Line Up

Preview

Raith Rovers head to Greenock this weekend, and while the home side still have faint hopes of finishing in the top four positions, the visitors only have pride to play for.

Raith’s draw with Arbroath last weekend ended a sequence of three straight defeats, while Morton were also recording their own draw against Dundee, although after seeing a 3-1 lead eventually slip to a 3-3 draw, it very much felt like a loss for Dougie Imrie and his side.

Like Rovers, wins have been hard to find for Morton in recent weeks, with just one win in eight games putting to bed any chance of a title push, and making the chance of reaching the end of season playoffs looking less and less likely.

This will be the teams fifth meeting this term, with the previous meetings suggesting this could be a close affair.

Rovers come out on top in August, with goals from Liam Dick and Aidan Connolly securing a 2-1 win, but it was a different story in October, when an injury time penalty from Grant Gillespie was enough for Morton to grab a 1-0 win.

A penalty shoot out win in December following a 1-1 draw eased Rovers into the Challenge Cup semi finals, and it was another draw at Stark’s Park just before Christmas, with Rovers squandering a two goal lead to draw two each.

Saturday’s match referee will be Dan McFarlane

Head-To-Head Record

Morton wins: 66

Raith Rovers wins: 57

Draws: 37

Reports

Rovers recent failures to defend high balls into the box was highlighted once again with only 2 minutes on the clock when Oakley played the ball out wide to Miller who sent over a cross which was met by the head of King who rose unchallenged to head past Jamie MacDonald for what was almost a carbon copy of Arbroath’s equaliser at Stark’s Park last week.

Kings header beats Jamie MacDonald with 2 minutes gone

Following the initial shock of going a goal down Rovers got into their stride and were the better of the two teams but their best chance of the first half was a cross from the right by Aidan Connolly which was met at the back post by Vaughan but his header went past the post.

The second half went much the same as the first and Rovers still looked the more likely to score and were unlucky not to get back on level terms when Lewis Vaughan blasted a thunderbolt off the underside of the bar with Schwake beaten, and minutes later, Ross Millen played the ball down the right to Akio who hit the ball low and hard across the box, and although Schwake in the home goal spilled the initial save, he managed to collect it at the second attempt.

Vaughan had another half chance with a volley from outside the box which went just over and Ethan Ross tried a lob from almost the same spot but again it was just wide.

Rovers were reduced to ten men when Tom Lang, who was already on a yellow for allegedly handling the ball despite it happening only six feet from the assistant referee who showed no reaction, received a second yellow card followed by a red for a nothing challenge on Crawford, and Rovers were further reduced to 9 men when Lang was followed to an early bath by Lewis Vaughan, who had been booked for a challenge in the first half which was no worse than a challenge by Baird which went unpunished minutes earlier, received a second yellow for alleged dissent.

Lewis Vaughan was unlucky to hit the barr & receive a red card

It was never a dirty game by any means but the referee Dan McFarlane, taking charge of his first match in the championship, somehow managed to issue 7 yellows and 2 reds, and one has to question the wisdom of the powers that be for appointing ‘rookie’ referees at the business end of the season when the stakes are so high, not only for teams looking to secure play off places at either end of the table, but players who are playing for new contracts and their livliehoods.

 

Photos

© Eddie Doig

Highlights

Interviews

Ian Murray spoke to RaithTV after today's game:

Live Updates

0'
Welcome to Cappielow for today's Cinch Championship match Morton v Raith. It's sunny, relatively warm with a bit of a wind. Three changes from last week in come Lang, Ngwenya and Ross
0'
Vaughan gets the game underway. Raith in pink and shooting towards the away terracing
1'
Goal for Morton. Play starts with Oakley who passes to Miller. He gets the ball into the box and asking is there to head home
3'
King for the Morton goal
3'
Miller again with the ball but he is challenged
5'
Morton get into the Raith box an interception is made and ball cleared
6'
Ross slips and Morton take advantage and get the ball deep into the box but nothing comes of it
7'
Freekick Morton after a foul on Oakley
7'
Ngwenya clears a Morton pass into the box
9'
Liam Dick with a vital interception as Morton again thump the ball into the Raith box
10'
Ngwenya defends well as King tries to collect a pass
11'
Brown's pass to Connolly is intercepted in the Morton half
12'
Good ball to Vaughan who is marked, he controls but he can't get enough power behind his shot and Schwake collects
13'
Vaughan does well to turn on Crawford…the latter then gets a toe to the ball and throw in Raith
15'
Oakley sets the ball up for Crawford thinking was but Ross is there to get the ball out. Corner Morton
15'
Yellow for Baird after a foul on Lang
16'
Correction it was on Ross
17'
Booking for Vaughan
19'
Ball thumped over to Connolly but it was too heavy and ball out for a goal kick
21'
Ngwenya intercepts a Morton clearance but unfortunately ball goes out for a throw in to Morton
22'
Morton come close but thankfully ball goes wide
23'
Waters gets the ball into the Raith box. It's headed around but linesman rules offside
25'
Connolly turns in the box and has a pop but ball is blocked
25'
Vaughan trying to launch the ball to the centre of the Morton box but ball is high and over the bar
29'
Great ball played by Brown to Ross. Ross controls the ball down but Grimshaw is there to steal the ball away. Ross is frustrated
30'
Vaughan gets the ball into the box. He wants to get past his man but he challenges
32'
Ross gets the ball into the box but Morton clear
35'
Freekick Raith after a foul on Vaughan
36'
Corner Raith after Connolly cuts the ball back in the Morton box and Morton clear it out
36'
Millen takes the corner and ref blows for a foul to Morton after Liam Dick and a Morton player go down in the box
37'
Vaughan with a great ball to Akio who is onside despite Morton's plea. They get a toe to the ball and clear into the main stand
41'
Vaughan has a shot on goal but he does have McGill on his left as an option
43'
Millen's cross into the box is ridiculously miss kicked and out the park
44'
Morton head towards goal but MacDonald is able to gather
44'
Ref blows for half time Morton 1 (King 1') Raith 0
45'
Morton get the second half underway
45'
Liam Dick stops an Oakley cut back in the Raith box, goes as far as. Vaughan who is on the touch line who boots the ball clear
47'
Ross and Connolly play well together plays ends with Millen crossing the ball into the box but Raith can't head home
47'
McGill has a shot not far from the Morton box but it's over the bar
50'
Millen with a great ball to Akio. He controls, gets the ball into the box, Schwake collects but spills and manages to scramble the ball back into his mitts
53'
Vaughan gets the ball to Connolly he takes the ball into the box, it's tight and not sure if he's trying for a tight shot but it's high
55'
Freekick Eoarh after a foul on Brown from Muirhead
57'
↔️
Morton make a triple substitution off go Miller, McGrattan and King and in come Blues, Gillespie and Crawford
57'
Akio with the cross into the box, McGill is there in the edge of the box but he is also marked and Morton clear
59'
Morton throw in deep in Raith half
61'
Craig Ford goes down in the box and he and Morton hospitality are shouting for. Penalty but ref has eyes on it and doesn't give anything
61'
Gillespie fouls Ross just in Morton half. Freekick Raith
63'
Lang does well to intercept a Morton threat
64'
Freekick Raith after Liam Dick is fouled in the Raith box
65'
Ngwenya does well to stop the ball and turn on the far side touch line. This thwarts his player and Ngwenya picks up where he left off passes to Vaughan who has a shot but sadly nothing comes of it
66'
Freekick Morton on the half way line
68'
Freekick Raith on the edge of their D as Morton press. Foul was on Lang
70'
Raith sub off McGill and bring on McBride
74'
Ngwenya gets the ball to Ross who looks up and has a shot and the ball is just wide of the corner of the Morton goal
75'
Muirhead has a shot but his effort is high and over the bar
77'
Freekick Morton deep in Raith half
78'
Brilliant save from MacDonald as he gets down to stop a shot and he gets on top of the ball before Morton pick another chance
79'
Corner Raith
79'
Ngwenya's return/forward pass has gone out for Morton goal kick
80'
Morton freekick about 5 yards out the box
81'
From the freekick ball is through the wall and straight to MacDonald
82'
Hello card for Bair for a foul on Lang
85'
Second yellow for Lang and therefore a red
85'
Muirhead with a low shot but MacDonald is there and saves strong
86'
Yellow for Gillespie
86'
Somehow there is a second yellow for Vaughan and therefore a red
89'
↔️
Morton sub off Muirhead and bring on Garrity
90'
Morton with the ball into the box but MacDonald is there to collect
91'
Millen does well to challenge a Morton player in the box
92'
Freekick Morton just in Raith half
92'
Freekick Raith after Oakley pulls Millen's shirt
93'
Ref blows for full time Morton 1(King 1') Raith 0