Gullan strike gives Raith narrow advantage

Kevin Nisbet collected an award before a ball was even kicked last night – and things only got better as a remarkable campaign for the Raith Rovers marksman continues.

Nisbet was presented with the SPFL’S inaugural Tartan Ball for League 1 after finishing as top scorer in the division with 30 goals, and did not take long to ripple the net once again.

The 22-year-old broke the deadlock against Forfar in the first leg of their Championship play-off semi-final when he rose highest to meet a superb delivery from Euan Murray and power a header beyond Marc Mccallum.

The hosts would feel the advantage was merited after Callum Crane had struck the post with a fine curling effort earlier in the first half. Nevertheless, the lead was fleeting as John Baird showed his old manager no mercy. The striker, who notched 26 goals for John Mcglynn’s Rovers side between 2010 and 2012, arrowed a magnificent leftfooted drive into the top-corner to restore parity before the interval. Baird clearly doesn’t subscribe to muted celebrationsagainst your former clubs as he milked the moment.

But while Rovers possess the most clinical frontman in the league in Nisbet, it was a youngster bagging his first ever senior goal who restored their advantage. Jamie Gullan, on loan from Hibs, reacted to a loose ball on the edge of the box and rattled an instinctive low drive past Mccallum.