RAITH BOOK FINAL PASSAGE AS JAGS FACE THE JEERS
BOOS rang out around Firhill as Raith claimed their place in the Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup final. And the way things are going, these two sides will be swapping divisions at the end of the season.
League One leaders Rovers were simply too good for the Championship’s bottom club. They were two up through Kyle Benedictus and Regan Hendry before a late Lewis Mansell goal made things only a little stickier. Thistle boss Ian McCall said: ‘I thought it was an absolute travesty we were getting beaten at half-time. We had three or four decent opportunities. I’m gutted. The second half wasn’t good enough. We changed and went a bit gung-ho and Raith had two or three decent opportunities but when we hit the inside of the post right at the death, that just about summed our game up. ‘We’re devastated, we had the chance to give the supporters a final. Now it’s 12 games to go. We have got to win some games and try and stay in the league.’ Jubilant Raith boss John McGlynn said: ‘We’re delighted. We’ve come away from home and won well to get to a cup final. We knew if we got in front it would be difficult for them because they haven’t been having the best of times. We knew they were vulnerable at set-pieces — that was something we worked on.’ The visitors took the lead with their first effort on goal in 31 minutes. Kieron Bowie won a corner after Tam O’Ware had diverted his cross behind.
Dylan Tait drove the ball over and Benedictus rose to send the ball into the net, possibly off a shoulder. Thistle had threatened before that, Joe Cardle coming close while Brian Graham had two shots blocked. But Partick keeper Scott Fox had to make two sensational saves in the space of a minute to keep out the Fifers. He brilliantly blocked Hendry’s shot in 61 minutes before throwing up a left hand to deny John Baird.
Thistle were killed off in 74 minutes. Their defence was all over the place as Steven MacLean set up Hendry to place a left-foot shot past Fox. Thistle replied in 82 minutes when Mansell headed home Cardle’s cross. Sub Mitch Austin hit the post with two minutes remaining, but Rovers prevailed and will face either Inverness Caley Thistle or Rangers Under-20s, who play tomorrow.