Raith Rovers 1 Queen’s Park 1 – Pride despite late penalty woe

QUEEN’S PARK kicked off the 2025-26 William Hill Championship campaign – and were ten minutes from marking it with a win.

A penalty called against Tyrece McDonnell for handball after Calum Fordyce headed the ball against him allowed Dylan Easton to cancel out Michael Ruth’s first-half spot kick and share a point each.

That go ahead goal from the Spiders striker looked to be the difference in a disciplined performance from Sean Crighton’s young side which named a bench filled with teenagers for the campaign kick-off in Kirkcaldy. Only Jack Wills was in his 20s – but the team selected did the support proud in the Fife sunshine. 

Former Rovers defender Euan Murray missed out, leading to a straight four-four-two from the Spiders with Matty Shiels partnering captain Charlie Fox and both Michael Ruth and Josh Fowler in the attack.

It paid off with Fowler tormenting the Fifers’ back-line and his strike partner firing in the opener from an early penalty.

Roddy MacGregor was fouled by Scott Brown on the edge of the area and Michael Ruth sent Josh Rae the wrong way from the spot.

That came after two early chances for Fowler, one deflected wide for a corner and the second where he hassled Jordan Docherty into conceding the set-piece that created the penalty box pinball and Brown’s foul on MacGregor.

Going behind drew the home side out and though Cal Ferrie didn’t have a save of note to make, they pressed for an equaliser. 

Henry Fieldson made a brilliant block on Brown and Raith came particularly close in the final minute of the first half – Lewis Vaughan’s header hitting the post, but two glancing headers from Paul McMullan and Jai Rowe also threatened to level.

They didn’t although Ferrie watched a rising Vaughan shot clear his crossbar and then clever positioning ensured McMullan was ushered wide after getting a run on Fox but Queen’s saw it out until the interval.

Barry Robson’s side were being frustarted by a disciplined defensive display from Charlie Fox and co, and his frustration on the sidelines earned him a place in the referees’ book during the first half. Roddy MacGregor joined him as Duncan Nicolson took his name just before the hour mark for a crude but necessary tackle. Fox was last man but caught under the ball and that allowed Vaughan in, but the midfielder spared him by hauling down the striker to stop play and take the yellow card.

That aside Queen’s remained resolute as Fox, Shiels and Fieldson repelled an increasing amount of aerial attempts from the home side.

It eventually told came in the harshest of circumstances, with a high cross to the back post ten minutes from time, as Calum Fordyce headed against sub Tyrece McDonnell.

He had his arms by his side as the ball was nodded across goal and struck him on the way past. Nicolson gave the second spot-kick award of the afternoon, as well and booked Fox for his arm-by-his-side protests in the aftermath.

Dylan Easton sent Ferrie the same way as Ruth did Rae in the first half and the scores were level and Raith fans’ relief audible.

Ferrie made a strong save to keep Queen’s in it with five to go but there was to be no repeat of last week’s late heroics from the Spiders as they left with a hard-earned point – one that was not far off being three.

Queen’s Park: Ferrie, Fieldson, Fox, Longridge, MacGregor (Waugh 73), Ruth, Connolly, Pignatiello, Fowler (Carrick 90), Shiels, Drozd (McDonnell 73).

Subs not used: Wills, Sliwinski, McGinlay, Scott, Burke, Bradley.