Paddy Boyle was the unlikely hero as Ayr United made it 32 goals from nine games in a 4-3 win over Stranraer to stay top of League One.

The full-back’s marauding run and cool finish got United out of jail after they threw away a 3-1 lead and allowed The Blues to draw level.

Relieved boss Ian McCall quipped: “The punters keep saying they want exciting football - well, that’s what they got here.

“We defended well but conceded goals after three poor individual mistakes.

“3-1 should have been 6-1 because we missed some ridiculous chances. Stranraer went gung ho and the boy Ryan Thomson was big and strong.

“We were gutted to lose the lead but we settled after that and it shows the way that we are playing that Paddy runs 60 yards and scores the winner.

“I’ve said all along that we’ll score a lot of goals this season but that doesn’t guarantee you win games.”

Ayr almost got a flying start when Declan McDaid wheeled on to a Michael Moffat pass and cracked a shot off the post.

The horrible windy conditions cost Ayr dearly after 16 minutes. A long kick-out by Cammy Belford was misjudged by Craig Reid, allowing Ryan Wallace to race clear and slam the ball past Jordan Hart.

Only two minutes of the first-half remained when United at last drew level. Moffat played the ball to McDaid and he lashed a left foot rocket in off the bar for his sixth goal of the season.

Moffat fired wide only 30 seconds after the restart but a goal was delayed only until the 49th minute when Ross Docherty set up Craig Moore to fire low and wide of the keeper.

It looked game over after 59 minutes when Moffat played a 1-2 with Moore before firing home his cutback.

McDaid and Moffat made way for Craig McGuffie and Alan Forrest as Ayr went for fresh legs but the game wasn’t done yet.

Enter powerful striker Thomson to score two in two minutes and leave Ayr’s 600 travelling fans in meltdown - the first a header from a corner, the second a lob over Hart after McGuffie had lost possession.

But worry not as with five minutes to go, Boyle took off on a lung bursting charge down the left flank to receive Robbie Crawford's pass and showed nerves of steel to fire home a dramatic win and spark wild scenes on the terraces.

Blues boss Stevie Farrell claimed: “That’s as good an Ayr team I’ve seen in recent years.”