Stunning fightback as Raith come from behind to dump Dee
RAITH ROVERS 3
Benedictus (22), Tumilty (54), Kennedy (60)
DUNDEE 1
Sow (4)
Raith Rovers produced a stunning fightback to overcome fellow play-off candidates Dundee.
The Kirkcaldy side recovered from the loss of an early goal to leapfrog both the Dens Park side and Dunfermline to move into second place in the Championship table.
Rovers boss John McGlynn enthused about the performance of this players, especially with regard to their reaction following Tuesday night’s 4-0 defeat by league leaders Hearts.
“Im delighted with the performance, I’m delighted with the result and I’m delighted that we’re second top of the league,” said McGlynn afterwards. “I couldn’t be happier.”
“I’m particularly pleased with the way we fought back after the upset of losing an early goal. We had to play ourselves into the game and we showed great professionalism to come back and win with three well-struck goals.
“We caused Dundee a lot of problems with our passing and our movement and, although they came back at us later in the game, I felt we defended really well and our goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald didn’t have a lot to do at all.
“Last Tuesday night, we were on a massive low after the Hearts game, so, although we’re sitting second, we don’t want to get carried away.
“We’re now looking ahead to Wednesday night’s derby game with Dunfermline. “
Despite having overseen an unbeaten run of seven league games, Dundee manager James McPake made four changes to the team which drew with Arbroath last weekend,.
He also chose to leave midweek marquee signing Jason Cummings on the bench, preferring to start with Osman Sow in the solitary striking position.
McPake’s judgment looked to have been vindicated early in the game when Sow fired Dundee into the lead after only four minutes, the strong-running frontman volleying past Jamie MacDonald after latching on to a precise low cross from Paul McMullan.
McMullan, making his debut for the Dark Blues following his loan transfer from neighbours Dundee United in advance of a permanent switch in the summer, was using his pace to good effect on the rightwing, ably supported by some superbly-struck crossfield passes from Charlie Adam.
Just as the visitors looked to be in control of proceedings, however, Raith levelled the scores through Kyle Benedictus, the skipper directing a powerful header beyond Jack Hamilton from Kai Kennedy’s 22nd-minute cross.
Hamilton saved well from the lively Kennedy to keep the scores level at the interval, but the home side took the lead shortly after the restart with a superbly-struck longrange strike from defender Reghan Tumilty.
Any doubts in relation to the destination of the three points were eradicated on the hour when man of the match Kennedy cut in from the left before curling his shot beyond Hamilton’s reach.
Sow did strike the post as Dundee attempted a fightback and substitute Cummings fired into the side netting late on, but the Kirkcaldy outfit held on for a deserved victory.