Ramsdens Cup winners Raith Rovers came crashing back to earth as their league form took another dip at home to Dumbarton.
Rovers seemed to suffer a hangover from last Sunday’s win over Rangers with a sluggish display at Stark’s Park.
But striker Gordon Smith, who scored Rovers’ consolation goal in the 3-1 defeat, insisted that the team was fully focused on the league game.
“We knew that we had to perform and it wasn’t just going to happen for us because we won the cup last week.
“Focus wasn’t a problem for me, and I don’t think it was a problem for the boys either.”
He said it was “a poor performance” all round.
“There’s a lot of boys in that changing room that have played 40 games this season but I don’t think that’s an excuse. We just never really got going.”
Smith was one of three enforced changes from the side as Liam Fox, Joe Cardle and Kevin Moon were all suspended with Fraser Mullen and Greig Spence also recalled to the starting line-up.
There were warning signs for Raith in the early stages as a dithering defence allowed a ball to bounce through to Gary Fleming in the box but Lee Robinson saved the striker’s effort.
Rovers almost took the lead in the 18th minute as Calum Booth delivered a free-kick into the area, and Fleming headed against his own crossbar.
Dumbarton took the lead in the 22nd minute as Rovers failed to clear a free-kick and the ball fell to Mark Gilhaney, who drilled a low effort inside the far post.
The goal seemed to wake Raith up, and Sons keeper Jamie Ewings had to make a superb reflex save to parry John Baird’s volley from 12 yards.
Smith tried his luck from 20 yards and his effort took a deflection and dribbled just wide of the Dumbarton post with Ewings beaten.
Rovers were on the front foot but the home side fell further behind in the 28th minute as hesitancy in defence allowed Mitchel Megginson to stride into the box and shoot high past Robinson.
The visitors increased their lead early in the second half as Colin Nish stuck out a foot to divert Gilhaney’s effort past a wrong-footed Robinson.
Smith gave Rovers some hope in the 59th minute with a curling effort from the edge of the box that left Ewings with no chance.
But any hope Rovers had of taking something from the game ended in the 75th minute when defender Dougie Hill was shown a straight red card for tugging back Fleming as he bore down on goal.
Raith boss Grant Murray said: “We always knew it was going to be difficult coming off such a high last weekend.
“We were totally focused on the game, we just didn’t do well enough in it.”