Dunfermline Athletic FC vs Raith Rovers FC | Raith Rovers Football Club

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Raith Rovers couldn’t get past their local rivals on Saturday after losing to Dunfermline 3-1 in the season’s third Fife Derby.

Barry Robson fielded the same team that overcame Hamilton earlier on in the week. Finlay Pollock fortunately returned straight into starting 11 after being forced off due to injury early on in the Hamilton Match and Josh Mullin retained his place at right-wing back after an impressive display in the same match.

Dunfermline kicked the match off in front of their home crowd and a scrappy affair ensued. Both sides struggled to make their mark on the game early on as the ball was constantly battled for in the air.

Some high pressure from The Rovers led to Pollock picking the ball up from Oluwayemi’s slack pass, but the youngster couldn’t get enough power on his first time effort and the Dunfermline goalkeeper recovered comfortably.

Dunfermline started to press into Raith’s box and came close after a period of possession in their opponent’s penalty area. A point-blank block from Hanlon prevented any effort on goal however, and Raith defended the following corner well.

As the Half progressed, Raith survived a scare after Kieran Ngwenya’s volley from the edge of the box very narrowly fizzed by the post.

With half time approaching, Dylan Easton collected the ball on the left wing and tore into Dunfermline’s 18-yard box. Fogarty brought Easton down as he cut in towards goal and the referee blew his whistle. Penalty Rovers.

Easton went on to take the penalty and comfortably tucked the ball away into the bottom right corner to give Raith the lead just 4 minutes away from half time.

Both sides emerged unchanged for the second half and Raith got the next 45 minutes of football underway.

Dunfermline found an answer to Easton’s earlier penalty after being awarded one of their own just three minutes into the second half after a stramash in the box resulted from a corner. Dabrowski nearly denied Chris Kane’s effort, but the ball still found it’s way into the net to give Dunfermline their equaliser.

The Pars found the net again around the 63rd minute after a short ball from a corner found Ngwenya outside the box. The fullback hit a long-range effort on goal and Kane got a vital touch to deflect it out of Dabrowski’s path and into the net for the host’s second of the match.

The referee awarded his third penalty of the afternoon after Dabrowski challenged Kane for a loose through ball. Kane placed his penalty down the middle of the goal, sealing his hattrick and putting Raith two goals down with 15 minutes left to play.

Raith fought to come back into the match with Gullan coming close a few times late on, but his efforts came to nothing as the clock ticked on.

The full-time whistle signalled the end of a disappointing afternoon for The Rovers, who now slip down to 7th place in the Scottish Championship. Raith return to Scottish Cup duties next week with a trip to Celtic Park on the cards this Saturday.

Live Updates

Welcome to today’s Championship game at the KDM Group East End Park - Dunfermline v Raith Rovers. The ground is filling up and the teams are out warming up

Dunfermline get the game underway - Raith shooting towards the home fans this half

Dunfermline with the first opportunity as they pin Raith into their half - Dabrowski gets up to gather

Dunfermline free kick deep in Raith half ball played into the mix, it’s in the air and Dabrowski collects

Long throw in from Liam Dick see Dunfermline clear in their box

Ngwenya with a pass to McCann which evades Mullin. He takes it to the byline and crosses, Raith wrestle the ball free from the 18yard box

13'

Free kick Raith after Hamilton fouls Doherty just in the Raith half

15'

Mullin with a long ball to Gullan but the latter is heavily marked

18'

Brown picks up a loose ball he charges and releases the ball to Easton but he’s immediately challenged off the ball

19'

Kane with the physical touch on Stevenson as they both charge for the ball

19'

Pollock with an opportunity but his shot doesn’t have the power behind it

23'

Mullin tries to thread the pass to Matthews who is in the Dunfermline box but Olywayemi gets to the ball first

26'

🟨

Barry Robson has been booked

28'

McCann with the cross into the Raith box and Hanlon down to block

29'

From a Dunfermline corner Witherspoon gets the ball into the mix with power and Dabrowski punches with strength clear

30'

Gullan turns and has a pop but it doesn’t trouble the Pars keeper

32'

Dunfermline with a thumping shot which goes wide

38'

Hamilton feeds the ball through the channel its dangerous, Pars player goes to ground ref says no foul

39'

Raith playing nice football around the 18 yard box which starts with Matthews and end with Mullin with a weak shot

41'

Penalty Raith as Easton challenged in the box

41'

Easton to take, he shoots HE SCORES

45'

+2 ref blows for half time Dunfermline 0 Raith 1 (Easton 42’p)

45'

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

47'

Hamlin does a well with the challenge to stop Dunfermline in the charge

48'

Dunfermline corner, ball played to back post there is a stramash and penalty given to Dunfermline - Kane to take he’s shoots and ball goes under Dabrowski and in the net

51'

Raith come close with a reply but ball wide

53'

Liam Dick with the long throw into the Raith box, the ball is headed around ending with the Pars keeper getting down with the ball in his hands

55'

McCann with a low shot that goes just wide of the Raith post

56'

Brown with a low cross into the Pars box but ball blocked

59'

Foul blown against Pollock which wasn’t a foul down at the corner opposite main stand

61'

Doherty header goes just wide

63'

McCann with a shot - it’s blocked and Dunfermline corner - ball played to front corner and it skims off heads another Dunfermline corner. Ball played short ball falls back to Kane who scores

66'

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Dunfermline sub off Steven’s and bring on Ritchie-Hosler

71'

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Raith sub off Mullin and bring on Marsh

73'

Pollock takes the ball to the main stand corner but can’t win a corner for Raith

74'

Penalty Dunfermline as Dabrowski comes out tries to ge the ball and brings down Kane

75'

Kane to take and he shoots down the middle