Ayr United FC vs Raith Rovers FC | Raith Rovers Football Club

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Raith Rovers couldn’t take anything from their trip to Ayr on Saturday after losing 2-1 in their bid to catch up to the race for the top four.

The Honest Men took the lead in the first half before doubling up in the second, and a subsequent goal from the Rovers wasn’t enough to get back on level terms before the final whistle.

Dougie Imrie reverted to the lineup that thrashed Queen’s Park 4-1 a week earlier, which saw Lewis Vaughan and Ross Matthews make way for Josh Mullin and Scott Brown.

Raith got things underway, but were almost handed an immediate setback after Jack Hamilton went down injured in the 2nd minute. The striker left the field, but managed to continue shortly after.

Ayr went on to apply some early pressure, forcing Rae into a diving but comfortable save down to his left in the 10th minute. Raith soaked up Ayr’s efforts, but couldn’t create any chances of their own at the other end.

A couple moments of controversy preceded the matches opener, with Ayr winning what looked to be a Rovers’ throw-in, and a soft free-kick just seconds later, in front of the Raith dugout – much to the travelling contingent’s frustration.

Ayr’s captain, Ben Dempsey, stepped up to float the 40-yard freekick into Raith’s penalty area, but the ball bounced all the way through and into the net direct from the set-piece, putting Ayr 1-0 up in the 28th minute.

Raith put some good passes together in search of an equaliser before half-time, but a slick move in the 38th minute ultimately ended with Max Thomspon denying Hamilton’s effort towards the bottom right corner.

Ayr were nearly the masters of their own downfall in the opening moments of the second half after a heavy back-pass looked to have put Mullin in at the back post. Thompson did well to scramble across though, blocking Mullin’s attempt from point-blank range.

The hosts bounced back from their early scare, and were marauding up the pitch just ten minutes later in pursuit of a second goal. Such efforts would pay off, with Curtis Main’s pass to Anton Dowds giving the striker a great chance to score from around ten yards out. Dowds did just that, firing into the far bottom-right corner in the 57th minute to put Ayr two goals to the good.

Imrie looked straight to his bench in the wake of this further setback, substituting Vaughan, Nsio, and Matthews on for Mullin, Rowe, and Winter.

The Rovers went onto create a handful of good chances in the next few minutes, with some dangerous crosses into the box finding the heads of Hamilton and Nsio. Hamilton’s was calmly saved though, whilst Nsio blasted over from eight yards.

A newfound level of intensity stuck around the Rovers team, and paid off when Lewis Vaughan got onto the end of Jordan Dorherty’s cross in the 77th minute. Vaughan had the time and space to place his header inside the near post, cutting Raith’s deficit to one with around 13 minutes to go.

Vaughan had a couple more chances to get on the scoresheet as the clock wound down. However, his close-range header was gathered in the 79th, whilst an agonisingly close flick at the front post trailed wide of the goal just minutes later.

Vaughan’s efforts were just but a few of the good chances Raith carved out in the last half-hour or so, but the lack of a finishing touch ridiculed them in the search for an equaliser.

The sound of the fulltime whistle condemned Raith to defeat, placing them one point behind fifth-placed Dunfermline Athletic amidst a varying number of matches played.

Next up, Raith travel to Greenock for a league match against sixth-placed Morton this Saturday.

Written by Hamish Rankine.

Live Updates

Teams make their way in to the pitch here at Somerset Park

Raith utd get the game underway - Raith defending the away end first half

Rowe with a lovely ball to Mullin, he crosses the ball into the box and Thompson collects

Injury to Hamilton at the moment, lying on the Ayr Utd goal line

Hamilton is back on his feet and game will continue with Raith a man short for the moment …. Hamilton is now back on the pitch

A pop from McKenzie for Ayr as they apply pressure on the Raih defence - Rae gets down to palm save away

11'

Corner Ayr as O’Connor tries to keep Dowds from cutting the ball back

12'

Ball played into the Raith box it’s pinged about and Hanlon heads clear as ref blows free kick to Raith

14'

Mullin with a great ball into the Ayr box- headed away tho

15'

Liam Dick cuts the ball across the Raith goal Ayr pounce and ball skiffs side of netting

17'

Free kick Raith just in Ayr half ball cleared just on the D

19'

Free kick Ayr after O’Connor fouls Main approach 30 yards out … ball is lifted into the Raith box it’s cleared and play ends with an Ayr throw in

20'

Ayr throw in Clare’s by O’Connor, falls to Winters who can’t quite clear and Easton thumps the ball away

23'

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Booking for McKenzie as he slides into Rowe

26'

Ayr freekick as Brown fouls Dowds, its a soft one

27'

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From a Dempsey freekick the ball floats into the Raith box, Main runs in but the ball goes into the goal

34'

Hamilton chests the ball down to Mullin but his delivery upfield is poor

35'

Freekick Raith after Easton wrestled to the ground new stand side by Bannigan

38'

Good linking play from Raith as O’Connor threads a ball to Winter he passes to his left to Hamilton and he has a pop but it comes to nothing

39'

Pass back to Rae but ball continues passed him and just a foot or two from the goal line and out for a goal kick, hear in mouth moment

42'

Ball falls to Brown approx 25 yards out, he has his typical shot but ball over the bar

45'

Freekick Raith after a foul on Hanlon by Main down by the corner between new stand and away fans

45'

+2 switch of play to Rowe who passses into Mullin but nothing comes of it

45'

+3 ref blows for half time Ayr 1( Dempsey 27’) Raith 0

45'

Ayr get the second half underway - Raith shooting towards their own fans this half

45'

A careless pass back from Ayr to their keeper, Mullin races to pounce, the keeper also runs back and Mullin shoots straight to the keeper

47'

Good ball from Rowe to Winter but the latters pass is just too heavy for Mullin to latch on to

49'

O’Connor does well to stop the cut back from the byline and wins. Raith goal kick

50'

Liam Dick with a low cut into the Raith box and Rae gets down to collect

54'

Raith corner - ball played by Mullin short to Easton he delivers to Wilson and he thumps the ball over the bar

55'

Main tries to get round O’Connor he can’t but does try for a shot and ball over the bar

56'

Main gets on to the ball and he threads it to Dowds who scores

59'

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Raith make a triple substitution as off go Rowe, Mullin and Winter and on come Matthews, Vaughan and Nsio

62'

Foul on Hamilton. Ref plays on and Wilson has the ball and has a pop , keeper tips it over the bar- corner from Raith doesn’t come to much

64'

Ref blows a foul after O’Connor is fouled and on the ground- ref points foul to Ayr?

66'

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Yellow for Holt for kicking the ball away

67'

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Ayr make a substitution as off goes Main and on comes Summers

68'

Great delivery to Hamilton as he heads towards goal and Thompson stretches to collect

69'

Nice crow from Doherty to Wilson who controls well, he’s challenged by Finney

70'

Corne Rairh - played quickly between Easton and Vaughan - ball eventually out for a Raith throw in which is knocked about and again a Raith corner

71'

Corner played from Vaughan it’s knocked about again and falls to Easton again who lifts the ball into the box and Nsio is there with a powerful header and over the bar

73'

Doherty with a decent ball into the Ayr box but It’s too deep and Thompson comfortably collects

75'

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Raith sub off Easton and bring on McMullan

76'

GOAL RAITH… great play from Doherty who cuts the ball into the Ayr box and it’s VAUGHAN who sits home for Raith

79'

Great play from Raith starts with Wilson to McMullan who switches play to Doherty who lifts the ball into the Raith box and again Vaughan with a header and somehow Thompson savea

80'

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Ayr make a double substitution and off goes Liam Dick and Dowds and bring on Want and Oakley

61'

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Bannigan receives a yellow and Raith receive a free kick

62'

Vaughan with the freekick goes for goal and shoots right over the bar

83'

Raith throw in played quickly which’s dropped into the Ayr box and Thompson collects

84'

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