BELOW-par Beith were outgunned by a Troon side who look clear title favourites, despite blasting into an early lead.

The defeat, which was the third of the campaign, now leaves the second-placed visitors 11 points behind the Seasiders with four games in hand and with work to do to make sure they secure automatic promotion.

One bright point for the visitors is the signing of former Kilbirnie Ladeside skipper Kevin MacDonald, who made his debut in defence and looks like being a major asset.

This game was billed one of the matches of the day and it certainly more than lived up to expectations, albeit it wasn’t nearly as close as had been predicted, with seven goals, two red cards and no little skill on show.

You couldn’t take your eyes off the action and the match exploded into life with just 15 seconds on referee Craig Napier’s watch.

Home goalie Darren Johnson sent David McGowan flying inside the box and Andy Reid showed great composure as he stepped up to drill the resultant penalty-kick beyond the home goalie, much to the delight of the visiting support.

Back at the other end two minutes later a Calum Hardie cross was blocked by a visiting defender and seconds later a David Gillies rocket from 20 yards crashed off the post.

Troon were beginning to take control and a Gareth Armstrong shot was saved on the line by Adam Strain in 14 minutes.

Beith then had a good chance but a McGowan shot into the box was scrambled away by a home defender.

Another good opportunity came Beith’s way in 21 minutes when Zander Ryan shot just across the face of goal from the edge of the box.

However less than a minute later at the other end it was all-square when a Dean Keenan free-kick was powerfully headed home from eight yards by Gillies for his 16th goal of the season.

Beith were competing well at this stage and in 32 minutes a 20-yard shot from the impressive Joe Bradley was well saved by Johnson. Ryan shot narrowly wide from 25 yards three minutes later.

A well-flighted McGowan free-kick into the box was cleared by Keenan in 37 minutes.

However Troon got their noses in front with what was an unfortunate goal from Beith’s point of view as a long range shot from former Ayr United man Moore was turned into his own net by Ryan.

Ten minutes after the break it looked like game over as a brilliantly struck free-kick from 25 yards by former Ayr and Morton man Keenan went in off the post.

Six minutes later Troon further increased their lead when the visiting defence stopped playing, thinking there should have been a foul and Aaron Wylie slipped a pass to Scott Chatham to knock the ball home from eight yards.

Then in 63 minutes Beith pulled a goal back when Paul Frize shot home from eight yards with the home defence caught napping.

Troon were reduced to 10 men five minutes later when Tony Murphy was sent off for alleged elbows after an incident involving Marc McShane but there didn’t look to be much in it,.

There was yet more high drama in 80 minutes when former Beith man Hardie was sent tumbling inside the box by John Sheridan, who was red-carded for a last man challenge. Keenan then stepped up to rifle the resultant free-kick into the top corner of the net.

Three minutes later a Bradley shot from 30 yards was well saved by Johnson as Troon closed out the game well on top.

Troon look dead certs to go up while Beith will simply have to dust themselves down and try to re-discover the form which made them look unstoppable earlier in the season.

They are well capable of it but must aim to get back on track soon.

TROON: Johnson; Ure, Gareth Armstrong, Keenan, McGowan, Wylie, Hardie, Chatham, Gillies, Moore, Murphy. Subs: Bo Armstrong, Sanderson, Potter, Shankland, Fraser.

BEITH: Strain; McShane, Wilson, MacDonald, Sheridan, McDonald, Ryan, Frize, Reid, McGowan, Bradley. Subs: Hobbs, Donnelly, McKay, Lundy.