Brian Graham continued his rich vein of form as 10-man Raith Rovers saw off Montrose in the Ramsdens Cup.
The hitman grabbed a brace for the second consecutive game to help his side progress to the next round, but Raith boss Grant Murray was delighted with his side’s all-round performance.
”It was all about getting through to the next round for us but winning builds momentum so I’m delighted with that,” Murray said.
Despite reduced admission prices, it was a disappointing crowd of 773 that saw Rovers fashion their first chance in the third minute when Brian Graham headed over from Stuart Anderson’s cross.
Two minutes later, Graham had an even better chance when sent through by Grant Anderson but the striker could only fire over.
It was only a respite for Montrose, though, as the home side went ahead in the seventh minute when Jason Thomson’s cutback from the right was converted by Allan Walker 12 yards out.
The visitors then had a couple of chances, with Dougie Hill doing well to block Martin Boyle’s effort from Paul Watson’s cross before Raith keeper David McGurn had to keep out Craig McLeish’s inswinging corner.
Pat Clarke then sliced a shot wide in the 11th minute, while Graham saw another header off target and Clarke dragged a shot wide as Raith pressed.
Boyle won a free-kick at the edge of the area in 20 minutes but McLeish’s attempt went over, while Paul Lunan was then called into action to clear the ball off the line after Graham had flicked the ball past the onrushing Sandy Wood.
There was a sense among the home fans that a second goal was needed and it duly came on 33 minutes.
Eddie Malone sent in a great cross from the left and it was that man Graham who got in at the near post to steer his header home.
With five minutes of the half left, Grant Anderson became the first name in the referee’s book as he clashed with keeper Wood going for a loose ball.
Clarke then made it 3-0 to Raith in 43 minutes by capitalising on Grant Anderson’s delicate chip to the back post, but Montrose were given a lifeline a minute later when Garry Wood was sent clear and was adjudged to have been brought down by McGurn in the area.
Referee Finnie showed the Rovers keeper a straight red, and Paul Watson stepped up to send sub Ross Laidlaw the wrong way from the spot.
Raith’s Hill and Montrose’s Steven McNally were both yellow carded at the start of the second period as the visitors enjoyed more possession.
However, despite being a man light, Rovers increased their advantage in the 54th minute when Grant Anderson’s surging run down the right ended with Graham sweeping home the winger’s low cross.
Raith’s Thomson then cracked a shot off the post from a tight angle just after the hour, before David Gray tested Laidlaw at the other end.
Boyle missed a glorious chance at the back post from Gray’s cross in 67 minutes, before Wood had the ball in the net with 20 minutes to go but that was chalked off for a foul on Laidlaw.
Five minutes later, however, Montrose did reduce their arrears when Rovers failed to clear and Lloyd Young stabbed in at the back post.
Their late rally proved too little, too late, with Wood called into action to prevent Graham getting a hat-trick and to stop an effort from Ross Callachan in the dying minutes. In injury time, sub Greig Spence grabbed a fifth for Rovers, completing the scoring by latching on to a long ball and finishing well.
Montrose boss Stuart Garden said: ”We’re good going forward and we showed that, but we just needed to tighten up at the back.”