Magic Matej Poplatnik inspired Raith Rovers to SPFL Trust Trophy glory as Queen of the South succumbed 3-1 at the Penny Cars Stadium.
The Slovenian striker bagged two clinical goals either side of an Ally Roy leveller, taking his tally for the season to 10; five of those in his last four outings.
Ethan Ross made the game safe in the closing stages.
Queens will be left to rue a swathe of missed chances, including hitting the woodwork four times. However, that will mean little to Raith as they take the trophy back to Kirkcaldy.
An unexpected return
There was a stunning inclusion on the Rovers bench, with Lewis Vaughan named among the substitutes.
The talismanic attacker suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament for the FOURTH time in his career in August and was expected to miss the remainder of the campaign.
LV🔟❤️ pic.twitter.com/9RVvX8IBe0
— RRFC Official (@RaithRovers) April 3, 2022
Jamie MacDonald won his race for fitness, however the suspended Kyle Benedictus and veteran Christophe Berra — the latter on the bench — were notable absentees from the Rovers starting XI.
It was the visitors who created the first chance of note, with ex-Tynecastle kid Roy scampering through on goal and seeing his curling effort deflected over the bar.
Roy, a persistent live-wire, then stung the palms of MacDonald.
Hoodoo ended
Rovers boss John McGlynn was finally being afforded the opportunity to coach a team in a cup final.
He reached the 2013 League Cup final with Hearts but departed by mutual consent 17 days prior to the date with St Mirren at Hampden.
McGlynn guided Livingston to the Challenge Cup final in 2015 but was again dismissed before the game was played.
His Raith side reached the final of the Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup in 2020 but the game was cancelled due to the pandemic, and the trophy shared.
ABAIR TADHAL! ⚽️
Great goal from @RaithRovers who take the lead in this final! ⚽️ #SPFLTrustTrophy pic.twitter.com/hKDyQ0Sf9T
— BBC ALBA (@bbcalba) April 3, 2022
So, this opportunity was a long time coming for the experienced coach — and he saw Rovers claim the lead after 16 minutes.
A super Ross Matthews pass found marauding right-back Reghan Tumilty, who produced a magnificent cross for Poplatnik to bullet home a clinical header.
Queen of the South player/manager Willie Gibson flashed a shot over the bar, before Rovers’ Sam Stanton forced a sharp low save from Josh Rae.
A watchable contest was zipping from end to end.
Queens failed to restore parity when a scuffed Darragh O’Connor volley struck the post and Roy somehow failed to turn home the follow-up.
Euan East headed against the cross-bar as Queens edged closer to a merited leveller.
Queens’ woodwork woes looked set to continue when a remarkable passage of play on the cusp of half-time saw O’Connor hit the bar, before Roy struck the post from the rebound.
But this time Roy was able to bundle the ball over the line.
Slovenian star man
Queens skipper Josh Todd belied a tight angle to force a fine save from MacDonald as the second half commenced.
TADHAL DO RAITH ROVERS!! ⚽️@RaithRovers are back in front!! ⚽️ #SPFLTrustTrophy pic.twitter.com/ydvb1BWHdb
— BBC ALBA (@bbcalba) April 3, 2022
From the resulting corner, East was thwarted by the ex-Hearts and Kilmarnock stopper.
Dario Zanatta climbed off the bench to fizz a dipping drive narrowly over the bar on the hour-mark.
The Matthews-Tumilty connection almost paid dividends once more when the latter was sent haring through on goal, only for Rae to make an excellent block with his feet.
However, Rovers would not be denied.
In-form Poplatnik turned home his second clinical header of the game, converting a pin-point Connolly corner-kick.
And the party started in earnest when Ross turned home a Sean Mackie cut-back to make it three.
