The game of 2 half’s
Raith Rovers started off the better side against Arbroath at a cold Stark’s Park, with the early possession and a high press providing an early goal from a Ross Millen cross that Arbroath’s Ricky Little poked into the back of his own net. GOAL 1-0 Raith.
RICKY LITTLE’S OWN GOAL OPENS THE SCORING
The Rovers then continued to dominate the game in the early stages but without too many penetrative passes. Arbroath had a decent Bobby Linn freekick saved by Andrew McNeil, but other than that, the Rovers were dominant. Ethan Ross unfortunately had to come off only 24 minutes into the game where he was replaced by Lewis Vaughan.
Unfortunately, from a Raith point of view the dominance did not turn into a half time lead as Arbroath scored an equaliser in the 44th minute after a beautiful freekick, the delivery landing on the head of Arbroath’s number 3 Colin Hamilton for him to nod into the back of the net. 1-1 HT.
The second half was by far the opposite from the first, as Arbroath started the better of the two sides with them passing the ball better than Raith and creating the better chances.
Rovers Man of the Match Andrew McNeil made a fantastic double save to keep his side in it.
ANOTHER FINE SAVE FROM ANDY
The second half gradually faded, and became very poor with not many chances coming for either side until the last minute when a Connor O’Riordan header was cleared off the line by an Arbroath defender. FT 1-1.
McNeil, Millen, Nolan, Spencer, Connolly, Gullan, O’Riordan, Ngwenya, Stanton, Brown, Ross. Subs: Vaughan, McBride, Lang, Connell, Easton, Masson, Frederiksen.
Arbroath
Gaston, Oakley, Hamilton, Little, O’Brien, Gold, Bitsindou, Tait, Fosu, Hilson, Linn. Subs: Stewart, Shanks, Corfe, Isiaka, Hoti, Gill
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- The Foodbank donations kept on comming BUT THEY DESPERATELY NEED MORE
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- Kirkcaldy Fords Electric van was filling up with donations for the Foodbank
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- THE MATCH OFFICIALS SHOWED THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE KIRKCALDY FOODBANK COLLECTION
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- GORDON REDFORD AND HIS GUESTS ENJOYING THEIR PRE-CHRISTMAS MEAL IN THE RAITH SUITE
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- MATCH SPONSORS CARR'S FLOUR MILL IN THE 27-11 LOUNGE
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- THE COLD WEATHER DIDN'T DETER OUR MASCOTS AVA SHORT AND LEWIS SOMMERVILLE
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- PRE MATCH IN THE JIM McMILLAN CLUB
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- THE MASCOTS AVA SHORT AND LEWIS SOMMERVILLE WITH ROARY , THE REF AND CAPTAINS
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- EX ROVER DYLAN TAIT BATTLES IT OUT WITH SCOTT BROWN
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- SCOTT BROWN
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- KIERAN NGWENYA WATCHED CLOSELY BY THE GAFFER
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- MAN OF THE MATCH ANDREW McNEIL
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- RICKY LITTLE'S OWN GOAL OPENS THE SCORING
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- THE SOUTH STAND CROWD CELEBRATE THE GOAL
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- SMILES ALL ROUND
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- CONNOR AND RYAN HOLD OF SCOTT BITSINDOU
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- GREAT SAVE FROM ANDREW McNEIL
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- CONNOR CLEARS IN THE RAITH BOX
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- SCOTT WINS THE TUSSLE
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- GOALMOUTH ACTION IN THE ARBROATH BOX
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- ALL WRAPPED UP FOR THE COLD WEATHER
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- JAMIE GULLAN
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- AIDAN CONNOLLY
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- RYAN NOLAN TOP OF THE TRIO
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- LEWIS ON A RUN
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- LEWIS VAUGHAN SKIPS PAST SCOTT BITSINDOU
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- CONNOR O'RIORDAN STARTS A DRIVE FORWARD
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- ROSS MILLEN
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- COLIN HAMILTON SCORES THE EQUALISER FOR ARBROATH
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- MATEJ POPLATNIK WAS LUCKY FOR 50-50 WINNER DOUGIE LOWRIE
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- ALL READY FOR THE HALF TIME FUN
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- THE YOUNG RAITH FANS WERE HAVING A BALL
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- HALF TIME BALL THROW WINNER LOGAN MURRAY WITH ROARY
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- ANDY STOPS AN ARBROTH EFFORT ON GOAL
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- ANOTHER FINE SAVE FROM ANDY
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- AIDAN CONNOLLY
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- DYLAN'S JUST WONDERING
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- KYLE CONNELL SEEMS TO BE ENJOYING HIMSELF
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- CAPTAIN SCOTT
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- SAM STANTON WINS THIS AERIAL BATTLE
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- BATTLING SCOTT DRIVES THE BALL FORWARD
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- GREAT CONTROL FROM LEWIS
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- CORNER RAITH IN THE DYING MOMENTS
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- A CLOSE THING FROM RAITH'S LATE CORNER
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- MAN OF THE MATCH ANDREW McNEIL WITH MATCH SPONSORS JIM GIBB AND LORRAINE KANE OF CARR'S FLOUR MILL
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- Mascots Lewis Sommerville and Ava Short lead out the teams
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- Ian Murray looks on as Ethan Ross makes his way up the park
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- GOAL....Little gets a foot to Millen's cross.....
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- ...and sends the ball past Gaston
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- ....The ball's in the net and the fans celebrate
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- Jamie Gullan salutes the cross
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- All smiles as Rovers go one up
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- Man of the Match Andy McNeil pulls off a great save from a free kick
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- Dylan Tait tries a shot
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- Tait fouls Stanton but the ex Rover came off worst
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- Tait is in obvious pain and the Rovers doctor Jimmy Parris is on the scene pronto
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- A sad sight as Dylan Tait leaves the field on a stretcher
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- Ethan gets some Carol singing practise in a week before the big man comes.
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- Jamie Gullan goes for a cross
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- Ethan Ross charges up the park
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- Ryan Nolan takes charge in the box
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- Captain Scott Brown lays the ball off to Millen
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- Brad Spencer pulls the trigger
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- Ryan Nolan boots the ball clear
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- Connor O Riordan gets his head on a Rovers corner
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- Jamie Gullan comes in to land on Hoti
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- GOAL... Hamilton sends the ball past McNeil to get the Lichties level
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- Lewis Vaughan battles with Bitsindou
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- Andy McNeil uses his fingertips to keep the ball out
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- Lewis brings the ball down
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- Lewis races Little for the ball
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- Sam Stanton keeps an eye on Hilson
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- Hello Santa, is it next week yer comin....bring us a bag o goals please
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- Bitsindou is all over Lewis Vaughan
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- Lewis and Brad close in on Hilson
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- Kieran Ngwenya and Dale Hilson look terrified of that ball
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- Connor O'Riordan heads a corner clear
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- Sam Stanton deep in thought
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- Smile...It's christmas
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- Oakley looks a bit fed up but Kyle's there to look after him
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- Hilson and Ngwenya are stiil terrified of that ball
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- Kyle Connell on the attack
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- Lewis Vaughan is sent flying
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- Smile Broony yer on Raith TV
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- Dylan Easton heads upfield
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- Sam Stanton gets some power on the header
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- Lewis ye don't need yer fingers to count the goals...1 and 1 is 2
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- Sam Stanton
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- Dylan Easton has his eye on the ball
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- Ryan Nolan gets the better of Shanks
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- Kieran Ngwenya heads
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- Ryan Nolan gets his head to a corner in the dying minutes....
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- ....Gaston is beaten but it's headed off the line
PHOTOS © TONY FIMISTER & JIM FOY
Ian Murray spoke to RaithTV after today’s draw at Stark’s Park:
After reaching the quarter finals of the SPFL Trust Trophy quarter final last weekend by defeating Morton, Raith will hope to continue their winning ways, when Arbroath visit Stark’s Park this Saturday.
The Red Lichties didn’t fair quite so well in their own Challenge Cup tie last week, with a much changed side going down by five goals to one to Dunfermline, making it just one win in seven games for Dick Campbell’s side, which came against Fraserburgh in the Scottish Cup.
Their last league win came back in October against Hamilton Accies, but that was very much a vital one, with the Angus currently ninth, two points better of than Accies, who are bottom.
Raith’s last league win was also against Hamilton at the start of November, and a run of three straight defeats in the league has seen them slide down the table to seventh, seven points away from a coveted playoff spot.
This will be the sides second meeting this season, with the last coming at Gayfield in October, with a Sam Stanton goal enough for Rovers to take all three points.
However, Arbroath were the winners the last time the two sides met in Kirkcaldy in January of this year. Reghan Tumilty had given Rovers the lead at the end of the first half, but goals after the interval from Jack Hamilton and Nicky Low handed the Smokies a 2-1 victory.
Saturday’s match referee will be Calum Scott.
Head-to-head record
Raith Rovers wins: 47
Arbroath wins: 34
Draws: 20