Linlithgow Rose vs Raith Rovers

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Raith Rovers’ first pre-season friendly in the run-up to their 2025/26 Championship campaign ended in defeat on Saturday after losing 2-1 to Linlithgow Rose. An early goal from Lewis Vaughan put The Rovers on the right track, but a late second-half salvo from Linlithgow turned the match around before the final whistle.

Barry Robson introduced Jai Rowe and Richard Chin straight into the starting eleven after announcing the duo’s signings in the weeks prior, whilst Josh Rae went back between the sticks for Raith. Stevenson, Hamilton, Byrne, and Smith were all absent from the team sheet however – which left a young six-man Raith bench on the touchline.

The pre-season proceedings got underway on a sunny Saturday afternoon in Linlithgow with some early, but inaccurate, long-range efforts on Raith’s goal.

The training-kit-clad Rovers team started to move the ball around in the attacking third soon enough, which gave Jai Rowe a chance to burst into the box – courtesy of a clever nutmeg on the way. Linlithgow cleared for a corner though, which gave Raith the chance to capitalise from a set piece…

Mullin’s out-swinging corner resulted in Fordyce’s header cannoning off the bar and back into play. Some quick thinking from Doherty allowed Vaughan to flick on and into the net from close range – giving Raith their first pre-season goal in the 17th minute.

Vaughan had the chance to net a second just over five minutes later after a fluid Rovers’ move led to a chance from close range, but his effort narrowly went by the post.

Raith continued to create chances as the half progressed, but no goals came before the end of the first half.

The Rovers started the second half in familiar fashion in terms of chances – with Brown’s thirty-yard attempt crashing off the crossbar just after just three minutes. Linlithgow’s trialist keeper did well to deny the rebound and was called into action again just seven minutes later when he denied Vaughan’s fierce effort on goal with a reflex foot save.

Both sides made several changes just before the hour mark, with Hanlon, Chin, Brown, and Vaughan departing for Gibson, Montagu, Hannah, and a trialist. Raith used the remainder of their bench ten minutes later after new signings Glavin and Raeside replaced Rae and Brown.

Linlithgow started to threaten in the immediate aftermath of the changes and were unlucky not to score after a long free kick into the Raith box was blocked and eventually cleared for a corner. Their time would come shortly after though…

Linlithgow played the corner to the front-post area of Raith’s box and Harry McMartin was able to poke home from close range, levelling the match in the 78th minute.

The home side kept their newly found pressure up and found the net again after Louis Maguire’s strike from the edge of the box curled into the bottom right corner of Raith’s net. Just five minutes after their first, Linlithgow had taken the lead in the 83rd minute.

Raith couldn’t find a reply in the little time that remained and the referee brought the match to a close after two minutes of injury time.

Raith’s afternoon ended in defeat, but some promising football coupled with the debuts of four new players will give Raith some positive building blocks to take on before their next friendly against Alloa at Starks Park this Tuesday.

Written by Hamish Rankine

Highlights

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First preseason game is underway

Raith defending the social club end

Mullin attempts to chip the ball into the box near the corner but ball floats over and out for a Linlithgow goal kick

Good ball from Vaughan to Chin but the latter is run off the field

Easton with the ball, Mullin has overlapped on the left but Easton opts to pass to Vaughan in a busy centre field and possession lost

A 20 yard effort from McMullen it’s just wide

Rowe with a header towards goal, doesn’t trouble the Linlithgow goalkeeper tho

Foul on Vaughan just on the left hand side outside the box - Easton takes it, Linlithgow head clear

13'

Rowe again has a turn and pop on edge of box - ball wide

16'

Chin with a low pass across the box but McCracken clears

17'

Corner Raith - taken by Mullin ball falls to the centre headed by Fordyce which hits off the bar and Vaughan is there it slot home

23'

Good play from Raith as play ends with Rowe cutting the ball into Vaughan whose effort is just wide

23'

Mullin attempts to drop the ball into the box for Vaughan but ball intercepted

31'

Mullin with a header which goes across the mouth of the goal

33'

Mullin turns and has a low shot but Linlithgow goalkeeper gets down to collect

36'

Devine has a shot and it takes a deflection and out for a Linlithgow corner - ball played to the centre and Doherty heads clear

37'

Patterson for Linlithgow has a shot but it doesn’t trouble Rae as he kneels to collect

42'

Vaughan gives the ball an over head flick and hits on the volley but straight to the hands of the Linlithgow keeper

45'

Raith get the second half underway

47'

Corner Raith - ball played by Mullin to front post finds it way across the box and eventually fired over the bar

48'

Brown with an excellent effort which hits off the bar

51'

Vaughan lays the ball on to Chin but its weighted just a tad heavy and rolls out of play

55'

Excellent save from the Linlithgow keeper as Vaughan goes for the shot

59'

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Number of substitutions from both teams Raith take off Hanlon, Chin, Vaughan and Brown and bring on Gibson, Montagu, Hannah and Trialist

60'

Linlithgow also make substitutions off go McMullen, Lumsden and Devine and bring on Rae, Watson and McMartin

64'

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Linlithgow make another couple of substitutions off go Patterson and Allan and bring on two Trialists

67'

Linlithgow corner ball played to back post and out for a goal kick

69'

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Raith make a couple of substitutions off go Rae and Matthews and on come Glavin and Raeside

70'

Gibson threads the ball through to Easton he collects in the Linlithgow box but can’t find a way to slot the ball home, Montagu runs in but ball is intercepted

78'

Linlithgow make and attempt for goal and ball is battered about, ends in a corner - ball is eventually in the back of the net - scorer for Linlithgow McMartin

80'

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Linlithgow make final few substitutions as off go Trialist and McCracken and on come Thomson and Lamont

84'

Maguire from just outside the Raith box decides to go for goal and achieves his aim - goal Linlithgow

92'

Ref blows for full time Linlithgow 2 (McMartin 78’, Maguire 83’) Raith 1 (Vaughan 17’)