Ayr United goal hero Josh 'Drogba' Mullin on possible FIFTH promotion, being the underdog and Livingston future

Josh Mullin knows what it takes to win promotion. There have been four in his career. From winning League Two with Albion Rovers to League One title and then Premiership play-off success with Livingston to the Championship title with Ross County.

Josh Mullin, on loan from Livingston, scored a double as Ayr United defeated Raith Rovers. (Photo by Ewan Bootman / SNS Group)

Now he is at promotion-chasing Ayr United, aiming to be the good luck charm as the Somerset Park side look to end a 45 year wait to return to the Scottish top-flight. It would also give him his fifth promotion and third to the Premiership.

On Saturday he very much did his bit, scoring twice, as the Honest Men ensured they stayed out in front of the pack with a 2-0 win over Raith Rovers in South Ayrshire. For the opening goal he latched onto a brilliant piece of creative play by Logan Chalmers and for the second turned into a towering striker, nodding a Dipo Akinyemi cross into the corner past Jamie MacDonald. He joked afterwards that he “heard someone shout ‘Drogba’ when it hit the net”.

As the league approaches the half-way mark, Ayr sit one point ahead of Dundee.

“I have a few promotions and it is something that the manager has said I know about," Mullin said. “I told the boys this league is up and down but if we can be in and around it at Christmas then it will give us something to build on in the second half of the season. Can we win promotion? I don’t see why not. You will see gaps opening up and teams will fall away. We are still top right now and that’s all that matters.

“Partick would have been a lot of people’s favourites at the start of the season and we are eight points ahead of them right now which is great. But we will go about our business and they are our next league game and we will make sure we are ready for them. We are underdogs and we know that and it can be a good thing. I had it at Livingston as well when we went up through the play-offs, being the underdog you have no pressure.But we are putting demands on ourselves to keep up the standards we have set. If we keep doing that then we will be fine.”

What does the future hold?

Mullin is currently on loan from Livingston and missed Monday’s Scottish Cup win over Pollok because of it. His contact is up at the end of the season in West Lothian but he remains open-minded as to what the future holds.

“I am out of contract next summer at Livingston and I don’t know if they will recall me next month. I am an Ayr player and I am loving it right now but if Livingston call me back that’s fine. I have a good relationship with Davie Martindale and the boys at Livingston.

“I just want to play where I am wanted and I will play football. I just have to worry about doing the business for Ayr and I can’t let my future impact my performances. I’ll keep giving 100 per cent in every game.”