Grant Anderson had a rollercoaster afternoon as Raith edged a spirited Alloa side in a six-goal thriller at Stark’s Park.
The Rovers winger scored, conceded a penalty and earned the sponsors’ man of the match award as Rovers moved into second place in the Championship table.
“I don’t think my own performance in the first half was particularly good but we came out for the second half absolutely flying, I got the goal and I started seeing more of the ball,” Anderson said.
“I didn’t think there was much in the penalty. I spoke to the boy and he said he ran into me and tried for it. He’s taken a chance and it’s worked for him.
“I was gutted because it made it 2-2 but the boys showed great fighting spirit to get the win and the man of the match award just tops it off.
“A few other boys played really well and must have been in the running for it, but I’m obviously happy to get it.”
Raith made a bright start but Alloa snatched the lead against the run of play in the 17th minute when Kevin Cawley broke through the offside trap to drill an unstoppable strike past David McGurn.
The equaliser arrived 10 minutes later as Joe Cardle’s inswinging cross from the left went straight into the net at the far post after it was missed at by Calum Elliot.
Rovers went ahead just three minutes into the second half after a flowing move saw Anderson race on to Kevin Moon’s weighted pass to slot the ball underneath Bain.
Raith were looking dominant at this stage but the momentum shifted back towards Alloa on 62 minutes when Darryl Meggatt went down in the box under Anderson’s challenge and ref Calum Murray pointed to the spot. Ryan McCord sent McGurn the wrong way with his penalty to draw the Wasps level.
Alloa enjoyed their best spell in the minutes after the penalty and, had Andy Kirk not produced a contender for miss of the season, they might have gone on to win.
Jonathan Tiffoney’s low drilled cross found Kirk just two yards out but, with the goal at his mercy, the former Dunfermline striker somehow managed to turn the ball wide.
Rovers punished that miss in the 79th minute as Cardle’s near post cross was bulleted home by the diving head of Elliot for the striker’s first league goal of the season.
The home side made sure of the win in injury time as sub Lewis Vaughan picked out Cardle in acres of space in the box and the winger had plenty time to pick his spot for his second of the game.
Raith boss Grant Murray said: “It was a great game for the neutral but we’re delighted with the effort and character. Alloa have had a good defensive record away from home so to score four goals is great.”
Photo by David Wardle