Report

Raith Rovers vs Hibernian

Lewis Vaughan testimonial

Raith Rovers had the pleasure of celebrating club legend Lewis Vaughan last night,  with his testimonial match taking place against Hibs under the Stark’s Park floodlights.

Testimonial or not however, Ian Murray saw the night as a good opportunity to get some match minutes into the squad who otherwise had a game free week. Loanees Adam Masson and Callum Hannah both starting alongside an impressive Dylan Corr. Keith Watson also returned to the starting 11 after an injury sustained against Arbroath a few weeks prior.

Kick off

Raith started the match well, with the star of the show Vaughan twice coming close as he hit the bar with one effort and forced a good save from the Hibs keeper for the other.

Hibs did ultimately strike first, however. Some good attacking play down the left flank led to Kirkcaldy-born left back Lewis Stevenson taking the opportunity to curl the ball in off the far post into the bottom right corner. Such an effort even warranted applause from the Raith crowd.

Raith continued to push forward and were probably unlucky to have not found the net before the half-time whistle sounded.

Half-Time

After a seemingly planned change in goalkeeping personnel for Raith on the half-hour mark, Andrew McNeil would have done well to even get close to Hibs second of the evening. With a ball fired into the box from the right-wing, Hibs forward Jair Tavares expertly headed the ball into the net from the front-post area doubling the visitor’s lead just 3 minutes after half-time.

Hibs added to their tally just 10 minutes later with Reuben McAllister scoring a text-book free-kick, as he curled his effort over the wall and into the net from around 20 yards out.

Lewis Vaughan came close again, forcing yet good another save from the 19-year-old Hibs keeper Murray Johnson, who was jokingly booed from the home end, who all wanted to see the man of the night net a goal in his testimonial.

Hibs turned out to have other plans, however. Ex-Scotland international Paul Hanlon delivered the away-teams fourth of the night, powering a header home after a corner was whipped towards the front-stick providing a 4-0 scoreline in the 65^th minute.

Raith did get on the scoresheet after Callum Smith managed to beat the offside trap and work his way into the opposition box. After weaving inside, Smith made no mistake as he fired low and hard into the bottom right corner netting the home sides first and only goal in the 75^th minute.

Hibs quickly quelled any hope of a comeback though, scoring their fifth and final goal of the night just 3 minutes later through 17-year-old substitute Josh McDonald, who did well to convert after being left free in the penalty area.

Lewis Vaughans’ night came to a close just 5 minutes from full time as he was replaced by Ex-Scotland international and current assistant manager, Colin Cameron.

Current manager (and ex-Hibee) Ian Murray also made his cameo a minute later, taking up the centre-half position whilst playing some exquisite passes forward.

Neither legend managed to get that fairy-tale goal however, with the night’s proceedings being brought to a close shortly after.

Full-Time

With no apparent injuries and a strong attendance for Vaughan’s’ testimonial, the night was an all-round success, with a goals-galore match even if the result didn’t go the right way on the night. Raith now have over a week to prepare for their top-of-the-table clash away to Dundee United on the 30^th of March.

Highlights

Photos