Reports

Rovers couldn’t build on last week’s victory over Queen of the South after Rovers fell to a late 3-2 defeat to Play-Off rivals Inverness Caley Thistle.

Goals from Aidan Connolly and Matej Poplatnik looked to see the Rovers home and hosed but for two late Logan Chalmers strikes that flipped the game on its head in the cusp of and deep into injury time to leave John McGlynn’s side three points adrift of the Premiership Playoffs.

On a sun kissed Kirkcaldy afternoon, Aidan Connolly put his side ahead just shy of a quarter of an hour in to lift the spirits of the home crowd. Ben Williamson’s corner from the right hand side found Frankie Musonda at the back post who’s header back across goal was half cleared by McAlear out to Connolly on the edge of the box. The winger tried his luck with an audacious effort from 20-yards with a volley that bounced in front of Caley goalie Cameron MacKay. The 'keeper let the ball sneak under him and squirm into the bottom right hand corner.

Aidan Connolly fires home the opening goal

Caley were back on level terms midway through the opening half after Jamie MacDonald was forced off with an injury.

Aaron Doran’s cross from the left was curled into the far post and caught out sub keeper Robbie Thomson who was left flat footed under the ball, allowing the set piece to cannon off the leg of Matej Poplatnik and into the path of Shane Sutherland who had the simple task of tapping home from a few yards out.

Rovers weren’t pegged back for long as Matej Poplatnik made amends, scoring his second goal in as many games to put Rovers back in front with half an hour played. A ball over the top of the Caley backline from Frankie Musonda was matched by the Slovenian who raced in behind Danny Devine and he made no mistake in touching the ball into his stride and striking the ball across the face of goal and into the bottom left corner.

Poplatnik runs in on goal

Tempers frayed in the second half as Rovers looked to kill the game off. Kyle Benedictus stepped out of defence, moving into the Caley half, taking the ball past two players before running himself into trouble and lunging into a 50/50 with Kirk Broadfoot, sparking a brawl midway in the opposition half. Referee Colin Steven brandished a red-card to the Rovers skipper despite the visiting captain raising his hands first.

Benedictus’ dismissal seemed to spur the visitors into life in the closing stages and Rover succumbed to the pressure as two Logan Chalmers strikes flipped the game on its head.

A Caley corner from the right was flicked away by Ben Williamson out to Chalmers on the left hand side, who chested the ball down and sent a dipping, deflected effort into the top right corner over Robbie Thomson with a minute of regulation time left to play.

Chalmers would be the hero with 92 minutes played to break Rovers hearts - some good play down the right saw Tom Walsh come away with the ball and drift into the middle of the park, nudging the ball to Sean Welsh who sprayed the ball out to the left to Chalmers who was stood up by Tumilty and Musonda. The Caley Thistle winger touched the ball to find an angle and fired a ferocious left footed shot into the bottom right corner from 18-yards.

 

Photographs © Tony Fimister and Jim Foy.

Photos

Photographs © Tony Fimister, Jim Foy, Cameron  Goodsir-Maguire

Highlights

Interviews

John McGlynn spoke to RaithTV after today's match:

Live Updates

0'
Welcome to today's 5th v 4th championship clash, Raith Rovers v Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Probably game of the division today and one point separates the two sides
0'
Still a bit of a chill in the air but it's a lovely sunny day. Ideal weather for a game of football
0'
IICT get this afternoon's game underway. Raith shooting towards the away stand
0'
ICT close as Hardy hits the bar
2'
Ball passed to Stanton, he has the courage to take a shot but sclafs it. Shot doesn't trouble Mckay
5'
💬
ICT applying the pressure on Raith in the first 5 min
6'
Ross breaks through but is challenged. Raith fans looking for the foul
7'
Deas lifts the ball into the Raith box. Dorian is charging through but MacDonald collects
8'
Ross gets the ball into the box but ICT clear
10'
Musonda to Varian but ICT challenge. Throw in Raith
11'
Raith corner
11'
⚽️
GOOOOOAAAALLL Raith
12'
From the corner Ross gets the ball to the back post. Ball is headed into the mix and it's cleared but CONNOLLY is on the edge of the box. He takes a pop, it looks as though Mackay got it but ball goes over the line
17'
Ross does really well to fight through but is fouled, in my opinion.
19'
Fantastic reactions from MacDonald. Hardy is given time to shoot but MacDonald saves. Sutherland is there to pick up the loose ball from 2 yards out. MacDonald saves
19'
Raith corner Connolly takes
19'
ICTbreak free Hardy is practically one on one with MacDonald but Williamson comes running in. Has a wee nudge to through Hardy off and MacDonald gets down to gather the ball. MacDonald injured in the process
19'
Stanton booked for an earlier challenge
21'
🤕️
Looks as though MacDonald will be subbed off. Stretcher making its way on, eventually
23'
↔️
Raith sub off goalkeeper MacDonald and on comes Robbie Thomson
24'
Benedictus with a crucial challenge on Doran
25'
⚽️
ICT score Sutherland.
29'
GGOOOAAALLL RAITH
29'
Benedictus lifts the ball up and it falls to POPLATNIK who fires home goal number two for Raith
30'
Raith 2 (Connolly 7', Poplatnik 29') ICT 1 (Sutherland 25')
32'
Stanton with a great ball through to Ross but it's on his wrong side
34'
Berra down injured as he and Benedictus run into each other to clear a ball
35'
Berra is back on his feet, hobbling a bit but he might run it off
36'
↔️
Raith forced again into a substitution off goes Berra and on comes Tumilty
36'
Musonda pushed into the central defence role and Tumilty takes up his right back position
39'
Poplatnik goes for a run upfield. He passes to Connolly on his right who plops the ball to the back post but Mackay collects comfortably
40'
Free kick Raith after Williamson fouled near corner flag
41'
Corner Raith as Mackay has to deflect the ball away
42'
Raith playing well in the last few minutes. Applying pressure on the ICT defence
43'
Ross plays well as he takes up a defensive roll as he calmly takes the ball off ICT turns and takes the ball out the box
44'
Poplatnik with the ball in the edge of the box he turns to try and shoot but has two ICT players on his back. He passes to Varian but he is also challenged
45'
+1 Benedictus with a brilliant challenge
45'
+3 Raith free kick after a foul on Ross
45'
+4 good free kick as the ball as Mackay is forced to tip over the bar
45'
+5 Raith corner … Mackay is forced to finger tip away
45'
+5 ref blows for half time Raith 2 (Connolly 7', Poplatnik 29') Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1 (Sutherland 25')
45'
Raith get the second half underway
46'
Free kick Raith after a foul on Ross
48'
Corner Raith
49'
Connolly from the corner gets the ball to the back post. Benedictus heads the ball down but the ball is wide
50'
Varian with a good ball to Poplatnik. He looks up has a pop but the ball is high
51'
Poplatnik with ball tries to go forward but he's well marked. He see Williamson running through and passes but he is also challenged
53'
Poplatnik thinks he's through but he's ruled offside
53'
↔️
ICT sub off Hardy and bring on Samuels
55'
Samuels tries to make the cross but Mackie blocks. Samuels goes for it again and ball is cleared in Raith box
58'
Free kick Eaith after a foul on Poplatnik
61'
Mackie to Connolly but his knock on doesn't work out
62'
Tumilty thinks he's round his man but linesman judges the ball to have left field of play
65'
↔️
ICT make a couple of substitutions off go Devine and Doran and on come Chalmers and Harper
66'
ICT come close as Thomson comes out to meet the ball. ICT let the ball go and thankfully ball goes wide
68'
Good play by Raith as Poplatnik lays the ball to Williamson who then lays the ball on to Ross who has a pop but ball goes just wide
68'
Good play by Raith as Poplatnik lays the ball to Williamson who then lays the ball on to Ross who has a pop but ball goes just wide
68'
Welsh for ICT booked
68'
A altercation has happened in the middle of the park which has resulted in Benedictus being sent off
69'
And Broadfoot only receives a yellow!!!
71'
Musonda does well to make a challenge
73'
Raith sub off Ross and Poplatnik and bring on Matthews and Dick
75'
McGlynn has been booked
75'
Samuels booked for a late challenge on Connolly
76'
ICT sub off Sutherland and bring on Walsh
79'
Free kick Raith after a foul on Varian
82'
Game has calmed considerably since the sending off
85'
Fans Match day app votes for POPLATNIK as their man of the match
87'
Today's attendance is 1591
88'
From an ICT corner Chalmers scores
91'
⚽️
ICT score…Chalmers
93'
Williamson is sent off despite McAlear raising his hands
94'
Ref blows for full time Raith 2 ( Connolly 12', Poplatnik 29') Inverness Caledonian Thistle 3 ( Sutherland 25', Chalmers 88', 91'). Raith didn't deserve this ending.
94'
McGlynn also sent off