Airdrieonians 0-0 Raith Rovers: Airdrie lucky to get draw, says Raith boss Barry Robson
Raith Rovers gaffer Barry Robson believes hosts Airdrieonians were fortunate to get a draw in the sides’ 0-0 William Hill Championship stalemate at the Albert Bartlett Stadium in front of 1,502 fans on Saturday.
Second-placed Rovers – whose 11-point tally from seven matches leaves them five points behind leaders St Johnstone having played a game more – failed to take some good scoring opportunities against the North Lanarkshire outfit.
“We dominated the game without scoring a goal,” Robson told Raith TV.
"“It was a good clean sheet but the big takeaway was the intensity we played at for the full 95 minutes.
"We’ve had two cleared off the line. Vaughany (Lewis Vaughan) has been through one on one and takes a heavy touch which is not like him. Normally you’re running away a goal up.
"Vaughany has been a bit stop/start this season with his injuries. We were trying to keep him fit, he’s a really important player for us.
"That’s where we need to be better. We’ve got to take those chances. If we take those chances we come away two or three-nil in the game.
"That is the difference because if you watch the intensity of the game and the way we played it’s all Raith Rovers.
"That’s the bit that pleased me about my team today, they kept going, kept peppering their goal.
"We’re not coming here for a point, we’re coming here to win.
"The most important part for a football manager is we’re still creating the chances. If you do that the goals will come.
"I think Airdrie were lucky to get away with a point there.”
Robson explained why he handed Motherwell loanee Ewan Wilson his debut at left-back in place of Lewis Stevenson, as well as starting Jai Rowe on the right of midfield.
The ex-Aberdeen boss added: “Lewis didn’t have a pre-season and he’s had a few games so we freshened it up.
"I thought Jai did really well in the game.
"It was Jack Hamilton’s first 65/70 minutes in a while and we need to keep that competition in the team.
"I thought Richard Chin came on and did excellent.
“We know how difficult the Championship is, but watching that if it’s a boxing match it gets stopped at the end there.
"That’s what a Raith Rovers team should look like I believe.
"On another day we come away win a win.”
Robson was also asked about a ‘heart in mouth moment’ four minutes into stoppage time when Airdrie hit the bar after a Charlie Telfer cross.
He added: “That’s the way we are, we want to go for it, we want to win the game. I’m not going to change that in my side.
"We don’t want to lose it and we want to be organised behind it. But we are not going to be the team that sits in.
"Airdrie sat in, tried to hit on the transition and get a lucky goal. We’re never going to be that team.
"Sometimes you give up chances when you try to make chances as we are.”
Raith host third-placed Arbroath – who they are above on goal difference – in the league this Saturday in a 3pm kick-off.