Sat 25th October / 15:00 / Championship 25/26 / / home
Raith Rovers vs Partick Thistle
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Raith Rovers ended their mid-season slump on Saturday after dispatching Partick Thistle two goals to nil at Starks Park.
A result was in high demand in the home end after Raith’s run of three straight defeats, but two second-half goals from Dylan Easton and Paul Hanlon ensured those demands were met come full-time.
Barry Robson made one change to the team that lost to Dunfermline 2-0 a little over a week ago, with Paul McMullan being chosen over Jai Rowe. The singular swap was coupled with a change in formation, which included Scott Brown being played further up the park, as well as the introduction of a four-man back line.
On what was undoubtedly the coldest match of the season so far, Raith kicked the match off after Partick opted to change ends.
Easton was moved out wide as part of Robson’s reshuffle, and this move almost paid immediate dividends after he cut inside and got a shot off in the 10th minute. The effort proved to be simple work for Patrick Reading in the Jags’ goal, but Easton’s return to the wing was looking promising.
Partick rallied after a slow start and began working the ball into Raith’s penalty area. However, some wayward shots on goal, coupled with some resolute Raith defending, meant Josh Rae wasn’t called into action.
Jordan Doherty had the plaudits of the South Stand at one point after he blissfully flicked the ball through the Partick defence, but the lack of any option led to a goal kick in the end.
A goalless first half now makes it eight matches running where Raith have failed to find the net in the opening 45 minutes, but the improved performance generated a cautiously hopeful mood in the home end during the break.
Partick got the second half underway, but it was Raith who would fly out of the blocks early on. The visitors soaked up a period of constant pressure, but their defence would crumble eventually.
Ten minutes into the second half, Easton collected the ball from Brown and danced his way through the penalty area before essentially deceiving the ball into the net from around twelve yards out. The showman had struck again for his tenth goal of the season.
A corner in the 67th minute allowed substitute Josh Mullin to get involved after being swapped for McMullan four minutes earlier. The textbook set-piece that followed saw Darragh O’Connor head across goal to Paul Hanlon, who calmly slotted away for Raith’s second goal of the afternoon.
Partick applied a bit of pressure as they looked to find a way back into the match, but Rae remained untroubled as the game went on. Their attempts ultimately ended in vain, with a fourteen-year winless run at Starks Park continuing for the Jags upon the sound of the full-time whistle.
Such a result curtails Raith’s slide down the table and puts them back up to fifth with just two points separating them from the top four.
Next up – a second consecutive home match for The Rovers, with 8th placed Morton pencilled in for a trip to Kirkcaldy this Saturday.
Written by Hamish Rankine
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