Irvine Vics 5 Girvan 0
Dougie MacDuff insisted graft was just as important as goals after Vics blew Girvan away in horrendous conditions on Saturday.
The Westenders stretched their unbeaten run in the WoSFL Third Division to 14 games as hat-trick hero Alessandro Savarese, Kevin Adam and Matt Deehan all found the net at wet and wild Vics Park.
And on an afternoon when howling winds and driving rain made football something of a lottery, boss MacDuff was delighted to see his side dig deep for victory in their first outing since December 3.
He said: “First game back after a break you always run the risk of wee slip-up and that’s before you factor in weather like that.
“The boys were well warned about what would be required. They had to leave everything out there and I thought their attitude was spot on.
"To score five goals and keep a clean sheet in those conditions, I’m over the moon.”
MacDuff felt treble-shooter Savarese exemplified the desire he reckons was key to taking another three points.
He added: “Sav showed why we brought him to the club. He took his goals really well and his workrate and energy can’t be faulted.”
Girvan adapted to the elements quickest and went close to taking the lead on a couple of occasions in the opening stages.
But Vics were on easy street after Adam craned his neck to head home Lewis McCracken’s wicked corner kick delivery at the back post with 17 minutes on the clock.
Number two arrived soon after, Savarese firing home from close range after he and Adam exchanged a series of quickfire passes inside the box.
Girvan made it to half-time without conceding again, but the second half was just two minutes old when Deehan pounced on some slack defending to put Vics 3-0 in front.
Home keeper Owen McCallum was finally called into action to keep a header out down low at his near post but that was as close as Girvan came to a goal.
The ball was soon in the net at the other end, Savarese latching on to Shane Jackson’s cut back to score from eight yards and all but wrap up the three points.
The striker completed his hat-trick - and the scoring - in the 65th minute after pouncing on some real kamikaze defending.
Girvan’s goalkeeper raced from his line to help out on the edge of the box but the ball broke to Savarese and he simply lofted it over everyone and into the empty net.
The visitors’ afternoon went from bad to worse when they were reduced to 10-men following a straight red card for dissent.
Jackson and substitute Gerry Clark both passed up a couple of decent chances to add to Vics’ tally before referee Nicolas Speirs blew for full time.
Vics remain third in the table but move to within five points of leaders Ardrossan Winton Rovers who slipped up 2-1 at home to Dalry on Friday night. They also have four games in hand over their North Ayrshire rivals.
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