THE DANES extended their impressive unbeaten league run to eight matches with a 7-3 dismantling of Rhu AFC.
The home side signalled their intent within two minutes when skipper Sean Lawrence found Bailey Gilmour, whose early effort was denied at the near post.
Despite controlling the tempo—highlighted by an inch-perfect Joe Livingstone pass that nearly saw the bright Gilmour score—the home side struggled to find the breakthrough initially.
but the deadlock was finally broken in the 34th minute. Jack McKirdy turned provider, rolling the ball into the path of left-back Aiden MacGregor, who found the bottom corner with a 20-yard strike. However, the lead was short-lived. Just three minutes later, a defensive miscommunication and a misjudged clearance allowed Rhu’s number 11 to level the scoring against the run of play, sending the teams into the break at 1-1.
The second-half began with a statement of intent. Only 60 seconds after the restart, Jack McKirdy restored the lead with a beautiful 25-yard finish across the keeper.
The Danes’ pressure became relentless. In the 57th minute, Bailey Gilmour was brought down in the box after skinning the Rhu left back. Sean Lawrence stepped up to take the penalty, sending the keeper the wrong way to score his 25th goal of the campaign.
Minutes later, McKirdy made it 4-1 with a sensational solo effort, spinning his marker in the centre circle before dribbling straight through the heart of the Rhu defence to score.
Rhu AFC refused to go quietly, making the most of a brief lapse in concentration in the Danes defence. A cross from a 35-yard free-kick was turned home and then a defensive mix-up saw the visitors claw the score back to 4-3 by the 71st minute, threatening a dramatic comeback.
However, Jack McKirdy took matters into his own hands in the 75th minute. Picking the ball up just inside the Rhu half, he danced through the midfield and defence once again, slotting home with his weaker left foot to kill the visitors’ momentum and complete his hat-trick.
As Rhu tired, the Danes’ substitutes put the gloss on the performance. Stephen Reynolds tapped in after Lawrence skipped past three men, and Alistair McClean added the seventh in the 89th minute following a selfless header back across goal from Calum Robertson.
The Danes remain on Bute this coming Saturday as they welcome Eaglesham. The home side will be looking to make it nine league games unbeaten, with kick-off at 2pm at Rothesay Joint Campus.
