McBookie Premiership

LARGS THISTLE 7

IRVINE MEADOW 0

By Calum Corral

MISERABLE Meadow suffered their heaviest league defeat in recent years as they were given a battering at Barrfields.

There were no denying that Brian McGinty's team were second best to a trailblazing Largs side, boosted by new signing Joe Knowles, who featured in Australia's A League last season.

Meadow will be disappointed at how vulnerable they were at times, particularly at the end of each half when the goals flooded in for Largs.

It was an early penalty which set Thistle on their way in 11 minutes when Creag Little was hauled down in the penalty area as a corner was about to be taken. Scott Adam converted, although Meadow keeper Michael White nearly kept it out.

Thistle should have made it two moments later after ex-Meadow forward Ben Black thrashed an effort off the crossbar.

Meadow's Ryan Begley was dismissed for a second yellow card for dissent midway through the first half to make the job even more difficult against a rampant Thistle side who had scored nine goals in their previous two games, and they showed no mercy.

Thistle scored twice in two minutes before the interval to put the game out of reach for Meadow. In 42 minutes, Scott Adam was sent clean through to finish off after being released by Paul Harkins through the centre after another well-worked move.

Meadow were no sooner kicking off than they conceded possession and it was Kevin Struthers who blazed through on goal, but his effort came off the post only for Black to net the rebound for 3-0.

Meadow started with their tails up after the interval and a good deep cross found Ryan Carnwarth whose flying header went wide of the left hand post when it looked easier to score. Skipper Ben Carson also had a long range effort which whizzed wide.

The substitutions arrived in 65 minutes as Thistle's big signing came off the bench with teenager Blair Docherty on loan from Morton.

The pair have trained regularly together at the Cappielow club, and they linked up in 67 minutes as Docherty finished off at the left post from Knowles' run and cross to make it 4-0.

A great diagonal pass from Laurie McMaster released another sub John Carter who drove home at the far post with aplomb in 76 minutes.

But it was Knowles, who featured for Perth Glory last season, who showed his experience and class to net with two late high quality strikes in 84 and 89 minutes to round off a fantastic display, and he was all smiles at the full-time whistle.

The Largs supporters applauded the team off the park while Meadow looked like they were undergoing quite a soul searching exercise as they sat out near the centre of the pitch for a heart-to-heart after the full-time whistle.

There was evidently no hiding place after a result like that.

LARGS THISTLE: Graham; Orr, McMaster, Little, Jamieson, Faulds, Fleming, Harkins, Struthers, Adam, Black. Subs: Docherty, Knowles, Carter, Grayston, Muir.

IRVINE MEADOW: White; Latta, Willet, Gow, Begley, Carnwath, Spence, Carson, Jones, Smith, McGuire. Subs: McLaughlin, Connolly, Pearson, Aitchison, Newman.