Raith Rovers were left wondering how they came away with nothing from a match they played so well in for large parts.
Ian Murray’s side were the better team at 0-0, after going ahead through a trademark Aidan Connolly curler – and then even after Queen’s Park equalised through Simon Murray’s free-kick.
Yet somehow Queen’s Park got their noses ahead just before the break through a deflected Dom Thomas strike.
Simon Murray added his second just after half-time before Jack Thomson added a fourth and Thomas scored almost exactly the same goal he had in the first half.
Connolly added his and Raith’s second towards the end but it was mere consolation in a 5-2 defeat in the Scottish Championship.
Key moments
Following Connolly’s opener Ethan Ross forced a save out of Calum Ferrie while Kieran Ngwenya threatened a number of times down the left.
The key moment came just after half-time at 2-1. Raith put pressure on the visitors from kick-off and Liam Dick went close at the back post following a corner.
From that Queen’s countered and Simon Murray tapped in Josh McPake’s cross-cum-shot.
Rovers had played well in the first half and were unfortunate to be behind, within minutes of thew restart they were further behind.
Vaughan shot just wide at 3-1 and Kyle Connell had a couple of efforts after coming on but Raith were always chasing the game after the third.
Fellow second-half sub Jamie Gullan then shot just wide when he had options in the middle before Queen’s killed the game.
Raith had a number of chances later in the match but it wasn’t their day – evidence by three goal-line clearances in the same attack towards the end.
Player ratings
Raith Rovers (4-2-3-1): MacDonald 6; Millen 6, O’Riordan 6, Dick 6, Ngwenya 6; Brown 6, Spencer 6 (Connell 6); Connolly 8, Stanton 6, Ross 6 (Gullan 6); Vaughan 7. Subs: McNeil, Nolan, McBride, Coulson, Masson, Frederiksen.
Star man
Around 30 minutes into the game there would have been a number of candidates.
Connolly was excellent in the first half even aside from his spectacular strike.
He liked well with his teammates, Vaughan especially but he, like the rest of the side, struggled to find a way back into the game – even though he added his second.
Manager under the microscope
Ian Murray was without the injured Dylan Easton and dropped Kyle Connell to the bench. Ethan Ross came in on the left while Lewis Vaughan led the line in his first start since July last year.
Connell drops to the bench and Easton misses out altogether. Looks like straight swaps. pic.twitter.com/EO7IewXZ3x
— Craig Cairns (@craigcairns001) November 19, 2022
In the build-up to the game the Rovers manager said it would be a contest of two teams that like to play football – weather permitting.
That’s exactly how it turned out but whereas Rovers looked dangerous when they broke, Queen’s enjoyed decent spells of possession without causing much danger.
That was until shortly before half-time when Owen Coyle’s side turned the game on its head – they never looked back once Murray made it 3-1.
Murray responded by bringing on Gullan, who returned for the first time from injury, and Connell but they failed to take any of their chances.
By the full-time whistle the Rovers manager was left wondering how his team hadn’t scored morew.
Man in the middle
Don Robertson had a quiet game and was only forced to produce one card, for Connell for a professional foul.
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