Rovers’ 15-minute goal blitz too good for Dons

RAITH ROVERS 3 ABERDEEN COLTS 1

Raith Rovers’ first team proved too strong for Aberdeen Colts in the Irn-bru Cup first round tie at Stark’s Park.

A low attendance of 479 reflected the interest in the match, but a professional performance from the home side ensured no slip-ups against the Premiership youngsters.

Rovers did all of the damage in a 15-minute goal blitz in the first half, scoring three times through Nat Wedderburn, Ross Matthews and Kevin Nisbet.

The deadlock was broken on 16 minutes when Matthews clipped a measured pass over the Dons defence for Wedderburn to collect and drill a powerful effort high beyond goalkeeper Archie Main.

Raith’s second arrived on 27 minutes when Nisbet held off a defender to lay off to Matthews, who found the bottom corner with a wellplaced strike from 18 yards.

The tie was all but over three minutes later when Nathan Flanagan burst into the box to set up Nisbet, who showed great composure to sidestep a defender before picking his spot past Mair for 3-0. After struggling to contain Raith’s interplay in the first half, Aberdeen Colts rallied after the breakandyoungconnormclennan forced Kieran Wright into a diving save after cutting in from the right and aiming a shot for the bottom far corner.

The youngsters did pull one back on 71 minutes and Wright was left with no chance when Bruce Anderson sent a stunning effort into the top corner from 20 yards.

Raith barely threatened to extend their lead after the break as they took their foot off the gas although Flanagan forced Mair to parry his snapshot.

Aberdeen came close to setting up a tense finale two minutes from time as Anderson outpaced the Raith defence before drawing a save from Wright, and Dangana stabbed the loose ball over the empty net.

There was a double injury concern for Raith in the closing stages as Wedderburn and Euan Murray both suffered knocks and will be assessed ahead of Saturday’s derby against East Fife.