Raith Rovers 2, Cowdenbeath 1.

SPFL Championship Attendance-1779 COWDEN’s luck was completely out at Stark’s Park with injuries forcing them to have to make three changes by the interval having lost a player in the warm-up.

And the fact was that Cowdenbeath had played well in the opening 45 minutes and led at the break but by that time Dean Brett, Callum Gallagher and sub Craig Sutherland had been forced out of the game through knocks after Jon Robertson being injured before kick-off.

Chris Kane entered the match for the second period and tried hard to keep his team in the ascendancy but Raith gradually wore down the visitors.

The Cowden team lost its way a little and although they finished the match reasonably well they just could not do enough to earn a point.

Robertson was missing from the Blue Brazil line-up after being listed and Thomas O’Brien was recalled with the midfield having a changed look to it.

However, Cowden played well in the first-half and could have well have been more than two up at the interval.

But the loss of Brett, Gallagher and Sutherland took the impetus out of the Cowdenbeath play on Saturday and in the end the home team took advantage of Cowden’s misfortune.

There were a number of good Cowden performances though with the central defensive partnership of Nat Wedderburn and Marcus Fraser doing well, but the midfield, without Robertson and then Gallagher for most of the match, started to lose its way and that was what decided the destination of the points.

Raith tried to start the game with a flash of activity and Liam Fox fired over and then Gallagher sustained a head knock in a midfield clash and Sutherland came on, which gave the visitors extra firepower.

But before they could really get going Brett limped off and Iain Campbell replaced him but, within six minutes, the Blue Brazil were ahead.

Sutherland provided the pass and there was Kudus OYENUGA who was perfectly placed to blast the ball past Dave McGurn from around 18 yards range.

This gave Cowden a real boost and they went looking for a second and forced two corners but Rovers survived.

Raith were struggling to control any possession and the visiting fans would have been confident at the break of their team keeping up the attacking work.

They were surprised to not see Sutherland come out for the second period and Raith looked to take advantage of the further changed line-up.

Three minutes into the second period Rovers threatened with Calum Elliot going close and in 51 minutes they levelled the game.

A Rovers move saw Kevin MOON let fly from just outside the box and his low shot crept into the net past Robbie Thomson.

Cowden retaliated and Kyle Miller went close with a drive from the edge of the box and then Sean Higgins was not far off the target.

Raith were looking a lot better than in the first-half and in the 70th minute they grabbed the lead. Elliot did the spadework and Christian NADE, sho had come on as a substitute, provide the finish.

So inside 25 minutes Cowdenbeath had gone from leading to being a goal down, but they did not give up and Miller threteaned again with a raking drive.

But Raith were now a much rejuvenated side and they were working hard at protecting their lead but in 79 minutes Miller’s fierce free-kick was just too high.

Cowden kept battling and O’Brien saw his effort come back off a post but Raith kept their shape and just edged out the Blue Brazil.

Raith Rovers: McGurn (7); Thomson (6), McKeown (7); Perry (6), Watson (7), Fox (6); Anderson (7), Moon (6), McKay (6), Scott (5) (Nade 54 (4)), Elliot (7). Subs not used, Hill, Stewart, Callachan, Conroy, Vaughan and Laidlaw.

Cowdenbeath: Robbie Thomson (6); Kyle Miller (6), Dean Brett (4) (Iain Campbell 27 (6)); Thomas O’Brien (6), Nat Wedderburn (7), Marcus Fraser (7); Colin Marshall (6), Lewis Milne (6), Kudus Oyenuga (7), Sean Higgins (6), Callum Gallagher (3) (Craig Sutherland (5) 15 Chris Kane (5) 46)). Subs not used, Dan Jurisic, Pat Scullion and Jamie Sneddon.

Referee-Brian Colvin (6).