Queen’s Park 1 Raith Rovers 2

Off the back of a defeat last week against Hamilton, Callum Davidson’s side were looking to make amends for that disappointing performance by starting the game on the front foot. In the early exchanges Queen’s forced a corner in the first minute of the game followed by a long range shot from outside the box from Louis Longridge which was comfortably saved by Raith keeper Dabrowski. The early exchanges were at times scrappy with both teams contesting the midfield areas, putting together some fine link up play but seeing this peter out when reaching the opposition’s 18-yard box.

A rasping 20-yard goal bound effort from Jack Thomson on the 13 minute saw the Raith keeper brought into action by making an acrobatic save to tip it over the bar for a Queen’s corner that almost led to the opening goal. From the resultant corner on the left flank the ball was allowed to travel to the far post where a last- ditch clearance for another corner took away the tap in opportunity for Queen’s Sean Welsh to score.

Queen’s were now beginning to dominate the flow of the game in midfield with Raith offering little to no threat to the Queen’s defence. On 20 minutes Louis Longridge neatly twisted away from two Raith defenders and struck a 25-yard attempt at goal which Keeper Dabrowski comfortably saved. Some neat interchange between Mauchin, Turner and Thomas created another opportunity for an opening on Queen’s right wing for Thomas to aim a curling left footed strike at goal, but was skewed wide.

Queen’s were in the driving seat at this point and their pressure should have been rewarded with the opening goal in the 33 minute. A deep in-swinging cross from Dom Thomas on the right wing found the inrushing Longridge at the back post who headed it across goal to the unmarked Zak Rudden whose shot from close range struck the bar before being cleared by the Raith defence.

Queen’s were made to pay for their missed opportunities. On 41 minutes Raith, on one of their few excursions into the Queen’s box, were awarded a penalty. In a bid to save a corner, an overhead kick from Dane Murray led to Sean Welsh and Raith’s Matthews contesting a header on the 18 Yard line. Although there was a hint of a push on the Queen’s player, the ball struck Welsh’s hand and the referee awarded a spot kick.

The penalty was converted by Raith’s Lewis Jamieson, whose powerful low shot just escaped the clutches of Cal Ferrie in the Queen’s goal.

Feeling aggrieved, Queen’s mounted one final attack of the half with Zach Mauchin sending in a great cross for someone to go and attack it, however Rudden’s header from 8 years went over the bar.

Half time: Queen’s Park 0 Raith Rovers 1

Despite their dominance in the first half Queen’s did not hit the ground running in the early stages of the second half, as Raith began to put together passages of play and possession taking the momentum out of Queen’s hands.

Raith Rovers made a change on 60 minutes with Easton replacing the injured Montagu. Queen’s best player on the night Thomson tried his luck again with another powerful shot from 20 yards in the 66 minute that brought out the best in Raith keeper Dabrowski who parried it away to safety.

If Queen’s thought they were hard done by from a harsh penalty decision in the first half, further controversy followed in the 69 minute. Following a long hopeful ball up the line on Raith’s right flank, Queen’s Murray covered off the move by moving over to the left back position to thwart Raith’s Connolly and shepherd the ball towards safety. Believing the ball to have gone out of play, the Queen’s defender expected the assistant to raise his flag, however no flag was forthcoming and Connolly robbed Murray of the ball at the corner flag before racing towards the Queen’s goal and firing a shot high into the net giving keeper Ferrie no chance.

Queen’s response saw a flurry of substitutions in 71 minutes in an effort to get back into the game. Rocco Hickey-Fugaccia, Ryan Duncan and Roddy McGregor replacing both full backs Josh Scott and Zach Mauchin as well as Sean Welsh in midfield.

The subs and change of formation worked as Queen’s gained a foothold in the game on 74 minutes. Rocco on the right swung over a deep cross where Roddy McGregor bravely headed towards goal at the back post only for it to be blocked by the keeper and cleared to Ryan Duncan who from 15 yards rifled in a left footed strike to get one back for Queen’s.

Two minutes later Thomas manufactured a position to shoot at goal only for the Raith keeper to parry the shot low down to his right. Queen’s were searching for an equaliser and were probing the Raith defence at every opportunity.

In the dying embers of the game Dom Thomas had a shot on target deflected for a corner in the 93 minute with the resultant corner being cleared by Raith upfield.

The game ended with Raith claiming a valuable 3 points and Queen’s losing ground to the teams above them.

Full Time: Queen’s Park 1 Raith Rovers 2

Queen’s Park: Calum Ferrie, Zach Mauchin (Rocco Hickey- Fugaccia 72), Will Tizzard (Reece Evans 88), Dane Murray, Joshua Scott (Ryan Duncan 72), Sean Welsh (Roddy McGregor 72), Jack Thomson, Louis Longridge, Jack Turner, Dom Thomas, Zak Rudden (Liam McLeish 87).
Unused Substitutes: J. Hinds, J Wills, S. Drodz, H. Fieldson

Raith Rovers: Kevin Dabrowski, Kieran Freeman, Paul Hanlon, Euan Murray, Aidan Connolly (Finlay Pollock 77), Ross Matthews, Lewis Gibson( Liam Dick 46), Shaun Byrne, Lewis Jamieson (Korede Adedoyin 84), Kai Montagu (Dylan Easton 60), Lewis Stevenson
Unused Substitutes: A. McNeil, J. Mullin