The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Raith fans merit promotion party
ROVERS: Buchanan hopes players can make amends for title agony
Raith Rovers striker Liam Buchanan has called on his team-mates to deliver promotion for the fans after missing out on the League 1 title.
Barry Smith’s side could only draw with Alloa while rivals Ayr United claimed the silverware with a 2-0 success over relegated Albion Rovers.
The result was a huge blow for the 4,400 home fans who turned up expecting a title party, and Buchanan says the players must make amends in the Championship play-offs, which begin with a semi-final first leg away to Alloa again on Wednesday.
“To see the fans turning out like this, we can only apologise for not getting it done and hope that they stick with us because we’ve got a massive week ahead,” said the Raith forward, who spent the 201415 season with the Recreation Park outfit
“We hope we can repay their support in the playoffs. We can get our disappointment out the way and pick ourselves up for a massive game on Wednesday again.
“We’ve got a great bunch of boys and we’re all winners in there.
“We tried ever so hard all season to win the league, and we’ve been beaten by Ayr at the final post. Come Monday we’ll get back on it and prepare right for Alloa.”
RAITH ROVERS 0 ALLOA 0
Liam Buchanan admits Raith Rovers must deliver promotion via the play-offs after allowing the League One title to slip through their hands on the final day of the season.
The failure to overcome Alloa in a goalless draw at Stark’s Park allowed Ayr United to pip them at the post thanks to a 2-0 win over Albion Rovers at Somerset Park.
The result was a huge blow for the 4,400 home fans who turned up expecting a title party, and Buchanan says the players must make amends in the Championship play-offs, which begin with a semi-final first leg away to Alloa on Wednesday.
“To see the fans turning out like this, we can only apologise for not getting it done and hope that they stick with us because we’ve got a massive week ahead,” he said.
“We hope we can repay their support in the play-offs.
“We can get our disappointment out the way and pick ourselves up for a massive game on Wednesday again.
“We tried ever so hard all season to win the league, and we’ve been beaten by Ayr at the final post.
“Come Monday we’ll get back on it and prepare right for Alloa.
“This is a massive club, one that deserves to be in the Championship.
“It only happens if you do it on the pitch, and as players we’ve got to take the responsibility to get the club back there.”
Raith managed only one victory and three draws against Alloa this season, leading Buchanan to expect a tough task against the Clackmannanshire side in the play-off semi-final.
“They’ve proved today, and last Sunday against Ayr, that they will be tough opponents,” he said.
“We’ve got to be right up for it.”
There was an air of expectancy inside Stark’s Park in the build-up to kick-off as the biggest home crowd in a decade cheered the team on the park.
Rovers started positively enough, with Neil Parry producing a finger-tip save after just two minutes to deny a dipping free-kick from Lewis Vaughan.
Buchanan also forced Parry into a save at his near post, however the home side were being largely frustrated by Alloa’s defensive, counterattacking approach.
Raith’s day was summed up on 69 minutes when Jason Thomson’s point-blank header was again saved by Parry, and the right-back then blasted over from six yards just a minute later.
After the match, dejected Raith boss Barry Smith said: “We’re all disappointed we haven’t won the league but I think we threw everything at it in terms of the amount of opportunities we created.
“We now want them to use that disappointment to make sure we get promoted.”