Rovers returned to Stark’s Park after 3 games on the road and the fans were eagerly awaiting the welcome return to action of Lewis Vaughan, on the bench after 14 months off due to injury.
Thistle had lost 4 goals in each of their last 2 games so how would they react?
Jamie MacDonald was the first to be called into action, blocking a shot from Bannigan in 7 minutes, but just 2 minutes later, Sam Stanton gave indication that Rovers meant business when he tried a speculative shot from 20 yards which Mitchell gathered without much problem.
Ian Murray’s men were playing some great football down the right and the breakthrough came in 12minutes when Ross Millen sent the ball forward to Kyle Connell who layed it into the path of Aidan Connolly to run in and fire an unstoppable shot from 20 yards high into the top corner past Mitchell.

GOAL!…..Aidan Connelly fires the ball into the top corner
Kyle Connell was keen to claim the title of long throw specialist when a throw into the box was cleared, but only as far as Scott Brown who fired a shot goalwards into the arms of Mitchell, but Connell was not giving up and it wasn’t long before his long throw skills bore fruit, in a repeat of his previous effort he threw the ball from just south of the tunnel straight to Aidan Connelly just outside the 6 yard box and the No7 made no mistake, turning and firing a left foot shot low past the helpless Mitchell with 30 minutes on the clock.

GOAL!….Mitchell is helpless as Aidan Connolly’s shot flies past him
By now, Millen, Stanton and Connolly were running riot on the right and just before the break, Ross Millen sent over a cross to the far side of the box, Akinola pulled down Kyle Connell on the penalty spot, a stonewall penalty.
The Kilmarnock loanee dusted himself down to take the kick himself and he made no mistake sending Mitchell the wrong way.

Kyle Connell’s spot kick hits the net
After the break Thistle had a chance to claw themselves back into the game but Sam Stanton denied them clearing the ball off the line with an overhead kick, and when Jamie MacDonald uncharacteristically fumbled a cross, Liam Dick was on hand to get the ball clear.
With 5 minutes left on the clock, a perfect day was made even better with the long awaited return to action of Lewis Vaughan and it was almost a dream return for the fans favourite when Ross Millen sent a cross into his path as he ran in on goal but there was just a bit too much on it and it ended up in the arms of Mitchell.
Next up is Hamilton at Stark’s Park next Saturday and the fans cannot wait!
MacDonald, Dick, Millen, Spencer, Connolly, O’Riordan, Ngwenya, Stanton, Connell, Brown, Easton. Subs: Thomson, Matthews, Vaughan, Mahady, Coulson, Masson, Frederiksen.
Partick Thistle
Mitchell, McMillan, Milne, Bannigan, Dowds, Lawless, Smith, McKinnon, Hodson, Akinola, Muirhead. Subs: Sneddon, Brownlie, Turner, Weston, Mullen, Fitzpatrick, Stanway, Lyon, Mackenzie
All the pictures from Rovers 3-0 victory over Partick Thistle at Stark’s Park.
- Andrew Clark celebrates his 60th. Birthday with his first group of guests
- Birthday boy Andrew Clark with his second grouip of guests
- Making a visit to the club Former Player Jock McStay with John Greer
- Match Sponsors 27-11 Appreciation Society
- John MacDonald interviews the mascots pre match
- Signing up for the half time ball throwing competition
- The match officials support red card racism
- Raith support Red card racism
- Mascots Liam Thomson and Innes Mitchell with the Ref and Captains
- Ross Millen
- Early pressure on the Raith goal
- Sam Stanton floors Thistle's Stuart Bannigan
- Aidan Connolly opens the scoring
- Keeper Mitchell can only look on as Aidan opens the scoring
- Kyle Connell put in a hard shift
- Scott Brown tries a shot on goal
- Sam spreads the ball around.
- Raith captain Scott Brown
- Dylan Easton heads for the Thistle box
- Connor and Brad in action
- Scott beats Stuart Bannigan to a loose ball
- Connor airborne
- Spring heeled Kyle Connell
- Kyle Connell wins the ball
- Aidan played with a broken finger
- There's NO WAY David mitchell could stop Kyles spot kick
- Kyle Celebrates making it 3 from the spot
- Celebrating Kyles spot kick
- Connor O'Riordan is determined to win that ball
- 50-50 winner Roy Greig
- Jack Mickey He's a winner
- Jamie commands his box
- Second half action in the Raith box
- And STREEEETCH
- Kieran watches on as Dylan wins the ball
- Scorer of goal three Kyle Connell
- Ian Murray prowling the touch line
- Here it comes
- Hey we'll swap shirts at the end of the game
- Kyle Turner tackles Kieran Ngwenya
- Brad stops Kyle Turner from turning
- It's Ma Baw
- Kieran Ngwenya
- Ross Matthews
- Lewis Vaughan gets some game time
- Lewis Vaughan v Partick Thistle
- How low can you go
- John Frederiksen holds his ground
- John Joe Frederiksen
- Saluting the fans at the final whistle
- Well done Rovers
- The Raith faithfull show their appreciation
- A fair request from two young admirers
- Dylan Easton meets the fans post match
- Lewis Vaughan enjoys a laugh with sponsors the 2711 Appreciation Society
- MoTM Aidan Connolly with sponsors David Crawford and Bradley Sharp
- Stanton and Connell close in on Milne
- Ross Millen stops Smith
- Brad Spenser gets up ahead of Connell
- Ross Millen was up and down the wing all day
- Brad gets in ahead of the rest
- Jamie gets his fists to the ball
- Connor O'Riordan gets close to Dowds
- Sam Stanton sends in a shot
- Kyle Connell fights off Hodson
- GOAL!.....Aidan Connelly fires the ball into the top corner
- Aidan and Kieran Ngwenya celebrate
- Scott Brown has a go
- Dowds and Spencer battle for the ball
- Akinola is all over Kyle Connell
- Aidan Connelly tackles Milne
- Connor O'Riordan has his eye on the ball
- GOAL!....Mitchell is helpless as Aidan Connolly's shot flies past him
- Brad Spencer celebrates with Aidan
- Best foot forward for Ngwenya and Akinola
- Kyle Connell beats Muirhead in the air
- GOAL!.....Kyle Connell sends Mitchell the wrong way
- Kyle Connell's spot kick hits the net
- Sam Stanton denies Thistle with an overhead clearance off the line
- Dylan Easton fires in a shot....
- .....but it hit the head of Milne
- OUCH!...Scott Brown feels a crunching tackle from Bannigan
- Jack McMillan should've brought a dog lead to keep Kyle Connell under control
- Kieran Ngwenya clears up at the back
- Scott Brown heads the ball back into the box
- Mitchell gets up to deny Connor O'Riordan
- Brad keeps tabs on Turner
- Liam Dick heads
- Ross Matthews closes in on Hodson
- Scott Brown and Anton Dowds
- That's oor baw ref!
- Liam Dick's in charge
- Connor O'Rordan safe at the back
- Jamie MacDonald makes sure his sheet stays clean
- For some reason Muirhead won a foul for this challenge
- Brad Spencer towers over Mullen
- Kieran Ngwenya has his eyes fixed on the ball
- Lewis Vaughan back in action after 14 months
- Lewis Vaughan closes in on McMillan
- Almost a dream return for Lewis.....
- ....but the ball into the box was too strong and Mitchell gathered.
Photos © TONY FIMISTER & JIM FOY.
Ian Murray spoke after the win against Partick Thistle: