Rovers come in from cold thanks to late own goal

Raith RoveRs: Boss Smith knows his players must improve if they are to mount challenge

AIRDRIE 2 RAITH ROVERS 2

An injury-time own goal rescued a point for Raith Rovers, but yesterday’s performance in Airdrie gave boss Barry Smith the chills.

With the temperature hitting -6C as full-time approached, the Kirkcaldy side escaped defeat when substitute striker Jonny Court pressured defender Jordan McGregor to put through his own net to deny the home side a deserved three points.

The result leaves Raith trailing League One leaders Ayr United by five points, and while Rovers still have a game in hand, they will need to improve on this showing.

“It’s frustrating because we know the boys are capable of far better than that,” said Smith.

“We didn’t control the game the way we should have.

“We can pat them on the back because they kept fighting and working hard, but we have to be better than that.”

Smith refused to blame the subzero conditions and slippy astroturf surface for an abject performance in front of the BBC Alba cameras.

“A lot of misplaced passes were down to the conditions, but that was from both teams,” he said.

“The two goals we lose are disappointing because we have to be better defensively – and we normally are.

“It might be an important point down the line, but these are the places we want to be coming and taking three points – there’s no getting away from that.”

Raith almost took the lead inside two minutes when defender Dave McKay headed Lewis Vaughan’s corner against the outside of the post, but that was a false dawn as Airdrie went on to dominate the first half.

The home side took a firm grip on the game and came close when captain Scott Stewart raced onto a low ball across goal and dragged an effort narrowly wide from 16 yards.

Rovers took the lead against the run of play two minutes later as Greig Spence grabbed his third goal in as many games, turning in the box and stabbing the ball past Rohan Ferguson after being set up by Vaughan.

Airdrie levelled almost immediately with a terrific move that caught Raith’s rear-guard napping as Stewart’s ball across goal was turned home at the back post by Jake Hastie.

The hosts took a deserved lead on 37 minutes as Raith conceded possession cheaply, allowing Hastie to race towards the box and when his 18-yard effort was parried by Graeme Smith, Cammy Russell pounced to turn the rebound home from a tight angle.

Liam Buchanan was denied by a goalsaving block straight after half-time, but Raith continued to struggle and a Vaughan free-kick which brushed the side-net on 75 minutes was as close as they came.

Court was introduced from the subs bench with 20 minutes left, and it was his telling contribution that brought about an equaliser in the 92nd minute as he attacked Jason Thomson’s cross only for defender McGregor to get the final touch.

“

It’s frustrating because we know the boys are capable of far better than that.

BARRY SMITH

Picture: SNS. Jonny Court was at the heart of the move that resulted in the last-gasp equaliser.