The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Slow start after break costs Raith
STRANRAER 1 RAITH ROVERS 1
Raith boss Barry Smith was left to rue his side’s slow start to the second half after only leaving Stair Park with a point.
Liam Buchanan had given the visitors the lead but Stranraer were much improved after the break and deservedly took a point through former Raith man Grant Anderson.
Smith said: “It is a difficult place to come and play but when you have got into a winning position it has got to be looked at as two points dropped.
“I thought in the first half we looked really organised and played very well.
“The second half, we started sloppy and allowed Stranraer to dictate the game.
“We probably never tested their goalkeeper enough in the first half.”
Smith’s men were handed the lead just before the half hour after a defensive mix-up in the Stranraer defence.
Jamie Hamill failed to control a routine pass from fellow defender Andy McDonald on the edge of his own box.
The Stranraer captain was robbed of possession by Ross Matthews and Buchanan slotted the ball under Max Currie.
Stranraer found their equaliser soon after the restart and, like the opening goal, there was a spot of defensive uncertainty.
Connor McManus’ through ball split open the Raith defence and former Stark’s Park man Anderson nipped in between David McKay and debutant Kieran Wright before rolling the ball into the empty net via the base of the left post.
The game was almost turned on its head moments later when Mark Lamont got on the end of Chris McGowan’s cross but the former East Fife man put his header the wrong side of the upright.
Smith said: “We don’t want to start the second half slack, we don’t want to start sloppy but there has got to be a reaction from doing that.”