Rovers take control but Alston keeps Thistle’s promotion dream alive
Blair Alston’s late goal handed Partick Thistle a play-off lifeline but it is advantage Raith Rovers in the battle for promotion to the cinch Premiership.
First-half strikes from Scott Brown and Lewis Vaughan at Firhill last night earned Ian Murray’s side a 2-1 lead after the first leg of the play-off semi-final.
Thistle have now gone six games without a victory against the Kirkcaldy side, who finished 14 points clear of their opponents in second place in the Championship table.
But substitute Alston’s 72nd-minute goal keeps the tie well and truly alive ahead of Friday’s second leg at Stark’s Park.
While Thistle were beating Airdrie over two legs last week, Raith were able to get Liam Dick and Keith Watson back in their defence after injury while Dylan Corr, Dylan Easton and Josh Mullin were fit enough to be included on the bench.
Watson hit an early chance wide before the Raith defence denied Aaron Muirhead and
Kerr Mcinroy with blocks and visiting goalkeeper Kevin Dabrowski fumbled Aidan Fitzpatrick’s shot to safety.
The opener came in the 22nd minute when Brown was first to Luke Mcbeth’s headed clearance following an Aidan Connolly cross. The Rovers captain volleyed the ball into the corner of the net from 12 yards.
Vaughan doubled the lead five minutes before the break when he volleyed into the roof of the net after a Ross Matthews cross had skidded off the wet surface past two Thistle defenders.
Dabrowski made an excellent stop from Scott Robinson’s first-time effort to protect the two-goal lead before the interval.
Both sides were well aware the next goal would have a major bearing on the dynamics of the tie.
Dabrowski saved from Brian
Graham from close range and Raith appeared to be successfully stifling their hosts, although they were fortunate that referee Chris Graham did not punish Brown for a lunge that got the ball but left Mcbeth hobbling.
The Jags got their lifeline thanks to a simple long ball forward. Graham headed it on and Robinson somehow managed to nod it into the path of Alston despite falling over. The former St Johnstone midfielder’s shot bounced over the diving Dabrowski and into the net. The Raith goalkeeper pulled off excellent diving stops from Graham’s header and Alston’s first-time strike to keep his side in the lead at the halfway stage as the pair battle to play either St Johnstone or Ross County in the final.
Meanwhile, Dumbarton seized a first-leg lead in their cinch League One play-off final against Spartans with a 2-1 victory at the moreroom. com Stadium.
Tony Wallace and Finlay Gray struck in the first half to put Dumbarton in command before Ayrton Sonkur halved the deficit ahead of Friday’s return game in Edinburgh.
Wallace prodded home from close range after 21 minutes after Gallagher Lennon’s effort had come back off the crossbar.
Gray doubled Dumbarton’s lead eight minutes later following Michael Ruth’s burst down the left flank.
Sonkur was set up by Paul Watson three minutes after the break to give Spartans hope ahead of the return tie.