St Mirren 6
Ayr United 2
League (Championship)

Match Report

Bottom side St Mirren moved within a point of Ayr United in the Championship with a drubbing of the Honest Men.

A first-half onslaught began after five minutes, when Stevie Mallan volleyed in the opener, then delivered for Gary McKenzie to head home.

Stephen McGinn tapped in a cross, before Kyle Magennis and Lewis Morgan scored either side of half-time.

Paul Cairney and Farid El Alagui grabbed consolations for Ayr, before Cammy Smith completed the rout.

The Buddies have played a game fewer than United, and boast a significantly superior goal difference.

Mallan kicked things off in style, cracking a sweet, low volley from 18 yards into Greg Fleming's bottom-right corner.

The midfielder turned provider for Saints' second, whipping in a cross for MacKenzie to bullet home, before McGinn stabbed in the third from Stelios Demetriou's delivery.

Mallan jinked past two Ayr defenders, but struck the post with his shot shortly after, but St Mirren stretched their lead eight minutes before the break, when Magennis raced onto a diagonal pass to evade keeper Fleming and fire home from an acute angle.

Morgan made it five seven minutes into the second half, coolly picking his spot from 18 yards out.

The 20-year-old was stretchered off injured with 20 minutes to play - the only real negative for Buddies manager Jack Ross.

Ayr staged a mini-revival in the final quarter, with Cairney, then El Alagui finding the net, but Smith bundled home number six for Saints, completing an emphatic performance that has given their Championship survival hopes a massive shot in the arm.

St Mirren manager Jack Ross: "I understand my responsibility to give supporters the product on the pitch - we're doing that.

"The results and performances won't always be perfect, but as long as we play in that manner, the support will come from the stands. That's happened regularly, home and away, over the past few months.

"We're still in the most difficult position in the league, I understand that, but from where we were two or three months ago - we were dead and buried, a lot of people had written us off, we were double-figure points adrift, we're back with a real opportunity to stay in this league, which would be a terrific achievement."

Ayr United manager Ian McCall: "St Mirren thoroughly deserved to win and I don't think the margin flattered them. I'm not making excuses for myself, but two or three of the players are carrying injuries from the Dunfermline game and haven't trained, so that was a catch-up.

"We've got two home games coming up, and all this means is that we have to win both of them, rather than just one.

"I'm not under pressure in the slightest. If the worst comes to the worst and it happens, the chairman knows I took us up last year. That's the very last thing in my mind."

Match report written by BBC