Dream over for Rovers as Staggies escape drop

Raith Rovers’ Premiership dreams were dashed in the cruellest of fashions as they crashed to a 4-0 defeat to Ross County.

The Championship challengers were determined to cling to their top-flight hopes despite Thursday’s 2-1 defeat at home in the first-leg.

But Simon Murray eased the home side in front on the day after just 18 minutes and strike partner Jordan White’s strike a minute after the restart effectively killed the tie as a contest.

In front of a noisy and proud 2,234-strong travelling support, creating their own “yellow wall”, Rovers refused to give in.

But late strikes from Murray and Brandon Khela ensured a brutal finish for the Kirkcaldy outfit.

Manager Ian Murray plumped for just one change to his starting line-up for the trip north.

In the knowledge his side needed to “go for it”, he opted to shake up his attack.

In came wide men Dylan Easton and Josh Mullin, who have struggled with injuries in recent weeks, to add guile on the flanks.

They replaced Aidan Connolly and striker Jack Hamilton from the first-leg.

On to the bench came fitagain defender Keith Watson.

County had stunned Raith with the ferocity of their opening at Stark’s

Park.

The step-up in intensity appeared to catch Rovers by surprise and it took them time to settle.

They appeared better prepared for the rematch and, after an initial flurry from the Staggies, they settled well.

It was tame with his weaker foot but a Liam Dick shot on target in the ninth minute was encouraging.

The same went for a Sam Stanton effort three minutes later after combining with Ross Matthews following a throw-in on the right.

County then replied with a James Brown shot that slipped past Kevin Dabrowski’s lefthand post.

Raith were desperate to find the first goal to spark a famous comeback.

However, unfortunately for the Kirkcaldy men, it was the hosts who made the breakthrough 18 minutes in.

Brown’s throw-in on the right was shuffled back to Will Nightingale and the defender’s cross speared into the heart of the box.

Striker Jordan White and defender Euan Murray both missed the first contact. But the predatory instincts of Murray took him to the back post, away from flat-footed marker Dylan Corr, where he stooped to head into the net.

With the knowledge they now needed two goals just to level the tie, there was the danger that the goal would rock Raith.

However, they responded well and stuck to their game-plan.

Liam Dick got his head to a cross but could not get enough power on it to trouble Ross Laidlaw.

Then the prominent Easton then bamboozled two home defenders on the left side of the box and the low cross was blocked by Ryan Leak as Corr waited to knock it in from pointblank range.

Easton was again involved as he threaded a neat pass in to the feet of Lewis Vaughan but Laidlaw got his fingertips to the low shot.

A minute from the break, Easton curled a shot wide as Rovers finished the half pressing for the goal that would give them belief.

However, with just 45 minutes to find the two goals needed to take the tie into extra-time, Rovers suffered the worst possible start to the second-half.

Only a minute after the restart, the Championship challengers’ mountainous task got even bigger.

Yan Dhanda, with a goal and an assist from the firstleg, swerved in a corner from the right and White rose highest in a crowded box to power in a header from six yards out.

Despite seeing their Premiership dreams fading fast, Raith again recovered their poise impressively.

A sweeping move around the County box in the 68th minute eased Stanton into space at the edge of the box. But home skipper Jack Baldwin produced a crucial block on the midfielder’s net-bound shot.

Raith deserved something for their efforts across the tie.

Instead, they suffered a cruel denouement in the 75th minute, just as their travelling faithful started to belt out the “don’t worry” refrain from Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds.

County’s front two did the damage again as White laid off to Murray, who drilled beyond the diving Dabrowski from 25 yards out. Still Rovers came forward. Almost immediately Aidan Connolly was denied by Laidlaw.

Then the former Raith keeper batted away an Easton curler before Jack Hamilton set a shot wide.

With five minutes remaining, County added a fourth.

Nightingale’s header crashed back off the post and Khela was teed up to fire into Dabrowski’s righthand corner.

Ross County’s Eli King and Raith’s Dylan Easton tussle over the ball. Right, Simon Murray scores his second to put the game beyond Rovers.

TURNING POINT: Left, Jordan White scores just after the break to make it 2-0 on the day for County; top, dejection for Raith’s Liam Dick; above, Dylan Easton and Will Nightingale square up as tempers began to flare.