Raith Rovers 3 – 0 Cliftonville

3:00PM | Sat 7th October

Dundee United

Stark's Park, Kirkcaldy

Ayr United 1-2 Raith

Sat 30th Sep (Away)

Sat 7th Oct (Home)

Dundee United

Sat 14th Oct (Home)

Montrose

Sat 21st Oct (Away)

Arbroath

Sat 28th Oct (Home)

Dunfermline Athletic

	Team	Pd	GD	Pt
1	Dundee United	7	13	17
2	Raith Rovers	7	4	16
3	Partick Thistle	7	8	13
4	Arbroath	8	4	12
5	Airdrieonians	7	-3	12
6	Dunfermline Athletic	7	1	11
7	Queen's Park	8	-8	9
8	Ayr United	7	-7	6
9	Inverness CT	7	-4	4
10	Morton	7	-8	4
Updated: 30th Sep

Saturday September 9th 2023

Rovers’ success in the SPFL Trust Trophy continues

After recent good form, the Round 3 match saw Rovers face a unique challenge in the shape of Cliftonville – who were visiting Stark’s Park from Belfast.

The game kicked off in tropical Kirkcaldy weather and the heat may have been the reason for a slow first half. Rovers weren’t zipping the ball around with their usual pace and were almost punished when the visitors, Ben Wilson, shot narrowly wide. Rory Hale was next threaten the home goal and he’ll believe he should scored – but again it went wide.

And that was about it for a laboured first half! With Rovers’ fans hoping for a lot better in the second half.

Half-time: Raith Rovers 0-0 Cliftonville

And they got it…5 mins into the half.

A quickly worked corner found Adam Masson in the box and he smashed in from close range – scoring on his competitive home debut. Rovers 1-0 Cliftonville.

Lewis Vaughan then scored from the edge of the box with a perfectly whipped shot into the bottom corner. Rovers 2-0 Cliftonville.

Finally Jack Hamilton rounded off the scoring: nipping in at the back post to head home. Rovers 3-0 Cliftonville.

An excellent second half performance which could have been 5 or 6. Rovers will have to wait until Thursday before finding who they face in the next round.

Full-time: Raith Rovers 3-0 Cliftonville

Crowd: 1,561

by David Proudfoot

0
Welcome from a sunny Stark’s Park for this afternoon’s SPFL Trust Trophy third round tussle versus Northern Irish team, Cliftonville.
0
Cliftonville are 5th in the NIFL Premiership, so this should be an interesting tie.
0
Both team making their way into the pitch. Cliftonville in all red.
0
Cliftonville kick off, shooting into the South Stand (trad home end)
4
Easton tries his luck from outside the box. Wee deflection gives Raith their first corner.
5
Corner cleared.
10
Free kick to  Cliftonville. A couple of yards outside of the box.
12
Slight error from Millen there. Cliftonville striker reacts quickly, trundles a shot past Thomson, but also past the post.
14
Hale with a chance after a great piece of ball control. Thomson saves the day. Corner Cliftonville
14
Short corner. Cross deflected for another Cliftonville corner.
17
Hamilton down. Clutching his arm.
17
Hamilton seems to be okay.
18
Raith Rovers 0-0 Cliftonville
18
Possession - Raith 62%-38% Cliftonville
21
Byrne’s shot in box deflects out for a Rovers corner.
25
Water break at Stark’s Park!
28
Thomson is down and doesn’t look in a hurry to get up.
28
Looks like his game is over.
30
Dabrowski replaces Thomson
30
Raith Rovers 0-0 Cliftonville
35
Dabrowski rushes out to win the race and collect the ball just inside the box.
40
Gullan drives down the left, sends in a cross that the defence doesn’t pick up. Hamilton close, but can’t quite connect.
45
Half time: Raith Rovers 0-0 Cliftonville
45
Fairly quiet affair at Stark’s Park. Raith winning the possessed battle. Time for a Doner pie!
46
Rovers kick off the second half.
47
Corner Raith.
48
Easton does well and chips into the box. Just too high for Hamilton and out for a goal kick.
48
Corner Raith.
49
GOAL RAITH!
49
Vaughan with the skills, drives into the box in the left, crosses in and MASSON is there to score his first goal for the Rovers!
51
Manager Magilton shown the yellow card.
53
Berry replaces Ashford
55
Millen on the deck.
55
Smith replaces Millen
55
McGill replaces Gullan
58
Murray rises well and heads low to Odumosu’s left. The keeper does well to save.
60
Raith Rovers 1-0 Cliftonville
68
GOAL RAITH!
68
VAUGHAN, with ball just outside the box, looks up to see where the goalie is and drills low in off the keeper’s right hand post.
69
Curran replaces McGuinness
69
Jordan replaces Doherty
69
Pepper on for Lowe
71
Shots (shots on target) 7-4 (4-2) to Raith.
73
GOAL RAITH!
73
HAMILTON unmarked at the back post and bullets his header home!
75
Raith Rovers 3-0 Cliftonville
78
Great move from Raith. Ball falls to Easton, whose shot is well saved.
81
Ross replaces Hamilton
81
Connolly replaces Easton
85
Kearney replaces Gallagher
89
Casey booked for a foul on the halfway line.
90
Attendance: 1,561
91
MoM: Adam Masson.
93
Corner Raith.
94
Full time: Raith Rovers 3-0 Cliftonville

Raith Rovers
Thomson, Dick, Millen, Murray, Gullan, Vaughan, Hamilton, Brown, Byrne, Easton, Masson. Subs: Dabrowski, Connolly, Mullin, Ross, McGill, Hannah, Smith

Cliftonville
Odumosu, Addis, Gallagher, Hale, Lowe, Doherty, Ashford, Casey, Turner, Wilson, McGuinness. Subs: Gartside, Pepper, Curran, Robinson, Gormley, Kearney, Jordan, Berry