Raith Rovers striker John Baird paid tribute to Dundee United after scoring one goal and setting up another as his side dumped East Fife out of the Co-operative Insurance Cup.
The former Airdrie frontman was one player on the receiving end of a 5-0 thrashing from the Scottish Cup holders last Tuesday evening and he thanked Peter Houston’s men for showing him and his Rovers team-mates how to finish.
Baird’s performance on Saturday earned him the man of the match award and, despite a poor week which saw the Kirkcaldy club defeated by Cowdenbeath in the Challenge Cup before their midweek thrashing, the summer signing believes these results may have been a blessing in disguise.
He said, “We didn’t play that badly against United but they are a really, really good team.
“They gave us a lesson and putting five past us definitely did us a favour. The way they played typified what you have to do to get to that next level.
“United gave the same sort of performance against us in midweek that we did against East Fife today.”
Baird’s manager, John McGlynn, echoed the sentiments of his new striker as he added his gratitude to the Tannadice club for their midweek display.
He said, ” I think we owe United a favour.
“They gave us a reminder on how to close down in midfield and in finishing, both of which were excellent today, so I’d like to thank Dundee United for coming and stuffing us the other night.
“This performance was what we were looking for and you could say that it was the start that won it for us.
“I thought there was some great football attacking-wise and overall you have to be happy with a 4-1 victory.”
It was Baird’s striker partner Gregory Tade who started the onslaught after just six minutes, reacting quickly to Iain Davidson’s rebounding shot to blast home from close range.
The fans’ favourite bagged his second just four minutes later, the Frenchman slotting past Brown again after a through ball from Stephen Simmons.
From then on it would be Baird’s stage on which to shine, initially with a little help from defender Craig Wilson.
The full-back, taking advantage of a slip by Fife’s Michael Deland, bombed through a static Methil defence before teeing up the 24-year-old striker to score his first competitive goal for Rovers.
Stevie Crawford’s side tried desperately to gain a foothold in the tie but had little joy in finding their way through the Raith defence, Lloyd Young’s snatch shot before the break being their only real attempt on goal in the first half.
In the second half, the second division club emerged a different side, full of pace and endeavour, and they were rewarded in the 49th-minute with a sensational Bobby Linn free-kick, the winger contending for goal of the season already with his 30-yard strike into the postage stamp corner.
The visitors could have added a second just moments later after former Raith midfielder Robert Sloan found himself clean through on goal after a beautifully cushioned header from his manager.
The resulting shot, however, was superbly denied by the quick reactions of David McGurn in the Rovers goal, who rushed out to meet his former team-mate and save from point blank range.
From then on a dogged Raith side managed to keep the Methil club at bay before putting the tie to bed with a fourth goal from on-loan striker Jamie Mole.
A 72nd-minute cross from Baird on the right found the head of the Hearts forward in the six-yard box, ensuring that John McGlynn’s men would progress to the next round.
Lamenting his side’s exit, Fifers boss Crawford admitted that, despite his players efforts after the interval, it was their first-half performance that lost the game.
He said, “I was disappointed with the first half and we never got close enough to them.
“We allowed decent players to play football and we got what we deserved.
“We weren’t the same team that’s been there in pre-season and there are things we need to work on.
“That first-half performance was not the standard that we are looking for at East Fife.”