Davidson emerges as head man in Greenock
In a turgid afternoon on the Tail O’ The Bank, it took a first-half header from Raith veteran Iain Davidson to separate the sides and move the Kirkcaldy side back up to second place in the Championship on goals scored ahead of Fife rivals Dunfermline.
Raith boss John McGlynn said: “I’m delighted, as Morton, like ourselves, had been beaten in their previous game.
“We showed a different side of ourselves as we weren’t at our fluent best.
“We asked them to do the dirty side of the game and that’s what they did do really well.
“We dug in, defended well and changed the formation.
“It’s three points away from home – and winning is what it’s about.
“We wanted to make sure we weren’t going to get caught in the counter attack. We were happy to be dull and boring, but get the three points.”
Morton, who have won just six of the last 26 league matches against Rovers, listed new signing Kazaiah Sterling on the bench, having signed on loan midweek until the end of the season from English Premiership giants Tottenham Hotspur.
The Ton were first to threaten after six minutes when captain Sean McGinty cut in from the right and fired in an angled drive which went just over the bar.
Raith, who had previously not won in Greenock for almost five years, took the lead with their first attack after 12 minutes.
Dan Armstrong whipped over a free-kick from the right and skipper Davidson got in between the Ton defence to power a header beyond goalkeeper Aidan McAdams.
The Stark’s Park side were forced into a goalkeeping switch after 18 minutes when veteran Jamie MacDonald, injured seven minutes earlier, limped off with a hamstring injury and was replaced by Robbie Thomson.
Deep into stoppage time at the end of the first period, Rovers might have doubled their lead when Kieran MacDonald got in behind the home defence to curl a cross over from the left, but striker Gozie Ugwu couldn’t get a better angle on his header and McAdams saved easily.
The Fife outfit continued to threaten after the break and, in 59 minutes, Armstrong’s corner from the right was only partially cleared as far as on-loan Hibs striker Jamie Gullan, but his low driven 18-yard effort was well saved by goalkeeper McAdams.
Striker Sterling, a former English youth international and previous Champions League experience with Spurs, came on for his Morton debut in 64 minutes.
He replaced Craig McGuffie as the Greenock side pressed for an equaliser.
McGlynn’s charges had lost three of their previous five league games since just before the turn of the year, and were determined to improve on that record.
In 72 minutes, substitute Timmy Abraham slipped in Kai Kennedy on the right, but his effort was pushed round by McAdams.
Deflated home interim coach Anton McElhone said: “It’s been frustrating. We are trying everything to remedy things.
“We have got to do better and defend free-kicks better.
“There are no excuses. We lost a goal from a set-play and, going forward, didn’t lay a glove on their goalkeeper.
“It was not acceptable and not good enough. They have to stand up and be counted and do better as a group.”