RAITH ROVERS 2

Connolly (18, 82) QUEEN’S PARK 5 Murray (36, 48), Thomas (43, 77), Thomson (72)

Queens Park reaffirmed their promotion credentials with a dominant performance and an emphatic victory over a battling Raith Rovers side.

Manager Owen Coyle praised the character of his players who fought back from the loss of an early goal to take all thee points.

“It was encouraging to see the way the players fought their way back into game after falling behind” said a clearly delighted Coyle afterwards.

“We knew it would be tough today and we knew we’d have to be at our best as Raith Rovers are a very good footballing side.

“As well as the victory, the most pleasing aspect was the level of performance – we were ruthless today.”

Anxious to recover from their defeat by Dundee last week, the Fifers began the game briskly and they must have fancied their chances after forging ahead in 18 minutes.

It was a goal of sublime quality from Aidan Connolly, the diminutive midfielder collecting a pass from Vaughan before cutting in from the right and dispatching a superb curling effort beyond Queens keeper Calum Ferrie.

Rovers looked to be in control at this stage but they were stunned when the visitors equalised nine minutes from the interval.

Simon Murray found the net with well-struck free kick from 25 yards out.

That was enough to have Queens sensing blood at this stage and they took the lead in the final moments of the first half when Thomas’s deflected shot eluded Raith keeper Jamie Macdonald.

Murray made it 3-1 to Queens just after the restart with a comfortable tap-in after latching on to a low cross from Mcpake and Jack Thomson added a fourth, driving a low shot past Macdonald 18 minutes from time.

A second deflected effort from Thomas shortly afterwards topped off an outstanding performance from Coyle’s side although Connolly reduced the margin of defeat with a close range strike towards the end.

“The players are very disappointed” said Raith boss Ian Murray.

“But if you lose five goals in a game then you aren’t going to win.

“We had 21 shots on goals today and only two went in – that’s the cruel reality of the margins in football.”