Raith Rovers just three points off foot of table after biggest Dunfermline derby defeat for five years
Raith Rovers were hit by their biggest derby defeat versus Dunfermline Athletic for five years on the road on Saturday and, adding insult to injury, that 12th loss of the season leaves them just three points off the bottom of football’s William Hill Championship.
The seventh-placed Fifers, now on 30 points from 28 fixtures, are one of four teams within three points of basement side Ross County, second-from-bottom Airdrieonians being level with the Highlanders on 27 points from 29 games and eighth-placed Greenock Morton matching the Kirkcaldy club’s tally of 30 points, having played once more.
With Rovers now nine points behind fourth-placed Dunfermline and 24 left to play for, that means manager Dougie Imrie will be likelier to spend the rest of the season looking down rather than up, having been just two wins away from a play-off place at kick-off.
Their East End Park hosts’ goals past visting keeper Josh Rae – from six shots on target to Raith’s three – were scored by Callumn Morrison on 27 minutes, Andrew Tod on 90 and Chris Kane three minutes into stoppage time at the end of the game in front of a crowd of 6,605, 1,104 of them travelling fans.
That three-goal margin of victory is the Pars’ biggest in a derby against Raith since a 4-1 home win in February 2021, though their fellow Fifers have since matched or outdone it with wins by 3-0 in the Scottish Cup in November 2023 and 5-1 at home in the championship in March 2021.
It also extends their winning streak against Raith to three fixtures, having previously got the better of them by 2-1 at Stark’s Park in December and 2-0 at home in October.
Raith, currently in possession of the worst away record in the championship, have now got a run of five home games ahead of them, however, as they look to avoid relegation, starting with a visit from Airdrie this coming Saturday, followed by second-placed Partick Thistle coming calling next Tuesday, with kick-offs respectively at 3pm and 7.45pm.
Reflecting on a result taking his team’s winless streak in the league to six fixtures, their last victory, by 4-1 at home to Queen’s Park, having been back in January, Imrie, 42, told Raith TV: “I’m just bitterly disappointed.
“It was an opportunity to come here and make a real statement.
“I know our away form’s not been great but we had an opportunity to close the gap to the top four to three points.
“The first half was the worst I’ve seen us in my time here. There was no fight and we were in a derby. There should be blood, snotters and tears in these games and I saw nothing.
“The first half wasn’t good enough, nowhere near.
“There are big players here who think they should be playing at a higher level, but in terms of their performances today, they’re nowhere near.
“The second half was a lot better, more the way I want us to play. We got forward, we got into good areas and put them under pressure.
“It was really disappointing and I feel for the fans and I understand their frustration – they’re no more frustrated than me.
“I’ve inherited a group of players and I’m trying to get the best out of them, but at the moment, I’m not getting that.”