The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Cuthbert ashamed by Dingwall horror show
Rovers caretaker boss apologises for first-half capitulation against Ross County
Raith Rovers caretaker manager Kevin Cuthbert admitted he was embarrassed by the team’s Irn-Bru Cup performance in the 5-0 defeat to Ross County.
The Kirkcaldy side capitulated in their first match following Barry Smith’s sudden resignation, conceding all five goals in a horror first half, with former Raith striker Brian Graham helping himself to four.
“I’ll take full responsility for that result and performance,” Cuthbert said.
“I’m embarrassed and ashamed, and I apologise to the supporters and everyone connected with the club.
“I’m extremely disappointed with how it went and how we ended up having to set up for damage limitation in the second half.
“I don’t take any pride in the way we went out and just tried to stop them from playing.
“The players have to hurt with that performance, and that scoreline.”
Cuthbert did not expect any adverse reaction to Smith’s departure due to the response of the players in training.
“Training has been sharp, believe it or not,” he said.
“They showed more desire to stop goals going in during a training game yesterday.
“That desire and application needs to come in a game.
“We lost poor goals that were avoidable. We identified issues Ross County would cause us and how we could stop it at source, first phase or second phase and we did neither.”
Cuthbert admitted that the players need to produce a reaction when the league resumes at Brechin next weekend.
“It’s not been a good day but we need to focus now on the league and use today as motivation to get ready for Brechin, and we will be ready,” he said.
“The players will get it out their system and hopefully go to Brechin and get a positive result. If we can do that we’ve got an opportunity to go top of the league.”
County dominated from start to finish but Raith almost took the lead in the third minute when Lewis Vaughan struck the crossbar with a 30-yard free-kick.
But the remainder of the half was a one-way procession towards the Raith goal, with the floodgates opening on 17 minutes when Graham flicked home a cross from Josh Mullin.
The second arrived 10 minutes later as Graham pounced to hook home from six yards after keeper Kieran Wright had parried a Callum Morris header from a corner.
Raith heads dropped but County were relentless and it was soon 3-0 as Graham struck the post, only for the ball to be chipped to the back post for Jamie Lindsay to head home.
It went from bad to worse for the visitors as Graham struck in the 40th and 42nd minute with close range headers with Raith’s defending non-existent.
A shell-shocked Cuthbert reverted to five at the back for the second half as Rovers set up camp in their own half to prevent the scoreline from getting worse.