RAITH ROVERS 3 McManus (17, 51), Callachan (50) ST MIRREN 1 Hardie (63)

RAITH ROVERS made it two wins out of two in the league as they followed up last week’s victory at Ayr United with an accomplished Starks Park performance.

They swept aside the challenge of St Mirren and took top spot ahead of next week’s Fife derby against Dunfermline.

St Mirren, fresh from a fighting draw in their own local derby against Morton last weekend, began the game with purpose, testing Raith goalkeeper Aaron Lennox, deputising for the injured Kevin Cuthbert, twice in the early stages.

Lennox held on to a powerful header from Jason Naismith with less than a minute on the clock then produced an acrobatic save from a Lawrence Shankland effort shortly afterwards.

The home side, however, withstood the early onslaught and took the lead in the 17th minute, Lewis Vaughan catching the Saints back line flat footed with a beautifully weighted pass to release Declan McManus who sent a lob over the head of Jamie Langfield and into the net.

Inspired by such a well worked goal, Rovers began to take command with some slick passing from midfield complemented by strong front running from McManus and Vaughan.

St Mirren did threaten towards the end of the first half when Shankland’s goalbound header was cleared off the line by Ross Matthews but Raith responded positively with the in-form McManus being denied by Langfield on a further three occasions before the break.

Two goals in a minute early in the second half sealed the points for Raith, Ross Callachan finishing off a low cross from Vaughan then McManus taking advantage of a mix-up in the Saints defence to tap home his second of the afternoon before Ryan Hardie pulled one back for the dispirited visitors.