Report

Raith Rovers dented their League Cup ambitions on Tuesday night after conceding three goals at the death to lose 4-2 against newly promoted League Two side, East Kilbride.  

Barry Robson’s team lines remained unchanged since Raith’s  5-1 result away to Elgin City four days earlier, with an identical starting eleven and bench making up the nineteen-man squad. Lewis Stevenson and Callum Smith were the only omissions from the team, who both continue to miss out through injury.  

East Kilbride kicked off Starks Park’s first taste of competitive football for the season, and enjoyed a promising start to the match after some early half-chances.  

Raith almost had an early breakthrough in the 9th minute however, after a slack pass allowed McMullan to hit the ball towards an unguarded net. Luck wasn’t on his side though, and the ball bounced off the inside of the post and back into play.  

Raith continued to pressure Kilbride’s back line, which led to a number of chances, but, for all their efforts, The Rovers still hadn’t found the net after a handful of clear-cut chances came and went. A goal-line clearance from the visitors in the 26th minute added to Raith’s frustrations, alongside a disallowed goal for offside just two minutes from half-time. 

Dylan Easton was substituted off due to injury during the half-time interval, which saw ex-Kilbride man Kai Montagu take his place. His old team didn’t take long to cause problems in the second half, however…  

Just two minutes into the half, East Kilbride worked the ball up the pitch and into the feet of Jack Healy on the left wing. Healy rolled the ball across the corner of the eighteen-yard box before perfectly curling an effort beyond Josh Rae and into the top right corner.  

Raith continued to attack as the half progressed, but their misfortune in front of goal continued until a corner in the 67th minute presented an opportunity. For the second time in two matches, Jai Rowe was the man to take this chance after again scoring with a header from the cross into the box. With over twenty minutes left to go, Raith had levelled it.  

Robson switched Josh Mullin for Jack Hamilton immediately after the goal as Raith looked for a winner in the time that remained. In the 87th minute, they thought they had found it…  

The South Stand erupted after Lewis Vaughan’s glancing header found the back of the net, courtesy of a Jordan Doherty cross. With just three minutes left in the match, it looked like Raith’s abundance of attacking efforts had finally paid off. East Kilbride’s John Robertson simply had other ideas, however.  

Robertson spearheaded an attack in the 89th minute and unleashed a low shot towards goal from just inside the box as a result. His effort snuck in at the near post, and once again, the game was level.  

The match quickly got back underway quickly, and East Kilbride again progressed into Raith’s defensive third. Lewis Main just made his way into the penalty box before hitting the deck and, much to bewilderment, confusion, and protest from The Rovers, a penalty was awarded in the 96th minute. Robertson fired his spot-kick into the bottom left corner – causing some shouts of frustration from the home Raith support.  

Raith piled numbers forward in the little time that remained, but a quick turn of possession allowed East Kilbride to mount a two-on-one counterattack. Roberston got himself on the end of the move and completed a five-minute hat-trick in the final moments of the match after curling an effort into the bottom left corner.  

The full-time whistle produced an audible level of disappointment from the home end. With a trip to St Johnstone next Tuesday making up the next match of the competition’s league phase, a win is almost a requirement – should Raith wish to progress from the group.  

Written by Hamish Rankine.  

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