FREE-scoring striker Lawrence Shankland has the League One title in his sights after helping inspire a glorious win for Ayr United in the top-of-the table clash.

Shankland bagged the opening goal in the 3-0 home triumph against Raith Rovers which leaves the Honest Men just a point behind their opponents with a game in hand.

He has now netted a remarkable 24 goals and has been a huge factor in the dream run of form.

Shankland, who needed a couple of stitches in a head knock following a late first half collision, now has 24 goals to his name in a phenomenal season said: "Raith started the better team though we had chances in that spell and got into good positions. We then got a grip of the game, started working the ball about and worked it into good areas. It was a good free-kick from which I got the goal and Jamie Adams scored a great slide tackle volley for the second goal.

He added: "We are right up there a point behind the leaders but have a couple of of tough weeks coming up and up and must keep picking up htree points up. That;'s twice we've beaten Raith 3-0 now and we are doing well. We knew it was going to be a tough game but getting the opening goal gave us a real boost. Every game is going to be be tough. We must concentrate on ourselves and do as well a we can, I just want to score as many goal as I can. The most I had in a season before now was 15 so I have well passed that and that's good." We are playing well and would have taken this position with nine gamese left. We must keep ourselves in the top two and see how we are at the end of the season. To win the league would e great - we would rather not h ave the playoff games. Defensively as a team we have been very solid.

McCall was hugely impressed with the victory but won't get carried away and said: "I said to Neil Scally, the assistant and Chris Higgins, we were most dominant in most aspects of the game. It's three points but it doesn't mean we win the league. We could have won by more than three but it's a great score. A

"Away from home has been no problem for us and we are doing well at home recently - that's three three 3-0 home wins in a row, I was really delighted with the centre backs. Paddy Boyle opened his knee and Wednesday night be too early for me but we will see."