Five-goal Lewis Sawers is hailed as 'exceptional' by St Andrews United gaffer Robbie Raeside

Saints moved back up into third place and the promotion places with the win, in which their other strikes came via Ryan McManus and an own goal.

"Lewis was almost unplayable,” manager Raeside told the Herald and Citizen. “He was exceptional, really good. He’s been like that for the last three games.

"His goals were two with the left foot and three with the right.

"His last goal was the best one, a tremendous touch and volley finish after a great set-up by Scott Reekie.

"Lewis is very much a team player and appreciates what the boys are doing.

“That was our most clinical performance of the season. We’ve not won a lot of games by that kind of big margin.

"Everybody was at it, the players were focused and not looking ahead.

"I’ve told the players not to look at the league table, just take one game at a time and that’s what they’re doing.

"We’ve scored 20 goals in our last three games which is incredible.”

Four days earlier, a dominant Saints side had surged into the King Cup semi-finals with a 5-1 home victory over Newtongrange Star in last Saturday’s quarter-final.

Raeside’s men saw off one of their promotion rivals thanks to goals by James Murage (who was later sent off for a second booking), Ryan Dignan, Sawers (penalty), Tom Milne and Scott Reekie.

United look certain to continue their fine run as they visit whipping boys Vale of Leithen – who have lost all 21 first division games this season to be bottom with -3 points (for fielding an ineligible player on March 23) and a -80 goal difference – in the league this Saturday, kick-off 2.30pm.

Raeside said: “There is a danger of complacency. But the club have hired a bus because it’s a huge journey, which makes it difficult.

"And I think we struggled to break them down at home (in a 3-0 win last November), scoring three times in the last 15 minutes. So that is warning enough.”

Saints also host second-placed Whitburn in the league next Wednesday, May 8, kick-off 7.45pm.

Raeside added: “Mathematically, we know if we get three wins now we’re guaranteed promotion so that’s there for us.

"We’ve had the warnings this year when we’ve come unstuck with poor performances and probably a bit of complacency at times.

"But the players have shown as well how good a squad they are when they are at it because we have beaten Auchinleck and Haddington and without a referee and linesman’s poor decision we would have beaten Albion Rovers in the Scottish Cup.

"That’s the level we can play at and that’s the exciting thing for me looking forward to the next game.”