Raith Rovers fans could have been forgiven for dialling Crimestoppers at the end of the game against Falkirk after witnessing an open and shut case of daylight robbery.
Kirkcaldy’s first division table toppers dominated throughout Scotland’s match of the day but were sucker punched by two outstanding goals by Mark Stewart, who really should have been wearing a mask and carrying a bag marked “swag.”
In truth Rovers only have themselves to blame for the defeat after failing to capitalise on their ascendancy and passing up a succession of gilt-edged chances including a close-range miss in the first half that will haunt Gregory Tade for many a day.
The only consolation the 834 away fans could take as they set out back to Fife was that Dunfermline in second place had also dropped points, drawing at home to Partick. But that was cold comfort to a set of Raith players who had worked their socks off with no reward to show for their endeavour.
For one of them, Kevin McBride, it was a real baptism of fire. He was thrown in at the deep end following his loan move from Hibs, which was only concluded a few days before Saturday’s game-his first in nearly four months.
McBride, who is out of contract at Easter Road in the summer, fell out of favour at Hibs after Colin Calderwood took over.
The midfielder admitted he was just glad to be back playing again, even if it was at his former club Falkirk, where he had a notorious falling out with the fans in 2009 when he called them the worst he’d experienced.
“There is a great sense of disappointment as we felt that over the 90 minutes we dominated the game,” he said. “But goals change matches and we missed a few chances. Gregory had a great one and if that had gone in it would have been a totally different game as Falkirk would have had to come out more.
“However, we did not take the opportunity and we just had to keep battling away. It is disappointing not to get anything from the game, the least we deserved was a draw. All credit to Falkirk, though. They took their chances when they got them and picked up all three points.
“I thought I was back playing for them when I heard the fans booing,” he joked. “But it is a great club and I still know a lot of the boys here.”Back footRaith had Falkirk on the back foot from the start but the first outstanding opportunity did not arrive until the half-hour mark when John Baird picked Kieran Duffie’s pocket and hit the byeline before cutting back a perfect ball for Tade.
Unfortunately for Raith the French striker seemed to be off balance and mishit his close-range effort with the goal at his mercy, allowing Falkirk to clear.
Eight minutes later Bairns skipper Burton O’Brien carved open Rovers with a defence-splitting diagonal pass into the feet of Stewart, who made room for himself before shooting into Andy O’Neil’s goal despite the best efforts of the keeper, who got a hand to the ball.
The second half followed a similar pattern to the first, with Rovers rampant yet unable to convert chances into goals, with Allan Walker in particular passing up a magnificent opportunity when he blasted over from a Tade square ball.
Those misses were temporarily forgotten in the 73rd minute when an Iain Davidson free-kick from the left was headed down by Mark Campbell towards Baird, who swivelled and hit an outstanding overhead strike past Robert Olejnik from 12 yards.
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Raith looked to clinch the winner but were caught out again in the 78th minute when Jack Compton played a clever reverse pass into Stewart, who again clinically finished past O’Neil.
The result is a devastating blow to Raith’s title aspirations. However, McBride believes that, in the short time he has been with his new team-mates, he has seen enough to convince him they can recover from this defeat and bounce back to secure promotion.
“When I was at Hibs we played Raith in a friendly and they looked a very good outfit, and that was confirmed by what I saw against Falkirk,” he added. “Everybody works for each other and there is a great feeling and a massive spirit about the place.
“There are players here who could do a job in the SPL so if we can win promotion it would be great for the club. We know it is a hard task but we firmly believe we can go up.
“I am here until the end of the season and I am determined to get as many games as I can and help the side secure promotion.”
Falkirk’s victory moves them to within nine points of Raith with three games in hand, although Bairns striker Tam McManus still insists the top two Fife rivals are favourites to go up.
“We really needed that win,” he said. “To be fair I thought Raith were the better team but we have had maybe three chances and have taken two of them.
“I would still rather be in Raith’s or Dunfermline’s position with points on the board but we have at least now given ourselves a chance. We have a lot of games coming up playing Saturday/Tuesday which will test our squad and Raith and Dunfermline must still be massive favourites to go up.”
Raith boss John McGlynn was clearly gutted by the defeat and said, “We felt we dominated the entire game but they have had one chance in the first half and one in the second and taken both.
“We feel like we have been robbed, but to come to the Falkirk stadium and play so well still gives us a lot of confidence and belief that we can do that to the end of the season. If we can, we will still be there or thereabouts.”
Falkirk boss Steven Pressley confessed that if his side had not beaten Raith their hopes of regaining a place in the SPL would have been over for the season.
“I am very proud of my players,” he said. “We are a young team but they have shown resilience and grown up. This result gives us a chance but that is all it is. If we had not won, then it would have been a tall ask.”