Ayr Jets score fine victory

Mar 25 2011 by Stuart Wilson, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

AYR Jets scored a fine victory when they locked horns with Irvine Flyers at the weekend at Limekiln Road.

The teams faced-off on Saturday night and Gary Morris got Ayr off to a good start when he bagged the opening goal.

The visitors equalised with a Russell Holland strike at the nine minute mark followed by a go-ahead goal from Connor five minutes later.

Jets scrambled shortly after to make it even at 2-2, when Morris found Andy Watt for the tally.

With Ayr's Ian Devlin serving time for a hooking penalty late in the period, Flyers' Holland was able to swoop in and take the lead back with another goal.

As the second period started, Jim McLauchlan and Ryan Rodger assisted Stephen Bonnar for his inaugural goal of the season to bring it back to 3-3.

This never daunted the visitors who put the puck in the hands of Danny Murray for goals four and five.

Down by two, McLauchlan would find the back of the net for Ayr on a solo effort followed by a Kris Breingan equaliser 13 seconds later with assists from Rodger and Andrews on the play.

The Jets would then take the lead again moments later when captain, Ian Devlin, manipulated one home from the blue line.

With more and more momentum building Morris and Kidd found Watt for his second of the night at 34.30 and then Watt found defenseman Brian Taylor in the next minute for the home team's eighth goal.

Irvine didn't relinquish however and retaliated in the 37th minute when Holland assisted Connor for his second.

With the score at 8-6 Jets continued their flurry when Andrews and Devlin found McLauchlan for another even-strength notch.

Double figures were realised when Taylor set-up Kidd at 39.37 to close the period moving him to top point scorer for the season ahead of suspended Michael Hose.

Jets' replaced starting goalie Bernie McCrone between periods, icing Chris Firth for the first time of the season where he allowed only one goal at 49.43 in what turned out to be a low scoring session all round.

Jets found the net again just past the halfway mark when Breingan passed to Rodger behind the net before finding an open Johnny Gibson for the one-timer to seal the victory with a final result of 11-7.

Man of the Match: Andy Watt