Having midfielder Shaun Byrne sent off seven minutes ahead of half-time after being judged by referee Iain Snedden to have handled the ball in his side’s box was the turning point in the game as Anton Dowds then stepped up to put the ensuing penalty kick past visiting goalkeeper Kevin Dabrowski, the former Falkirk striker’s sixth goal of the season in all competitions.
That one-goal and one-man deficit left the Fifers facing an uphill struggle at Ayr’s Somerset Park after the break but they got within moments of preventing Ayr from adding to their advantage in front of a crowd of almost 3,000 despite registering 13 shots to their visitors’ four, four of them on target, as opposed to one the other way.
That was thanks in part to a double save from Dabrowski on 81 minutes to deny Paddy Reading and Dowds, but the Pole was unable to keep out an Ethan Walker shot, from a Jake Hastie assist, a minute into added-on time at the end of the match, however, that being the 22-year-old’s first goal for his new club.
It was also the first time there’s been more than a single goal separating the two sides since the Kirkcaldy club lost by the same scoreline in South Ayrshire back in December 2022.
Ayr manager Scott Brown’s side are now on 12 points from four fixture with his absent Raith skipper namesake’s seventh-placed team on three points from as many matches.
Next up for the Fifers as they look to get a second successive title challenge up and running is a visit to Stark’s Park this coming Saturday from third-placed Livingston, held to a 1-1 draw at home to Greenock Morton at the weekend. Kick-off is at 3pm.
Caretaker Rovers manager John Potter was heartened by his team’s fighting spirit after falling behind but accepts they’ll need to raise their game a lot if they want to return to competing at the top end of the table, telling Raith TV afterwards: “It was a difficult game.
“I didn’t think there was that much in it at the start. I thought we could have started the game better.
“Obviously, there was a big decision that changed it. It was a mistake from us and they got a penalty and we were down to ten men and the game became harder.
“In the second half, we fought, we scrapped, we defended and we changed shape and personnel to try to go for it a little bit and we got caught out by a counter-attack.
“We need to be better than how we’re playing at the moment. We’ve got better players and we need to be better with the ball, create more chances and score more goals, so we’ve got work to do.
“I think we’ve got a squad and team good enough to win the league – that’s why we’re here.
“Ayr have had a good start this season, as have other clubs, but we’ve been a little bit indifferent.
“We can play a lot better, and once we do, we’ll start picking up more points and winning more games.
“I fully believe in the squad that we’ve got.”

1. Ayr United v Raith Rovers
Raith Rovers caretaker manager John Potter watching his side lose 2-0 away to Ayr United at Somerset Park on Saturday (Photo by Roddy Scott/SNS Group) Photo: Roddy Scott/SNS Group

2. Ayr United v Raith Rovers
Ayr United's Ben Dempsey and Raith Rovers' Dylan Easton vying for the ball (Photo by Roddy Scott/SNS Group) Photo: Roddy Scott/SNS Group

3. Ayr United v Raith Rovers
Ayr United's Anton Dowds and Raith Rovers' Euan Murray in action during the South Ayrshire side's 2-0 win on Saturday (Photo by Roddy Scott/SNS Group) Photo: Roddy Scott/SNS Group

4. Ayr United v Raith Rovers
Raith Rovers' Ross Matthews going up against Ayr United's Anton Dowds at Somerset Park in Ayr on Saturday (Photo by Roddy Scott/SNS Group) Photo: Roddy Scott/SNS Group