McBookie Championship

WHITLETTS VICTORIA 9

LARKHALL THISTLE 0

VICS thrashed a luckless Larkhall who proved to be no match for the Ayr side in this one-sided league encounter at Dam Park.

From the kick off Vics were in the ascendancy and in 10 minutes, they took a deserved lead when Isaac Kerr popped up at the back post to finish off a free-kick from his brother Louis.

Louis then went close with a free kick that flashed past the angle but five minutes later it was 2-0. A fine through ball found Thomas Donovan 22 yards out from goal and his cheeky lob caught Jags keeper Colin McGraw off his line.

When Adam Forsyth add a third from the penalty spot after Graeme Barbour had been tripped in the box going for a rebound after his initial shot had come back off the post, it was already a case of how many with only 21 minutes on the clock!

Forsyth then went close with a lob of his own however as often happens in these circumstances, Whitletts took their foot off the gas and allowed Larkhall back into the game

It took the visitors 27 minutes to have a serious shot at goal when Bartosz Mackiewicz fired into the side netting after a fine inswinging ball from the impressive Michael Brunton.

The second half started in a similar manner with Vics not firing on all cylinders. Brunton went close with a shot from the edge of the box that flashed just wide for the Jags while Donovan and Buchanan both squandered great chances for Whitletts when they failed to connect properly with the goal at their mercy.

McGraw then parried a Buchanan header clear.

Thistle sub David Hazizi almost made an immediate impact when he shot just wide while an Isaac Kerr interception denied Brunton who had waltzed past three Vics defenders in the box. Those chances sandwiched a similar chance for Whitletts when John Barclay cleared a low Forsyth cross with the Vics players queuing up for a tap in.

Isaac Kerr was then denied a second when his effort from a Barbour free-kick was blocked on the line.

Assistant Manager Mark Ferris made a key substitution midway through the half, giving Bobby Colligan his Vics debut as he came off the bench and he made a quick impact, as it was from his cross that Forsyth finished to put Vics 4-0 in 75 minutes.

One minute later, Colligan again with a superb through ball to Forsyth who ran on to fire low past McGaw to complete his hat-trick. Sixty seconds later, Forsyth, who was the provider for Colligan to fire home. Only on the park for three minutes, two assists and a goal. That’s how to make an impact on your debut!

Whitletts were rampant and McGraw did well to deny Forsyth when he got on the end of another Colligan cross and then he held a powerful Barbour free kick before denying Forsyth again with a fine save from the strikers shot.

Luckless Thistle played the final eight minutes with 10 men when Holmes picked up an injury with the Jags having already made all three of their substitutions.

The Colligan/Forsyth partnership hadn’t finished and with six minutes remaining, Colligan again set up Forsyth for the striker to fire into the top corner.

McGraw then parried another Forsyth strike but there was still time for Donovan to complete his hat-trick.

In 87 minutes, McGaw could only punch a clearance as far as the diminutive striker who react to fire a left foot drive high into the corner of the net. Colligan almost grabbed a second with a lob that went wide of the target before Donovan completed his hat trick in the final minute with a low drive from 22 yards that beat McGaw down to his right post.

WHITLETTS VICTORIA: Fraser; Anderson (George 42) Ogston, Mullen I Kerr, Buchanan, L Kerr (Colligan 67) Millar (McIntyre 78) Forsyth, Barbour, Donovan

Subs: Boyd, Dempsey.