Raith Rovers’ Premiership dreams were dashed in the cruellest of fashions as they crashed to a 4-0 defeat to Ross County.
The Championship challengers were determined to cling to their top-flight hopes despite Thursday’s 2-1 defeat at home in the first-leg.
But Simon Murray eased the home side in front on the day after just 18 minutes and strike partner Jordan White’s strike a minute after the restart effectively killed the tie as a contest.
In front of a noisy and proud 2,234-strong travelling support, creating their own ‘yellow wall’, Rovers refused to give in.
But late strikes from Murray and Brandon Khela ensured a brutal finish for the Kirkcaldy outfit.
Team news
Manager Ian Murray plumped for just one change to his starting line-up for the trip north.
In the knowledge his side needed to ‘go for it’, he opted to shake up his attack.
In came wide men Dylan Easton and Josh Mullin, who have struggled with injuries in recent weeks, to add guile on the flanks.
They replaced Aidan Connolly and striker Jack Hamilton from the first-leg.
Onto the bench came fit-again defender Keith Watson.
Raith hold their own
County had stunned Raith with the ferocity of their opening at Stark’s Park.
The step-up in intensity appeared to catch Rovers by surprise and it took them time to settle.
They appeared better prepare for the rematch and, after an initial flurry from the Staggies, they settled well.
It was tame with his weaker foot but a Liam Dick shot on target in the ninth minute was encouraging.
The same went for a Sam Stanton effort three minutes later after combining with Ross Matthews following a throw-in on the right.
County then replied with a James Brown shot that slipped past Kevin Dabrowski’s left-hand post.
County breakthrough
Raith were desperate to find the first goal to spark a famous comeback.
However, unfortunately for the Kirkcaldy men, it was the hosts who make the breakthrough 18 minutes in.
Brown’s throw-in on the right was shuffled back to back to Will Nightingale and the defender’s cross speared into the heart of the box.
Striker Jordan White and defender Euan Murray both missed the first contact.
But the predatory instincts of Murray took him to the back post, away from flat-footed marker Dylan Corr, where he stooped to head into the net.
Raith recovery
With the knowledge they now needed two goals just to level the tie, there was the danger that the goal would rock Raith.
However, they responded well and stuck to their game-plan.
Liam Dick got his head to a cross but could not get enough power on it to trouble Ross Laidlaw.
Then the prominent Easton then bamboozled two home defenders on the left side of the box and low cross is blocked by Ryan Leak as Corr waited to knock it in from point-blank range.
Easton was again involved as he threaded a neat pass in to the feet of Lewis Vaughan but Laidlaw got his fingertips to the low shot.
A minute from the break, Easton curled a shot wide as Rovers finished the half pressing for the goal that would give them belief.
Hope disappears
However, with just 45 minutes to find the two goals needed to take the tie into extra-time, Rovers suffered the worst possible start to the second-half.
Only a minute after the restart, the Championship challengers’ mountainous task got even bigger.
Yan Dhanda, with a goal and an assist from the first-leg, swerved in a corner from the right and White rose highest in a crowded box to power in a header for six yards out.
Despite seeing their Premiership dreams fading fast, Raith again recovered their poise impressively.
A sweeping move around the County box in the 68th minute eased Stanton into space at the edge of the box.
But home skipper Jack Baldwin produced a crucial block on the midfielder’s net-bound shot.
Cruel ending
Raith deserved something for their efforts across the tie.
Instead, they suffered a cruel denouement in the 75th minute, just as their travelling faithful started to belt out the ‘don’t worry’ refrain from Bob Marley’s ‘Three Little Birds’.
County’s front two did the damage again as White laid off to Murray, who drilled beyond the diving Dabrowski from 25 yards out.
Still Rovers came forward. Almost immediately Aidan Connolly was denied by denied by Laidlaw.
Then the former Raith keeper batted away an Easton curler before Jack Hamilton set a shot wide.
With five minutes remaining, County added a fourth. Nightingale’s header crashed back off the post and Khela was teed up to fire into Dabrowski’s right-hand corner.
Star Man: Scott Brown
The skipper played a massive part in Raith reaching this final with a goal and a man-of-the-match performance against Partick Thistle in the semi-final.
And he attempted to drag his side back into the tie with a superb midfield display.
Calm on the ball, the 29-year-old pushed and pulled Rovers around the pitch but ultimately to no avail.
Player Ratings
Raith Rovers (4-2-3-1): Dabrowski 6; Matthews 6 (Rudden 54 4), Corr 6, Murray 7, Dick 6; S Brown 8, Byrne 7 (Hamilton 78 3); Mullin 6 (Smith 65 4), Stanton 7, Easton 7; Vaughan 7 (Connolly 78 3). Subs not used: McNeil, Thomson, J Brown, McGill, Watson. Booked: Easton, Brown.
Referee: Don Robertson.
Attendance: 5,797.
