MATCH STATS
STAR MAN: STEPHEN EZE was a giant presence in both boxes. Defended well and could have scored more than once.
QUEEN’S PARK 1
Eze (57) RAITH ROVERS 0
Queen’s Park defeated visitors Raith Rovers to climb into second place thanks to Nigerian defender Stephen Eze’s first goal in Scottish football.
The 6ft 6in stopper, who joined the club in August, headed home in the second half to clinch the three points, with Raith denied a draw by two goal-line clearances in injury time.
Spiders’ head coach Owen Coyle said: “Stephen was the match-winner.
“However, his overall display pleases me the most.
“He has been good since we brought him in but that was his best display since joining us.”
“He only played one game last season due to an ankle injury but he was back playing like the boy I knew when we were both together in India.”
Raith had started the better and came within an inch of opening the scoring within three minutes.
Kyle Connell picked out Sam Stanton at the edge of the box and the midfielder sent a shot curling past Calum Ferrie only to see the ball hit the inside of the post and bounce to safety.
The hosts came close on 21 minutes when Grant Savoury’s corner found Eze, who looked to have headed home.
However, his effort flashed inches wide.
Just before the half-time whistle sounded, Savoury curled in a 20-yard free-kick that Jamie MacDonald had to leap high to keep out with a one-handed save.
The winner came 12 minutes into the restart.
Dom Thomas floated over a corner from the right and Eze nodded in from six yards out.
It was almost two midway through the second half when Lee Kilday met a Savoury corner but his header struck a post.
Raith looked to have grabbed a point in injury time when Ross Millen looped a header over Ferrie.
However, Savoury popped up to nod clear, with Kilday doing likewise via the bar when Connor O’Riordan sent the loose ball goalwards.
Kirkcaldy boss Ian Murray said: “It came down to fine lines.
“We started well and had the better of the first half but never took our chances.
“We hit the woodwork twice and had two efforts cleared off the line so it wasn’t our day.”