RAITH ROVERS 1
Gullan (82) MORTON 0
Raith boss John Mcglynn praised his side’s patience as they were forced to wait before securing all three points against a stubborn Morton outfit to keep their promotion chase alive.
Mcglynn said: “You would always like to be in a comfortable position in a game and we never managed to do that, but I think the win was well deserved.
“Overall, I think we dominated without creating too much.
“At the same time, we denied Morton from creating much as well.
“But, then, Morton were very well organised, disciplined and hard to break down, so you have to keep plugging away and it came.”
The game took until the second half to spring to life with the only effort on target for either in the first 45 minutes a tame Reghan Tumilty shot for the hosts that trundled straight into the keeper’s arms.
Mcglynn had obviously had stern words at half-time as there was a marked uptick in energy from his men.
Regan Hendry flashed a shot just wide from 18 yards before Duku spurned a chance just before the hour.
A fantastic cross from the right-hand side by Hendry found the striker unmarked six yards out but Duku ballooned his header over the goal.
The frustration was clear to see from the home men and Dylan Tait and Dan Armstrong found their way into the book for showing their displeasure at ref John Beaton’s decisions.
Lewis Vaughn and Jamie Gullan were thrown on as Rovers searched for a winner and the latter almost succeeded with a rasping effort from outside the box that Ton stopper Aidan Mcadams did well to tip wide.
But the visitors fell deeper and deeper into their own half and this proved to be their undoing as Raith took the lead with only eight minutes left. Hendry’s deep corner fell to Gullan at the back post and he hammered it into the back of the net.
This forced the visitors out for the remainder.
A tame effort from Aidan Nesbitt on 87 minutes was closest they would come, leaving the Morton boss Gus Macpherson to ponder after: “Over the 90 minutes we were well organised, worked hard and looked threatening at times on the break, maybe just lacking the final ball or composure.
“But when you are undone by a set-piece that is frustrating.”