McBookie League Two

ARDEER THISTLE 0

ASHFIELD 7

UNDER-fire boss Blair Gilmour quit as his side suffered a second successive hammering inside a fortnight.

They went down to the third-placed side - two weeks after suffering an 18-0 demolition at Lesmahagow.

Disappointingly the outgoing manager was let down again by players calling off after previously saying they would be available for the fixture against third top Ashfield.

The home side had to start the game with four trialists and former manager and two goal hero the previous week Del Gemmell again played although not fully fit. Former coach John Colligan was one of two substitute on the bench.

Ardeer's inexperience on the left hand side of defence was tested very early on with the experienced ex-Ayr United and Irvine Meadow ace Keigan Parker causing a lot of problems for the home defenders. It was Parkers wing play that led to the opening goals for player manager and ex-Meadow man Paul Maxwell in nine and 15 minutes - his crosses picked out the veteran striker in the box and took his chances well.

Thistle battled on and Mark Beveridge in particular put in a power of work aided by Frazer Dempsey, Del Gemmel and Marc Farrell as they tried to get back into the match but they were finding it very difficult to create and clear cut chances against a stuffy Ashfield defence.

Just when it looked that they would reach half-time only two goals behind the visitors struck twice in as many minutes. Defender and captain Ciaran Friel rifled in a 20 yard effort out of the reach of John McWilliam then a minute later Parker again set up Maxwell to complete his hat trick with a header from 10 yards out.

Ardeer fought on in the second half but the closest they came to finding the net was Frazer Dempey's 20-yard shot which crashed off the bar midway through the half.

Ashfield added further goals from Gavin Goodall in 64 minutes then striker Lee Cochrane subbed salt in the wounds with a late double on 81 and 84 minutes to make the final score 7-0.

Since his appointment as manager, Gilmour has found that his work schedules are not allowing him to devote enough time to the manage position with the club.

ARDEER THISTLE: McWilliam; Beveridge, Ward, McKay, Finnigan, McGivern, Dempsey, Gilmour, McPhee, Gemmell, Farrell. Subs: Murdoch, Colligan.