Raith score 6 to move into 6th
Raith started the game without right-back Ross Millen and top goal-scorer Aidan Connolly in the match day squad, however this did not stop Raith from scoring quickly.
Isma Goncalves capitalised on a poor goal kick from the Cove Rangers goal keeper, intercepting and running through 1 on 1 against the keeper and performing a Panenka to put the ball into the net, in only the 3rd minute of the match. GOAL RAITH 1-0!
GOAL 1….THE BALL’S IN THE NET
Although Raith dominated the early stages of the game Jamie MacDonald did have work to do, making a top class save when Cove’s number 22 Dunne had the chance to level things up.
Lewis Vaughan would double Raith’s lead in the 27th minute after a fantastic pass from Dylan Easton – Vaughan scoring with a powerful strike from a tight angle beating the keeper. GOAL RAITH 2-0!
GOAL 2….LEWIS VAUGHAN FIRES THE BALL PAST GOURLAY
Not much happened for the rest of the half other than Raith keeping possession. HT 2-0.
Raith started the second half in a similar fashion to how they started the first, scoring in the 53rd minute of the match, when Lewis Vaughan’s excellent corner found the towering head of Ryan Nolan who in turn headed the ball into the back of the net, for his first goal for the club. GOAL RAITH 3-0!
GOAL 3…. RYAN NOLAN LEEPS TO HEAD HOME GOAL 3
Raith would very quickly score a 4th in the 56th minute when Dylan Easton scored with a sublime volley from the edge of the box, hitting the crossbar on its way past the keeper. GOAL RAITH 4-0!
GOAL 4….. DYLAN MAKES IT FOUR
Cove did manage to get a consolation goal in the 66th minute when Longridge put the ball past Jamie MacDonald from close range. GOAL COVE 4-1!
Raith very quickly restored the 4 goal lead when they won a penalty in the 70th minute when Lewis Vaughan smashed the ball down the middle of the goal, for his second goal of the game and Raith’s 5th after Dylan Easton was deemed to have been fouled in the area when cutting in from the left. GOAL RAITH 5-1!
GOAL 5…LEWIS MAKES NO MISTAKE FROM THE SPOT
Scott McGill then went on to score his first goal for Raith and Raith’s 6th. The goal came in the 79th minute when Dylan Easton’s deflected cross was volleyed home by McGill in his first start for the Rovers on loan from Hearts. GOAL RAITH 6-1!
GOAL 6….THE BALL BEATS GOURLAY
The Man of the Match award went to opening goalscorer Isma Goncalves.
MacDonald, Dick, Nolan, Spencer, Vaughan, Lang, Stanton, Brown, Easton, McGill, Gonçalves. Subs: Thomson, Ngwenya, Akio, Ross, Young, Masson
Cove Rangers
Gourlay, Naismith, Scully, Neill, O’Halloran, Megginson, McIntosh, Virtanen, Longridge, Dunne, Reynolds. Subs: Demus, Logan, Vigurs, Longstaff, Weston, Bangala, Glass, Toure
All the action and goals from Rovers 6-1 win over Cove Rangers.
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- THEY CAME EARLY AND RECEIVED THEIR IWD2023 GOODY BAGS
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- MATCH BALL SPONSORS JW COMMERCIAL MANAGEMENT
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- MATCH SPONSORS JOHN BUTCHART AND FRIENDS
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- PRE MATCH INTERVIEW WITH THE MASCOTS JACK CRICHTON AND JESSICA GARDINER
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- THE LADIES OF THE TITAN GET THEIR IWD2023 MESSAGE OVER
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- A YOUNG FAN POSES FOR A PHOTO WITH HIS GOALKEEPING HERO
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- KIRSTEEN WRIGHT TOOK OVER THE ANNOUNCING DUTIES FOR THE MATCH
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- MALE RAITH FANS JOINED IN THE IWD2023 CELEBRATIONS
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- DYLAN TAKES THE MASCOTS ON TO THE PITCH
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- THE MASCOTS WITH THE REFEREE AND CAPTAINS
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- EARLY GOALMOUTH ACTION AT THE RAITH END
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- ISMA CONCALVES OPENS THE SCORING
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- ITS THE LOOK THAT SAYS IVE JUST SCORED
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- ITS HUGS ALROUND FOR THE GOAL SCORER
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- ISMA GIVES THANKS FOR HIS GOAL
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- JAMIE IN EARLY ACTION
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- IAN MURRAY SHOWS THE WAY
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- SCOTT McGILL
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- LIAM DICK CLEARS AN EARLY COVE ATTACK
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- DYLAN EASTON CHARGES INTO THE COVE BOX
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- A POWERFUL PERFORMANCE FROM CAPTAIN SCOTT BROWN
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- A BRAVE BLOCK FROM LEWIS
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- SAM STANTON
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- LEWIS VAUGHAN AND MORGYN NEILL
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- LEWIS VAUGHANS EFFORT HITS THE BACK OF THE NET 2-0 RAITH
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- DO YOU THINK LEWIS ENJOYED THAT GOAL
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- COVE BUILD AN ATTACK ON THE HOME GOAL
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- TODD LUMSDEN PRESENTS THE 50-50 PRIZE TO ROY GREIG AND HIS WEE FRIENDS ARCHIE AND COHEN
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- RYAN HEADS CLEAR A COVE ATTACK
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- RYAN NOLAN LEEPS TO HEAD HOME GOAL 3
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- GOAL 3 WAS A POWERFUL HEADER FROM RYAN
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- OH ! WHAT A FEELING
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- WELL DONE RYAN
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- EVEN THE BALL BOY GOT IN ON THE CELEBRATIONS
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- SCOTT MCGILL
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- COVES KYLE GOURLAY CANT STOP DYLAN EASTON SCORING
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- DYLAN MAKES IT FOUR
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- YOU DID REALLY WELL DYLAN
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- WELL DONE DYLAN
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- A VERY HAPPY DYLAN EASSON
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- SUB WILLIE AKIO
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- FEELING GOOD
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- VAUGHAN SHOOTS FOR GOAL
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- OFF THE POST
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- COVE PULL ONE BACK
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- JAMIES AMAZING FULL LENGTH SAVE
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- LEWIS VAUGHAN FROM THE PENALTY SPOT
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- LEWIS VAUGHANS PENALTY HITS THE NET
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- LEWIS CELEBRATES HIS SECOND GOAL
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- THE BALL GOES FLAT ON SCOTT'S HEAD
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- ALL EYES ON THE BALL
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- 6-1 RAITH ROVERS
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- WHAT A FEELING WHEN YOU SCORE
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- CELEBRATIONS FOR SCOTT'S GOAL
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- WELL DONE SCOTT
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- LEWIS SKINS MITCH MEGGINSON
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- TWO GOAL LEWIS VAUGHAN WITH DECLAN GLASS
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- WAITING FOR KIERANS THROW IN
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- THE RAITH FANS WONT FORGET THE SCORELINE FOR A LONG TIME
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- THANK YOU TO THE FANS FROM BRAD AND THE GAFFER
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- TIME FOR A SELFIE WITH THE MAN OF THE MATCH
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- MASCOT JACK CRICHTON WITH HIS FAVOURITE PLAYER DYLAN EASTON
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- MotM ISMA GONCALVES WITH MATCH SPONSOR JOHN BUTCHART
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- LEWIS VAUGHAN TRIES A SHOT
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- ISMAS OUT ON HIS OWN WITH ONLY GOURLAY TO BEAT
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- GOAL 1....THE BALL'S IN THE NET
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- THE SMILE SAYS IT ALL
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- JUMPING FOR JOY
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- ONE HAPPY CHAPPY
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- JOY OF THE ROVERS
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- TODD LUMSDEN JOINS DAVIE ON RAITH TV
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- CAPTAIN SCOTT BROWN MADE A WELCOME RETURN
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- BRAD SPENCER GETS HIS FOOT TO THE BALL
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- GOAL 2....LEWIS VAUGHAN FIRES THE BALL PAST GOURLAY
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- SCOTT MCGILL CELEBRATES WITH LEWIS
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- DYLAN JOINS IN
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- C'MON DYLAN YOU'LL GET A SHOT LATER
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- BRAD SPENCER GETS HIS HEAD TO THE BALL
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- LIAM DICK GETS UP
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- JAMIE TAKES COMMAND OF HIS BOX
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- A GREAT RESULT FOR JOHN MILLER WHO PLAYED FOR ROVERS IN THE 1960s BEFORE MOVING TO COVENTRY
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- IAN MURRAY LOOKS ON AS SCOTT MCGILL GETS THE BALL
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- LEWIS VAUGHAN WAS A BIT OF A HANDFUL
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- RYAN NOLAN RISES TO GET HIS HEAD TO THE BALL....
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- ...GOAL 3...RYAN'S HEADER FLIES PAST GOURLAY
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- RYAN CELEBRATES HIS FIRST GOAL FOR ROVERS
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- MAN OF THE MOMENT RYAN NOLAN
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- JIM MCINTOSH ENJOYED THAT ONE
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- THERE'S A BALL BOY IN THERE SOMEWHERE
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- WELL DONE SON FROM SCOTT BROWN
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- LIAM DICK LEAVES THE BALL TO DYLAN
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- GOAL 4.....THE BALL'S ON IT'S WAY INTO THE NET
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- NO DYLAN IT'S NOT 1-1
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- ROVERS KEEP THE PARTY GOING
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- DO YE FANCY A WEE DANCE BRAD?
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- FANS MAN OF THE MATCH ISMA WANTS MORE
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- JAMIE BOOTS THE BALL UPFIELD
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- THAT DRUM TOOK A BEATING
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- LONGRIDGE PULLS ONE BACK FOR COVE
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- JAMIE WAS RAGING TO LOSE HIS CLEAN SHEET......
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- ....AND HE LET EVERYBODY KNOW IT
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- DYLAN EASTON IS TAKEN DOWN IN THE BOX....PENALTY!
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- GOAL 5...LEWIS MAKES NO MISTAKE FROM THE SPOT
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- JUST ANOTHER DAY AT THE OFFICE FOR LEWIS
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- SCOTT MCGILL CONNECTS WITH THE BALL......
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- GOAL 6....THE BALL BEATS GOURLAY
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- SCOTT IS DELIGHTED TO SCORE HIS FIRST GOAL FOR ROVERS
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- ETHAN ROSS APPLAUDS THE GOAL
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- EVERYBODY'S HAPPY
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- GREIG YOUNG AND ADAM MASSON JOIN IN
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- GIMME FIVE
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- SCOTT MCGILL WANTS ANOTHER ONE
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- ETHAN ROSS HAS A GO
PHOTOS © TONY FIMISTER & JIM FOY
Ian Murray spoke to RaithTV after the 6-1 win against Cove Rangers FC:
After exiting the Scottish Cup at the quarter-final stage at Ibrox on Sunday, Raith Rovers return to league action on Saturday, when Paul Hartley’s Cove Rangers are the visitors to Stark’s Park.
The Toonsers will be desperate for three points in this one, after just one win in 11 games in all competitions, a sequence which now sees them hovering just above the relegation places in eighth place in the Championship, one point ahead of Hamilton, and two above bottom side Arbroath.
Hartley returned to the Balmoral Stadium to take charge for the second time in January following the departure of Jim McIntyre, but despite a busy January transfer window, they’ve picked up just five points out of a possible 27 since he took over.
However, one of those points was picked up against Raith the last time they met in January, despite Rovers leading twice.
Lewis Vaughan had nudged Rovers in front on the half hour mark, only for Leighton McIntosh to equalise from the penalty spot almost immediately.
Ian Murray’s men continued to look the more likely however, and it was no surprise when Dylan Easton gave them a lead going into the interval.
Raith couldn’t extend their lead in the second period however, and they were made to pay for that in injury time, when Morgyn Neill earned the home side a point with a goal in the closing seconds.
That match was the third time Raith had travelled to Aberdeen to face Cove this season, with the first being the opening league game of the Championship campaign, when a brace from Mitch Megginson handed Cove a well earned three points.
The two were paired together in the SPFL Trust Trophy Third Round in September, when a Connor McBride goal saw Raith through to the next round, while their only meeting in Kirkcaldy in October was a far more straightforward affair.
Aidan Connolly and Jamie Gullan had Rovers two goals to the good at the interval, and Rovers ran out comfortable 3-0 winners, after Sam Stanton sealed the victory with a third midway through the second half.
Saturday’s match referee will be Lloyd Wilson.
Head-To-Head Record
Raith Rovers wins: 3
Cove Rangers wins: 3
Draws: 1