Kilwinning Rangers 4 Bonnyton Thistle 0
Chris Strain watched hat-trick hero Thomas Collins blast Buffs to a third straight win today – then insisted he loved his graft as much as his goals.
Kilwinning Rangers were on easy street against Bonnyton Thistle from the moment Collins stroked the opening goal into an empty net after just six minutes.
The former Beith hitman doubled his tally before the break and made his a treble at the end after midfielder David Ramsay added Buffs third.
Kilwinning's four-goal show sent them up to third place in the West of Scotland League Premier Division to leave boss Strain satisfied and singing the praises of strike star Collins.
He told Ayrshire Football News: "I thought we started the game with a good appetite and got an early goal. We took the game away from Bonnyton quite early.
"Thomas cleared the fence a couple of times with a couple of ambitious shots, let's just say, before he got his hat-trick which was thoroughly deserved.
"I'm more pleased with Thomas's work rate. He's had a wee tough time with injury but it looks like he is getting back to himself.
"There was a lot of unselfish work from him, his set-up play was good and he got his reward with his goals. Rattling the back of the net a few times will get Thomas's confidence up."
Collins hit the target early-on and bagged a lovely second when he cut in from the right flank and arrowed a low shot into the far corner of the net.
It was 3-0 two minutes later. Bonnyton switched off at a corner and Ramsay made the visitors pay with an emphatic finish from close range.
Chances came and went for dominant Buffs after the break. Good goalkeeping denied Gavin Millar with Collins later smashing the ball off the post.
But he wouldn't be denied his hat-trick and, with five minutes remaining, accepted a pass in the centre of the box and rifled a powerful shot into the roof of the net.
Strain, whose side have won three in a row for the first time since July, added: "We missed a lot of chances to extend our lead further, which was disappointing, but overall we're happy to get three points, a clean sheet and we move on.
"We need to get as close to the teams above us as we can and see where that takes us."
Bonnyton boss Alan Robertson said: "We kept plugging away until the end. The second half was certainly better than the first half. Some of the goals they didn't have to work hard for, they came cheap.
"I thought we limited them in terms of chances in the second half, we had more of the ball ourselves and created one or two half-opportunities. We just want to try and win some games between now and the end of the season."
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