Saturday 1st March 2025, Kick-off 15.00
Scottish Championship
Stark’s Park, Kirkcaldy
Admission: £22.00
Programme: £3.00
Attendance: 3,600
A match report from a Raith persepective can be read by clicking here, also copied and pasted below
And from a Queen's Park perspective by clicking here, also copied and pasted below
Video highlights can be viewed by clicking here
Raith Rovers’ outing against Queen’s Park on Saturday was one for the home fans to forget after suffering a heavy 4-0 defeat against their Glasgow-based opponents.
Barry Robson made no changes to his team for the fourth week in a row after picking up six points from a possible nine in the weeks prior. Lewis Gibson returned to the bench, and he joined Lewis Vaughan who came back from a five-month absence after picking up an injury in Raith’s 3-3 draw against Hamilton in September.
Queen’s Park manager, Callum Davidson, made two changes to his side after a goalless draw with Dunfermline a week earlier. Ex-Rover Louis Longridge replaced Zach Mauchin and Sebastian Drozd got the call up over Kyle Hurst.
Queen’s Park kicked the match off against Raith, who were unusually wearing their away red kit at home due to the combination of their opponents’ kit colours.
After a slow start, the flashpoint of the first half came in the 17th minute after Finlay Pollock raced through on goal. Callum Ferie rushed out of the Queen’s Park goal to intervene, and the pair clashed outside of the box resulting in a foul in Raith’s favour. The referee deemed a yellow to be suitable – much to the disagreement of the home end, and the eventual free kick flew over the bar.
Pollock had a chance to score the first of the afternoon around ten minutes later after again being put through on goal. The twenty-year-old miss-hit his effort though, and his attempted lob bounced straight into the hands of Ferrie.
Queen’s Park went on to open the scoring shortly after in the 28th minute, with a short goal kick giving them the chance to press the Raith defence in their own box. The visitors caught Hanlon out on the ball, which left Zak Rudden to slot home without much pressure.
Raith very nearly levelled the game before half time, but Ferrie miraculously made his way across goal to deny an effort from Mullin at the back post.
Half time came and went, and the teams came out un-changed for the second half.
Raith again came about as close as they could to scoring an equaliser just seconds into the half, but Gullan’s postage stamp thirty-yard freekick was incredibly pushed onto the bar by Ferrie. Nothing was getting passed The Spiders’ keeper on this occasion.
Queen’s Park made the most of Ferrie’s heroics between the sticks, and went up the other end and bagged their second in the 49th minute after Devine’s shot from inside the box found the net.
Only two minutes after their second, Queen’s Park again collected the ball in midfield as Adam Montgomery broke towards Raith’s goal. The left-back carried the ball around thirty yards, before chopping in and firing a thundering shot into the Raith goal via the underside of the crossbar.
Robson made some changes in the 65th minute, which saw Lewis Vaughan make his long-awaited return from injury.
Queen’s Park rounded off their scoring frenzy after making the most of a free-kick out wide in the 76th minute. A high ball into the Rovers’ box found the head of Nikola Ujdur, and the centre half’s header hit the net for The Spiders’ fourth and final of the match.
The full-time whistle brought an end to a less-than ideal afternoon for The Rovers, and they will now be looking ahead to their trip to second-placed Livingston on Wednesday.
Raith Rovers 0 Queen’s Park 4
Queen’s Park scored four goals without reply to defeat Raith Rovers at Starks Park to move back into 5th place in the William Hill Championship table.
Head Coach Callum Davidson made a couple of changes to the starting line up from those who earned a draw at Dunfermline last week – Zach Mauchin and Seb Drodz started, with Louis Longridge and Kyle Hurst taking a seat on the bench. The starting formation was changed too, with what looked like a 3-5-2 approach with Mauchin, Tizzard and Ujdur lining up at the back with loan signings Montgomery and Devine pushed more to wing back roles. Rudden and Drodz led the line up front.
It was a fairly low key opening to the match as both sides settled into the game. Queen’s new formation gave an early period of possession, without over working the Raith defence.
17 minutes in and not only were the local trains rushing towards the Queen’s goal as Finlay Pollock broke clear and was met by the on rushing Queen’s shot stopper Cal Ferrie who mistimed his tackle outside the box and received a yellow card for his troubles. Thankfully for Queen’s, the resulting free kick sailed over the bar.
Just before the half hour, Queen’s took the lead. Paul Hanlon found himself under pressure in his own box from Seb Drodz who dispossessed the veteran Raith defender before passing to Zak Rudden who confidently found the net from close range.
Raith responded to the encouragement from the home support and thought they had equalized on 39 minutes. A shot across the Queen’s six-yard line was fired goal wards at the back post by Josh Mullen, however Cal Ferrie made a fantastic save to deny the home side a leveller.
Half Time: Raith Rovers 0 – Queen’s Park 1
Rovers started the second period in determined fashion and earned a free kick with just a minute played when Jack Turner was shown a yellow card for a foul 25 yards from the Queen’s goal. Jamie Gullan struck what looked like a perfect shot into the top left corner, however Cal Ferrie made a miraculous save, tipping the bar onto the bar and over.
A minute later Queen’s were two up. Drodz robbed a Raith defender and fed the ball through to Adam Devine who raced forward down the right side. The young Queen’s full back/wing back turned inside and fired a shot which beat Josh Rae low down to the keeper’s left side.
Two minutes later Queen’s scored again! A through ball found Rudden one on one with the keeper who made a good save, however Queen’s fought hard to regain possession, and Adam Montgomery took control on the left side of the box, turned inside his marker before firing a shot high into the roof of the net.
With an hour played, a Raith corner was comfortably held unchallenged by Ferrie, much to the dismay of the home fans.
With 20 minutes to play, a foul on Sean Welsh gave Queen’s a free kick wide on the right side. A perfectly driven cross from Ryan Duncan was met with a bullet header from Nikola Ujdur – four nil to the Spiders!
Late on Friday afternoon, Queen’s secured the services on loan from Rangers of Leon King, who came on as one of the Queen’s second half substitutes after 75 minutes. In truth, the stuffing had been knocked out of the home side and Queen’s held on comfortably to record their biggest league win of the season so far.
Full time: Raith Rovers 0 – Queen’s Park 4
Raith Rovers: Joshua Rae, Liam Dick, Paul Hanlon, Ross Matthews (Shaun Byrne 69mins), Josh Mullin, Finlay Pollock (Lewis Vaughan 69mins), Scott Brown (C), Jordan Doherty, Dylan Easton, Lewis Stevenson (Lewis Gibson 65mins), Jamie Gullan (Aiden Levi Marsh 69mins).
Unused Substitutes: Kevin Dabrowski, Callum Fordyce, Euan Murray, Aidan Connolly, Kai Montagu.
Queen’s Park: Calum Ferrie (C), Zach Mauchin, Sean Welsh (Jadan Raymond 84mins), Nikola Ujdur, Will Tizzard, Zak Rudden (Reece Evans 84mins), Jack Turner (Louis Longridge 75mins), Ryan Duncan (Leon King 75mins), Adam Devine, Seb Drozd (Kyle Hurst 70mins), Adam Montgomery.
Unused Substitutes: Jack Wills, B. Jackson, Josh Hinds, Rocco Hickey-Fugaccia.
Referee: Dan McFarlane
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