Lawrence Shankland hits landmark goals as Ayr go top of the Championship

Ayr striker Lawrence Shankland marked his 50th start for the club by bringing up his half-century of goals as he fired them to the top of the Scottish Championship.

The 23-year-old took his league tally for the season to a dozen with a double in the 3-0 victory over Alloa.

With Ross County being held to a draw at Falkirk it allowed the Honest Men to assume top spot.

Shankland struck at the beginning and end of the second half, scoring his first in the 46th minute and adding his landmark 50th in the second minute of added time.

In between, Alan Forrest’s third league goal of the campaign nine minutes from time had wrapped up victory but Shankland still had the final say as next-bottom Alloa, with only one win in their last 11 matches, slipped to their first defeat at Somerset Park since March 2011.