and it seems Neilson hasn’t finished with the improvements both to continue this relentless season and be ready for the top flight the next.
Adrian Sporle’s first Ladbrokes Championship goal was important, too, helping the Argentine hint at the promise of a more consistent season half of the season.
Neilson added: ‘He’s found it hard coming to a different continent but his girlfriend came over just before New Year, so we need to try and keep her here!
‘He’s starting to learn the language and understand what we’re trying to do. We always knew it would take time with him but you can see the quality is there.’
And in the shape of American signing Dillon Powers, straight in from Orlando City to a debut at a rain-lashed Firhill, Neilson also appears to have unearthed a rock-solid midfield performer.
There was a negative, a significant one too. Nicky Clark was forced off with what United fear is a serious leg injury suffered while making a sliding challenge on Stuart Bannigan.
Shankland lamented: ‘Nicky was in a bit of pain and it wasn’t looking good in the changing room.
‘Hopefully it’s not that bad and we’ll see him back soon. He’s created goals for me this season and been a big player for us all round.’
Thistle did not deserve to be behind at the break, never mind trailing by two goals. However, the pressure had just started to build before the 38th-minute opener.
Scott Fox was alert to meet
Shankland and block to concede a corner.
With Clark’s dead-ball deliveries on point, however, McCall’s former Somerset goal machine only needed to wait a matter of seconds for the next chance to be worked his way.
Shankland met the corner at the near post to flash a header past a rooted Fox.
Shankland’s hold-up play was key to doubling the advantage. As he gathered the ball, Declan Glass and Sporle advanced and Thistle were swarmed.
Exciting teenager Glass collected from Shankland on the run and tucked a teasing, low ball across goal to present Sporle with a tap-in.
McCall withdrew Alex Jones for Tommy Robson and advanced veteran Kenny Miller up top with a three in behind as support. There was to be no momentum shift, only more magic from Shankland.
Joe Cardle coughed up possession, United pounced and probed forward. Shankland drifted in from the inside-left channel, past Tam O’Ware, and evaded others before burying a superb right-foot finish in the bottom corner.
McCall hooked fall guy Cardle straight away but there was nothing the Thistle boss could do with his substitutes to stop his side being susceptible to United’s hunger on the break.
United piled it on with Peter Pawlett introduced and, down the left again, they profited.
Shankland peeled off to collect a return ball on the edge of the box from Pawlett and lashed home with his left to land the treble.
Thistle’s consolation came from
Miller, his first goal since mid-November.
Controlling the rebound from a Benjamin Siegrist save that denied Reece Cole, Miller drilled home from the heart of the penalty box.
McCall, who is set to sign Rangers teenage striker Zak Rudden, complained: ‘For the first half an hour it was the best we’ve played at Firhill, we should’ve been ahead.
‘But they have a centre-forward that could play for any team in Scotland and he’s playing in the Championship.’