Prize guy Lee Bullen toasted a trophy double at Somerset Park today – but warned his Honest Men they’re now up there to be shot at.
Bullen picked up the Glen's Vodka-sponsored Championship manager of the month award while fab frontman Dipo Akinyemi was named the cinch-sponsored player of the month.
Ayr United went unbeaten during the month of August with four wins and a draw to their name which has hoisted them to the top of the table.
However, boss Bullen reckons the club’s newly-found fame and attention – and top dogs status – paints a target on their backs.
He said: “It’s always nice to receive awards but it’s never down to one person.
“It’s thanks to the players, staff and everyone connected with the club.
“A lot of hard work goes on at every football club.
“It’s also nice for Dipo to get player of the month as well.
“Recently, he’s had opposition managers talking about him in that he’s playing well.
“But ultimately every time someone talks about him, that target on his back gets bigger and bigger. And he’ll have to deal with that.
“He’s come into this league as a bit of an unknown quantity, but now everybody knows about him, so teams will try to find ways in which they can stop the big man.”
Bullen, though, isn’t getting carried away with Ayr's surprisingly bright start to their Championship campaign and will keep his players grounded.
He revealed: “It’s all we can do. As a club when you are doing well, slowly but surely the target grows and grows.
“Arbroath found that last year when they were up there unexpectedly. And to many people we are up there, unexpectedly too, but there is a long way to go.
“We know there will be bumps in the road and it’s about how we react to that when they do come along.
“For us, it’s about trying to be up there for as long as possible and try to maintain that good run of form.”
Bullen leads his side to Stark’s Park, Kirkcaldy, this weekend as the Honest Men seek to maintain their table-topping status at the expense of Raith Rovers.
But he warned: “Raith are a good footballing side and have a good coach in Ian Murray.
“He was very successful at Airdrie last year and deserved his opportunity at Raith Rovers.
“They have good individual players and they’ve probably not got off to the start they would have liked but they are a handful.
“Eventually things will start clicking for them.”
He added: “Everybody wants to be the first team to beat Ayr United in the league, so we expect a very difficult game up at Stark’s Park.”
Goalkeeper Aidan McAdams is making good progress after his recent shoulder injury and could be available for the weekend.
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