Rovers returned to league action after the disappointing result in the SPFL Trophy Final at Falkirk last week looking to regain the form that saw off Cove Rangers with 6 of the best last time at Stark’s Park.
Aidan Connolly returned to the starting line up after 2 weeks on the bench, and it was the Rovers’ number 7 who had the first chance of the match but his long range shot never really troubled Ferrie in the Queen’s goal.
Queen’s had a chance blocked before another shot from Connolly was weak and easily gathered by Ferrie.
Dylan Easton had a good shout for a penalty when he was barged off the ball as he made his way into the box, but no penalty said the ref.
Rovers were pressing hard and it seemed it was only a matter of time before they would see some kind of reward for their efforts and it came on the half hour when Aidan Connolly swung over a corner from the right where it was met by the head of the inrushing Tom Lang at the near post who duly despatched the ball into the net past Ferrie.
GOAL……TOM LANG HEADS THE BALL PAST FERRIE FOR THE OPENER
Minutes later, Queen’s were awarded a penalty after Ryan Nolan blocked Thomson with a raised knee just inside the box, but the Rovers fans’ disappointment turned to joy when Jamie MacDonald pulled off a brilliant save low to his right to deny Thomson who elected to take the kick himself, and followed it up with a fantastic block, diving head first at the feet of Thomson to prevent the Spider’s man from capitalising on the rebound.
JAMIES FLIES IN TO BLOCK THE REBOUND
Rovers began the second half as they ended the first with shots being attempted from all areas of the park and Lewis Vaughan was unlucky to see a lob from outside the box drift just wide, but he didn’t have long to wait to get his name on the scoresheet.
Tom Lang sent a long ball forward to Aidan Connolly on the right and he played it back to Vaughan on the edge of the box, Lewis took a touch before firing a shot low across goal and into the net past Ferrie to send the Rovers fans wild.
LEWIS VAUGHAN SHOOTS TO MAKE IT 2-0
Rovers were now shooting at everything from everywhere and Dylan Easton tried an audacious shot from the half way line when he spotted Ferrie off his line, but the Queen’s keeper managed to get back in time to prevent what would have been a spectacular goal.
Queen’s were clearly rattled as Rovers stifled everything they tried to do and tempers flared in the 79th minute when Fox challenged Sam Stanton for a high ball and as the ball broke away, the Queen’s defender clearly stamped on the Rovers man as a he lay on the ground, and referee Grant Irvine had no hesitation in flashing a straight red card.
The match finished with Willy Akio going for goal but his lob over the outrushing Ferrie from the edge of the box went just wide of the empty goal.
MacDonald, Dick, Millen, Nolan, Connolly, Vaughan, Lang, Stanton, Brown, Easton, McGill. Subs: Thomson, Spencer, McBride, Ngwenya, Akio, Ross, Young, Masson, Gonçalves.
Queen’s Park
Ferrie, Oakley, Kilday, Fox, Robson, Thomson, Boateng, McPake, Savoury, Thomas, Shields. Subs: Heraghty, Longridge, Henderson, Davidson, Williamson, Healy, Bannon, Jarrett, Eze
All the pictures from Rovers’ 2-0 victory over Queen’s Park.
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- MATCH MASCOTS LUKE MacDONALD AND LOGAN MURRAY
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- MATCH SPONSORS FORDS DALY LEGAL
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- THE MASCOTS WITH THE REFEREE AND CAPTAINS
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- SAM JINKS IN TO THE BOX
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- LEWIS SHIELDS THE BALL FROM MARCEL OAKLEY
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- AIDAN CONNOLLY ON A RUN
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- SCOTT McPAKE LOSES OUT TO A SCOTT BROWN TACKLE
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- RYAN NOLAN AND CONNOR SHEILDS WAIT FOR THE PASS
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- CAPTAIN SCOTT BROWN TIGHT ON HIS OPPONENT
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- SAM BATTLES TO STOP THE BALL GOING OUT
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- SCOTT McGILL GETS DOWN TO BLOCK A PASS
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- DYLAN IN A BALLETIC POSE
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- RAITH BATTLING IN THE QUEENS PARK BOX
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- CALUM FERRIE BEATEN BUT THE BALL COMES OF THE CROSS BAR
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- RAITH TAKE THE LEAD
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- TOM LANG CELEBRATES SCORING THE OPENER
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- WELL DONE TOM LANG
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- LEWIS CONCENTRATES ON THE BALL
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- JAMIE GUESSED THE RIGHT WAY TO GO FOR THE SPOT KICK
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- PENALTY SAVED
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- JAMIES UP QUICKLY TO BLOCK THE REBOUND
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- MotM JAMIE SUFFERS FOR THE CAUSE
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- PENALTY SAVED BUT QUEENS KEEP TRYING TO NET
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- WHAT A FEELING SAVING THAT PENALTY
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- JOB DONE JAMIE
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- APPLAUSE FOR JAMIE FROM THE SOUTH STAND CROWD
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- AND HE'S OFF
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- TOM HISLOP PRESENTS GRAEME BAXTER WITH THE 50-50 PRIZE
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- SCOTT McGILL WAITS FOR A PASS
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- PURE CONCENTRATION
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- LEWIS VAUGHAN HAS A SHOT AT GOAL
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- CALUM FERRIE CAN'T STOP LEWIS SCORING RAITH'S SECOND GOAL
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- THE HOME CROWD ARE ECSTATIC
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- WILLIE AKIO GETS IN ON THE GOAL CELEBRATIONS
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- GOAL 2 CELEBRATIONS
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- WELL DONE LEWIS
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- A JUBILANT LEWIS SALUTES THE RAITH FANS
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- AIDAN CONNOLLY WINS THE LOOSE BALL
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- CALUM FERRIE TIPS OVER A LEWIS VAUGHAN SHOT ON GOAL
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- IT'S TIGHT IN THE BOX
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- GOALSCORER TOM LANG GOES FLYING IN THE BOX
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- THE RAITH DEFENCE HOLD FIRM AGAINST A QUEENS ATTACK
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- CONNOR McBRIDE GETS SOME GAME TIME
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- THIS YOUNG FAN IS MORE THAN HAPPY TO SHOW HER SUPPORT FOR THE TEAM
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- AIDAN TRIES A DIFFERENT CORNER KICK
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- THE FINAL SCORE AND THREE POINTS
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- IAN MURRAY AND LEWIS VAUGAHN APPLAUD THE SOUTH STAND FAITHFULL
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- CLAP FOR THE CAMERA LEWIS
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- THE GAFFERS HAPPY
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- SMILES ALL ROUND FROM THE RAITH CAMP
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- SCOTT FORD OF MATCH SPONSOR FDL PRESENTS THE MotM AWARD TO JAMIE MacDONALD
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- GUESTS OF THE SPONSORS FDL - ALEXANDER, BRODIE, DECLAN AND JACOB WITH THE MotM
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- RYAN NOLAN AND LIAM DICK MAKE SURE IT'S ROVERS BALL
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- SAM STANTON GETS THE BETTER OF OAKLEY
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- LEWIS VAUGHAN PULLS THE TRIGGER
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- IT'S AIDAN'S TURN FOR A SHOT
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- LIAM DICK ON THE BALL
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- RYAN BEATS SHIELDS IN THE AIR
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- THERE'S NO STOPPING SAM
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- SCOTT McGILL GETS THE BETTER OF OAKLEY
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- DYLAN EASTON GOES DOWN IN THE BOX BUT NO PENALTY SAID THE REF
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- SCOTT McGILL COMES CLOSE WITH A SHOT
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- GOAL......TOM LANG HEADS THE BALL PAST FERRIE FOR THE OPENER
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- AIDAN'S DELIGHTED TO SEE HIS CORNER GO IN
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- PATS ON THE BACK ALL ROUND FOR TOM
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- SCOTT McGILL LAYS THE BALL OFF
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- LIAM DICK GETS CLOSE TO THOMAS
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- RYAN'S TACKLE ON THOMSON RESULTED IN A PENALTY
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- JAMIE SAVED THE PENALTY AND GETS DOWN TO THE REBOUND....
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- .......JAMIE MAKES SURE TO DENY THOMSON
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- JAMIE WAS HURT IN THE PROCESS
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- SCOTT McGILL RACES UPFIELD
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- SCOTT BROWN CHALLENGES THOMSON
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- SCOTT McGILL PREPARES TO CLEAR.....
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- ....AND IT'S GONE
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- TOM LANG GETS THE BALL TO DENY SHIELDS
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- LEWIS VAUGHAN TRIES A SHOT
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- MAN OF THE MATCH JAMIE MacDONALD SENDS THE BALL UPFIELD
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- SCOTT McGILL HAS HIS EYE ON THE BALL
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- A PERFECTLY TIMED TACKLE FROM TOM LANG
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- LEWIS VAUGHAN SHOOTS FOR GOAL.....
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- ....GOAL....LEWIS BEATS FERRIE TO PUT ROVERS TWO UP
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- JOY FOR THE ROVERS FANS AS LEWIS CELEBRATES
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- LEWIS ENJOYS THE MOMENT
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- LEWIS SALUTES THE FANS
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- BRAD AND ETHAN APPLAUD LEWIS
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- SCOTT McGILL TACKLES THOMSON....
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- ....AND WINS THE BALL
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- TOM LANG WAS DETERMINED ROVERS WERE GIVING NOTHING AWAY
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- LEWIS TESTS THE SPIDER'S GOAL BUT FERRIE TOUCHED IT OVER
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- AIDAN CONNOLLY LOOKS ON AS LEWIS SHIELDS THE BALL
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- TOM LANG WINS THE BALL
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- JAMIE SHOWS A SAFE PAIR OF HANDS
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- HEALY TAKES A DIVE IN THE BOX....
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- ....THE REF REWARDS HEALY WITH A YELLOW CARD FOR HIS DIVING SKILLS
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- WILLY AKIO GETS HIS HEAD TO A THROW IN
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- CONNOR McBRIDE CHARGES UPFIELD
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- TOM LANG IS IN CHARGE ONCE AGAIN
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- WILLY AKIO LOBS THE KEEPER BUT IT WENT AGONISINGLY WIDE
PHOTOS © TONY FIMISTER & JIM FOY
Ian Murray spoke to RaithTV after today’s win v the league leaders:
After the disappointment of last Sunday’s defeat to Hamilton in the SPFL Trust final, Rovers return to league business at Stark’s Park this Saturday, with Queen’s Park the visitors.
The Spiders are currently top of the Championship table, five points clear of Ayr who play against Arbroath on Friday evening, and four clear of Dundee who have a game in hand.
Owen Coyle’s side go into this one on the back of a surprise defeat to Arbroath last weekend, although that’s their only loss in their last half dozen league games.
This will be the two sides fifth meeting this season, and while Rovers managed a win over Queen’s in the SPFL Trust Trophy in January, they’ve yet to taste victory against them in the league.
Stephen Eve’s header sealed all three points in a 1-0 defeat at Ochilview in October, and while the next fixture at Stark’s Park in November saw Rovers create plenty chances to score, it was the visitors who took advantage of theirs, running out 5-2 winners.
Aidan Connolly scored a brace for Raith, but Simon Murray and Dom Thomas did likewise for The Spiders, with Jack Thompson scoring the other in a heavy defeat.
It was a far tighter match in their last meeting in February, with Connor Shields scoring the opener just after the break, but Rovers earned themselves a deserved share of the spoils thanks to William Akio’s goal with a quarter of an hour remaining.
That was the first draw between the two teams in 20 outings, with the last coming back in the old Second Division in 1987.
Despite Queen’s having the upper hand this season, Rovers have a good record in general over Saturday’s opponents, with seven wins and a draw from the last 10 meetings.
This weekend’s referee will be Grant Irvine.
Head to Head Record
Raith Rovers wins: 50
Draws: 26
Lost: 30