Raith Rovers 1-2 Hamilton Accies: Play-off hopes all but over after Accies' comeback victory
Raith Rovers’ slim hopes of reaching the Championship’s promotion play-offs were dealt a huge blow on Tuesday night as they slipped to a 2-1 defeat to second bottom Hamilton Accies at Stark’s Park.
Despite taking the lead on the 50 minute mark through a Steve Lawson own-goal, it was to the visitors who picked up the three points on the night, and lifted themselves off the bottom in the process, thanks to two set-piece goals in two minutes from Dylan McGowan and Benny Ashley-Seal.
That loss leaves Ian Murray’s side now stuck in seventh spot, seven points away from the play-offs on 41 point from 30 outings with just six games to go before the end of the season.
With ten points separating Rovers and eighth-placed Arbroath, it is safe to say the Kirkcaldy club are already secure in the second tier as their season now looks end on a whimper without much to play for.
Manager Murray admitted post-match that he feels like his squad has an issue with “entitlement” going into games against the ‘so-called lesser teams’ as he called for his players to take responsibility.
“I was very disappointed with the result and the performance,” he told Raith TV “We were as flat as we have been all season long. We tried everything possible within our control to make sure that didn’t happen, but that can be dangerous when you come off the back of a good win and the team you are playing against concede seven goals in their previous match.
“We never got going and our passing and movement was poor and we struggled against the low block that Hamilton had set up – but we knew going into it that they would play like that. The galling statistic is that we didn’t have a shot on target, and as a collective that isn’t good enough. If you aren't going to have shots on target then you aren’t going to do much. Everyone knows we can play good football but we have to do the other side of the game too.
“Entitlement is a huge thing in football. We have to get rid of that and I feel like when we go up against these sides (like Hamilton Accies) we feel entitled to win and that just isn’t how football works. You have to give the opposition the full respect they deserve.
“It is a huge blow and it is sore. We want to build and grow a mentality around the group. I feel like over the piece this season, when we’ve had expectancy we’ve not responded to that in the changing room. We are a far more comfortable side when we aren’t given a chance and we are backs-against-the-wall against someone.”
Murray also was left angered by the manner of the visitors’ goals on the night, with two similar set-pieces ending off in the back of the net for John Rankin’s team to turn the match in the South Lanarkshire outfit’s favour.
“Losing another two goals from set-plays is poor and people have to take responsibility for that,” he added. “Our goals against from set-plays is very high and we need to improve on that very quickly, and by a pretty big margin. It comes down to you individually up against your man and you have to be able to compete. You have help your team-mates out and throw your body in front of the ball.”
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.