The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Baird back with winner – and aiming to keep place
RAITH ROVERS 2 FORFAR ATHLETIC 1
Super-sub John Baird hopes to win his place back in the Raith Rovers starting line-up after making an instant impact from the bench against Forfar.
The 34-year-old scored with virtually his first touch to put his side 2-0 up, adding to Dan Armstrong’s early opener for the league leaders, and ensuring Connor Coupe’s last-minute goal for the visitors proved nothing more than a consolation.
“It was good to come on,” Baird said. “Obviously I want to play – any player worth their salt wants to play.
“The manager’s got decisions to make and I’m not happy with the one to leave me out, but I think since East Fife away just before the turn of the year, I’ve been playing really well and been happy with my form, so we’ll see how it goes next week.”
The victory ensured Rovers stay a point clear of Falkirk in the League One title race with eight games remaining.
“I want to score goals,” Baird added, “but the team is the most important thing. If we win every game until the end of the season we win the league – it’s as simple as that.
“It’s Peterhead away next week and it wasn’t a good day the last time we went up there, so we need to go up there with a different mentality than the one we had before.”
Armstrong gave Rovers a platform to build from with a ninth minute opener, breaking through the Forfar defence before steering a low finish beyond Marc Mccallum.
The home side dominated possession but Forfar went close to equalising on a first-half breakaway with a Scott Robertson header landing on the roof of the net, while in the second half Ross Munro had to save from Steven Doris after a mix-up at the back.
Rovers were lacking inspiration in the final third but Baird provided it within 30 seconds of his 75th minute introduction, controlling a superb through ball from Brad Spencer on the turn before picking his spot past Mccallum.
Coupe pounced on hesitancy in the Raith defence to pull one back for the Angus men just seconds before the final whistle, firing low past Munro from 16 yards.
While delighted with the result, Rovers assistant manager Paul Smith was frustrated with the narrow margin of victory.
“We had a hell of a lot of possession but didn’t use the ball quick enough,” he said.
“We made it difficult for ourselves and our final ball wasn’t good enough on the day.
“We’d like to have done it with a wee bit more style, but it didn’t quite click for us today.
“We’re frustrated with the goal we lost – it was just slackness that crept in there – but we’re obviously delighted to stay top of the table.”
Forfar boss Stuart Malcolm felt his side gave a good account of themselves at the home of the league leaders.
“We equipped ourselves very well and got into some great areas,” he said.
“They had a lot of possession but our goalie has not had much to do to be honest.
“We were set up to play on the break and I thought we did it well, our goal just came too late.
“If we continue to perform that way in the last eight games of the season we’ll pick up points, but we have to continue to make sure the level of performance is the same.”