Scott Brown is adamant Raith Rovers must target Championship title glory next season after experiencing play-off agony on Sunday.
The Stark’s Park skipper was pleased with his side’s second-leg display in their promotion showdown with Ross County, despite the eventual 6-1 aggregate defeat.
Chasing a 2-1 deficit after the first-leg of the final in Fife, Raith bossed possession in Dingwall and came out on top in all the major statistics.
However, the one number that really counted was County’s clinical 4-0 victory that left Brown and his team-mates crestfallen at the full-time whistle.
“I’m proud of the boys for the full season,” he said. “I actually thought we showed our true selves and played a lot better than we did last Thursday.
“It wasn’t a 4-0 game. We had a lot of the ball in the first-half and played a lot more on the ground than the first-leg.
“If you look at the season as a whole, there’s pride – but also there’s disappointment we have fallen at the final hurdle.
“It’s disappointing right now and that will last throughout the summer.
‘Getting ready to go again’
“But, when the dust settles, I think we will look back on this season with pride and it will be a case of coming back in after the summer and getting ready to go again.
“We have shown how good we can be in the Championship.
“But, listen, we need to make sure we’re not in the play-offs next season. Hopefully we can win the league.”
Raith had chances in the first-half after Simon Murray’s 19th-minute opener for the Staggies had left them needing two goals just to force extra-time.
And they had further opportunities to give their large and noisy travelling support something to cheer as the game dragged on.
But further County strikes from Jordan White, Murray and Brandon Khela made it a brutal scoreline for Rovers.
Despite coming up short, however, Brown is convinced the Kirkcaldy men can hold their heads up high.
“Ross County were more clinical,” he added. “Having watched a few games in the top-flight, I don’t think they are the second-worst team in the Premiership.
“But they were in that position and, fair play, they showed their class and deserved to win over the two legs.
“But, at the same time, if you watched that second-leg then you’d not be able to tell who was the Premiership team.
Brown: ‘Raith showed bottle’
“Thursday night you would have. Ross County were a lot better than us and to get 2-1 was a positive.
“But on Sunday I really don’t think it was a 4-0 game.
“It’s disappointing. But I’m also proud the boys went up there, showed a bit of bottle and showed how good we can be.”
“We will learn from it, come back hungry and ready to go again.
“I know that group of boys will be ready to go from the first day of pre-season.”
