Raith’s Premiership promotion dream is over after this defeat in the play-off quarter-final second leg against Hibs but the Rovers players can hold their heads high after a brave, battling display full of grit and determination.
The Kirkcaldy side went into the game at Easter Road on the back on a 12-game unbeaten run but this match was to prove unlucky 13 for Ray McKinnon’s men.
Raith had a 1-0 lead in the tie following Wednesday night’s victory over Hibs at Stark’s Park.
They would have been determined to maintain that advantage and frustrate the Edinburgh side but instead made a disastrous start, conceding in just eight minutes when a John McGinn shot from 20 yards was deflected over the helpless Kevin Cuthbert in the Rovers goal.
Then four minutes later, Liam Henderson sent a corner in from the Hibees’ right with Darren McGregor heading home to make it two, cancelling out Rovers’ advantage.
Raith were understandably stunned and struggled to secure a foothold in the game with home keeper Conrad Logan a virtual spectator.
However, as the half-hour mark approached, they began to settle and had a great chance when Ryan Hardie had a shot blocked by Logan. The ball broke to Louis Longridge but he just couldn’t get his shot off with the goal at his mercy with McGregor eventually snuffing out the danger.
Rovers began the second-half knowing that the next goal in the game would be pivotal but it was Hibs who came close to scoring it with Cuthbert having to produce a great diving save from a Henderson shot in the 57th minute.
The home side continued to have the lion’s share of possession but Raith were still very much in the tie and they had a sniff at goal in the 75th minute but Lewis Toshney headed over.
The home side still looked more likely to score and they came mighty close in the 85th minute when David Gray saw his header crash back off the Raith post.
Rovers tried everything they could to take the tie to extra time but Hibs held on to go through to the semi-final against Falkirk.
For more on this story, see Monday’s Courier.
