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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Eric McGowan

Irvine Vics 8 Lesmahagow 0: Dougie MacDuff hails goal-crazy side 'exceptional'

Dougie MacDuff reckons his resurgent Irvine Vics side will have to deal with life in the spotlight after going goal-crazy against The Gow.

The Westenders followed up a 3-0 midweek win at Girvan with a truly outstanding performance yesterday afternoon and could easily have hit double figures.

Shane Jackson's double and a fizzing Franny Kilpatrick free-kick had MacDuff's men 3-0 up and cruising at half time.

They picked up where they left off in the second half as further goals from James Maxwell, John McLaughlan, Kevin Adam (2) and Kilpatrick completed the rout.

Delighted MacDuff was thrilled with the ruthless display but warned his players not to get carried away after back-to-back West of Scotland League Third Division wins and clean sheets lifted them to third in the table.

He told Ayrshire Football News: "I was over the moon we got a result on Wednesday night and that carried us into today.

"We were absolutely exceptional. We know we have goals in our side and we got them today. It could have been five, six at half-time.

"We've put ourselves in the spotlight after a result like that. There will be a bit of attention and noise about us but we've got to keep our heads down and keep working hard.

"At the end of the day, all we've done is win two games and kept two clean sheets - but we're going the right way.

Shane Jackson, right, takes the plaudits after firing Vics in front (Ayrshire Football News)

"Last year Lesmahagow beat us 5-1. We're certainly making big strides and we've got to continue doing that."

Vics came flying out the traps against a Gow outfit who had won their first two league games of the season.

They surged in front with nine minutes on the clock, Jackson's emphatic finish from 16 yards beating goalkeeper Colin McGraw all ends up.

Kilpatrick almost made it 2-0 in 16 minutes with a shot that narrowly cleared the crossbar.

But he wrote his name on the scoresheet in sensational style four minutes later when he smashed a 20-yard free-kick into the top corner.

The hosts were relentless and Jackson added a third just before the half hour mark when he glided into the box from the right touchline, leaving two defenders in his wake, and shot low past McGraw.

Lesmahagow were lucky to get to half-time without conceding again but they shipped two goals in as many minutes early in the second half as Vics took theirt tally to five.

Substitute James Maxwell struck first, outpacing his marker and slipping a shot under McGraw's body from eight yards.

McLaughlan then headed home from close range after a goalmouth scramble to all but seal the three points.

Kevin Adam climbed off the bench to rub more salt into Gow's wounds, the big striker turning home a cross at the back post in 63 minutes.

Kevin Adam jumps for joy after netting the first of his two goals (Ayrshire Football News)

Fellow sub Gerry Clark should have put Vics in seventh heaven shortly afterwards only to scoop a shot over the bar from six yards.

The irrepressible Kilpatrick showed him the way to goal by powering home a diving header in the 86th minute before Adam wrapped up the scoring in stoppage time with a terrific curling strike from 20 yards.

Such was Vics complete and utter dominance that goalkeeper Owen McCallum was a virtual spectator for the entire 90 minutes.

MacDuff added: "The more clean sheets we get, along with a more settled back four and team selection can only do wonders for us and help us along the rest of the season."

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