Maguire knows his goal drought will end soon
Chris Maguire hasn’t hit the net since January of last year, when he bagged a hat-trick in Lincoln City’s 3-1 victory at his former club, Sunderland.
But the Ayr United striker is ready to make up for lost time as the Honest Men attempt to claim a place in Scotland’s top tier for the first time in 45 years.
They took a step closer when they beat doomed-looking Cove Rangers 3-0 to move a point behind second-placed Dundee with just six games remaining.
Maguire had been sidelined for six months as a result of FA charges, concerning betting on matches prior to his arrival at Somerset Park five weeks ago.
However, after seven appearances for Lee Bullen’s side, he’s feeling sharp enough to open his account.
“I enjoyed Friday night. It’s good to be back playing again ,and getting 90 minutes under my belt helps a lot,” he said.
“The main thing is that I can feel myself becoming fitter and fitter as the weeks go on, which is ideal with such a crucial time coming up for us.
“So it was important to be out there, and setting up a couple of goals for Daire O’Connor and Jayden Mitchell-Lawson was pleasing as well.”
While Ayr are on the up, Cove have lost five on the spin, and Maguire was determined to pile the pressure on manager Paul Hartley, a former teammate at Aberdeen.
“We knew how important it was to get off to a fast start, especially with Cove coming here on the back of a tough result (losing 6-1 at Raith Rovers) last weekend,” he insisted.
“Our thinking was that an early goal would disrupt them, so we began the game really well and we played football, keeping the ball on the ground.”
Maguire, capped twice for Scotland by Craig Levein, is on a short-term deal at Somerset Park.
“My contract doesn’t end until midJune, so if we can reach the Play-off Final, I’ll still be eligible to play in it,” he said.
“This is a big platform for me. I’m back playing football, which is what I enjoy doing. I’ve been brought here to create goals, and I did that against Cove.
“I probably should have scored my first for Ayr as well, but I put a couple of efforts wide. I know I’m better than that, but that will come.
“Anyway, helping the team to get the three points is more important than me scoring.”