Raith Rovers boss Ray McKinnon was full of mixed emotions after watching his side leave Falkirk Stadium empty-handed despite another encouraging display from his team.
Kirkcaldy defender Kyle Benedictus was sent off before Bairns midfielder Mark Kerr the former Dundee United and Dundee player fired home a spectacular late winner to end the visitors’ three-match winning start to the season.
“I’m pleased but disappointed, if that makes any sense,” said McKinnon.
“Falkirk is a difficult place to come to, but I think we deserved something from that game and on another day we could even have won it.
“The sending-off was key to the result, yet it still took a fantastic strike from a great player to give them all three points.”
McKinnon revealed he had no complaints about the red card.
“Benny is experienced enough and he should have known better than that, but he’s put his hand up and apologised to the rest of the team.”
Raith striker Mitch Megginson said the defeat had been a ‘hard one to take’.
“We had the better chances, so to take nothing from that game is tough,” he said.
“It was a very tight game and we said in the dressing room afterwards that Cat (Rovers goalkeeper Kevin Cuthbert) only had one save to make all afternoon.
“It’s all very well us creating chances but we really need to take them if we want to win games.
“It’s still been a very good start to the season for us.
“Our aim this season is to go out there to push teams and try to win every game we play. I think we’re good enough to try to push sides like Falkirk and Queen of the South for fourth place and a spot in the promotion play-offs.”
Megginson had come off the bench to grab the third goal in last week’s 3-0 home win over Livingston, and he almost repeated the trick against Falkirk as he and fellow sub Iain Davidson missed late chances to rescue a point for McKinnon’s men.
“The gaffer told me when he was bringing me on (for Ryan McCord in the 65th minute) that he wanted me to play as a striker,” explained Megginson.
“I was more than happy to do that because I just want to do what’s best for the team and I used to play up front earlier in my career.”
Benedictus was very nearly the Raith hero when his early header was hacked off the line by Kerr, but the defender turned villain instead as a foul on sub Scott Shepherd left referee Stephen Finnie with no alternative but to pull out the red card after the former Dundee and Alloa player had been booked in the first half.