Dylan Easton goal takes Raith Rovers to within one win of William Hill Championship’s play-off places

Dylan Easton scored the only goal of the game at Kirkcaldy’s Stark’s Park, a 62nd-minute half-volley shot from just outside the area into the top-left corner of visiting goalkeeper Harry Stone’s net more than worthy of winning any match.

That goal – celebrated with his son Harlen, a ball-boy that day – in front of a crowd of 3,919 – puts manager Barry Robson’s hosts on level pegging with opposite number Scott Brown’s Ayr for the season, both having beaten each other twice, Raith also having won 2-0 at home in November and their South Ayrshire opponents having come out on top on home turf too, by 3-0 in January and 2-0 in August, as well as by 3-2 in an SPFL Trust Trophy tie at Somerset Park in September.

That 13th victory of the season, 32 matches in, leaves the Fifers as they were in the table, fifth, but they’re now on 45 points, three closer to fourth-placed Partick Thistle following the Glaswegians’ 2-1 loss away to basement side Airdrieonians at the weekend.

Ayr, second at kick-off, drop one spot in the standings, with Livingston, previously third, replacing them, United being on 58 points and their West Lothian rivals on 61.

Next up for Rovers as they look to extend their present undefeated streak, consisting of three wins and three draws, beyond the half-dozen mark is a visit from Airdrie this coming Saturday, with kick-off at 3pm, and they go into that one on the back of three 1-0 scorelines against the North Lanarkshire outfit this campaign, one in their favour, in Kirkcaldy in October, and two against, on the road in February and August.

Former Airdrie midfielder Easton, 30 today, credits a boot up the backside from Gaffer Robson, 46, for the way he raised his game after the break and earned all three points for his team since May 2022, telling Raith TV afterwards: “To be fair, I’d actually been really frustrated with my performance, but the gaffer sort of gave me a kick up the bum at half-time and said he needed more.

“The kind of player I am, I always believe in my own ability and I can obviously produce moments of magic, and as I saw the ball come out to me, it took a nice bounce and I just thought ‘why not?’ and as soon as I caught it, I just knew it was going to hit the back of the net.

“When you catch a ball flush, you don’t feel it leaving your boot, but it was one of those ones that just set up lovely and as it left my foot, I just knew as soon as I saw that it was on target that there was only one place it was going.

“I’m just delighted that I managed to find the back of the net because, like I said, I’d been frustrated with my performance.

“The boys then dug in right to the end and ground out a really good result.

“The talking point’s probably my goal but the most important thing is the three points.

“It’s a great goal – I don’t seem to do tap-ins, I don’t know why that is – and that’s up there as one of my best.”