Raith coach believes there is more to come

Cuthbert still looking for improvements despite eovers firing five past cife rivals to move to the top of the table

FAST 5I5F 0 RAITH ROVFRS 5

Raith Rovers swatted aside kingdom rivals East Fife at Bayview – and Kevin Cuthbert reckons they’re not even into full stride yet.

There was no denying how impressive Rovers were at Bayview, at it from the very first whistle as they refused to let their hosts into Saturday’s League One match.

It was a trend they maintained for the full 90 minutes.

A double from Lewis Vaughan was added to by strikes from Bobby Barr, Greig Spence and Liam Buchanan as Raith sailed to the top of the table.

First team coach Cuthbert was absolutely delighted with what he saw.

“We’re still looking to improve,” he said.

“No matter where you are or what league you’re in you always want to get better. “We’re instilling that in our team. “Nobody should think we’re the finished article yet because there is still more to come.

“The players are eager to come out and show that as well.

“We were ruthless – and that doesn’t always mean winning by six or seven, it means going and giving nothing and adding to our tally.

“Anything could have happened in the second half so we had to not concede anything and take our chances when they came our way.

“With the players we have going forward, we knew we’d always get chances.”

Raith started on the front foot and never looked back.

They opened the scoring with five minutes gone when Kevin McHattie’s cross found Barr lurking at the back post.

The former East Fife winger squeezed his shot between Ryan Goodfellow and the post.

East Fife’s fans had sold out their allocation at home but had been quickly silenced.

They expected a reaction from their side which never came. Instead it was Raith who netted next.

Barr this time turned creator with his cross into the six-yard box nodded home by Vaughan.

The third arrived before the break and wrapped up the win when another terrific delivery from Raith, this time by Jason Thomson, was converted by Spence.

It was game over after 45 minutes – but Raith weren’t finished yet.

Buchanan got the goal his play deserved when he headed home another McHattie cross.

The scoring was completed when Vaughan got his second of the game from 10 yards.

Bayview boss Darren Young pulled no punches in his assessment. He said: “It was embarrassing. “From the way we performed last weekend against Arbroath to today was like night and day.

“We went a certain way with a certain formation and it never worked.

“It was four or five crosses which we’ve lost goals from which is disappointing because, one you haven’t stopped the cross and then you haven’t picked up the boy in the middle.

“We could have made it a bit tighter to begin with but, the way we played last week and how the guys have been training, we felt we could have taken the game to them.

“They’re a full-time team and one of the favourites to win the league but it’s a lesson learned for us.”

Nobody should think we’re the finished article yet because there is still more to come.

KFVIN CUTHBFRT

Picture: SNS Group. Lewis Vaughan: added two more goals to his tally for the season in Saturday’s derby.