'If Aidan's header goes in, we go on and win': Raith Rovers boss Ian Murray frustrated by 'fine margins' of 3-1 home loss to Airdrieonians

Two strikes by visiting captain Adam Frizzell put the North Lanarkshire side 2-0 up at half-time at Stark’s Park, before Josh Mullin’s 30-yarder pulled one back for Raith.

Rovers were in the ascendancy at that point and looked to have levelled, but Aidan Connolly’s effort came back off the inside of the post. Substitute Lewis McGregor struck Airdrieonians’ killer third after 80 minutes, leaving Raith on 61 points from 32 games ahead of this Saturday’s home fixture against Partick Thistle, kick-off 3pm.

"If Aidan’s goes in with 10, 12 minutes remaining when we were well on top, I think we win the game,” Murray told RaithTV.

"But again, fine, fine margins in this game can make things looom really, really good or they can make things look really, really bad.

"We were bombarding them a bit. It wasn’t just a case of throwing the ball in the box, we were trying to work it wide and into our strikers to get opportunities and we score a goal at a wonderful time, a really, really good goal.

"We were desperately unfortunate when Aidan’s one comes off the inside of the post and bounces out and then a minute later you’re 3-1 down, but that’s football. We’ll take it on the chin.

“Obviously we’re disappointed. The staff, players and supporters alike and everybody at the club, that’s natural when you don’t win a game.

"I’m not going to make any apologies for trying to go for it. I certainly wasn’t walking out of Stark’s Park tonight whimpering out of a game of football, that’s for sure.

"The players are hurting. When you lose games of football, especially at this stage of the season, it’s exceptionally disappointing for us all.

"We can’t get too down, too negative. We’re sitting second top of the Championship, first time in 17 years.

"So we have to try and win as many games as we can, starting on Saturday.

“We go again against Partick Thistle, another really good team, but people have to believe that things are still really good here."

Murray said he felt there “wasn’t a lot in the game” against Rhys McCabe’s play-off chasers – who have now beaten Raith four times this season - although he felt his defence could have done better for Airdrie’s second goal.

The boss added: "The first one’s a fantastic finish, we have to recognise that from Adam, but the second one we have to look at again. The decision making from us was pretty poor.

"I felt we were just a little bit too static in the midfield areas particularly in the first half. I just felt we weren’t high enough on their midfield either.

"We find ourselves 2-0 down at half-time but we’ve played a lot worse this season and found ourselves winning games or level at half-time.

"Second half I thought the players were excellent, I thought they gave absolutely everything trying to get back in the game.”

Raith Rovers: Dabrowski, J Brown (McGill 66), S Brown, Watson, Dick, Matthews (Turner 45), Byrne (Smith 45), Connolly, Stanton, Easton (Mullin 60), Hamilton (Rudden 45).​

Airdrieonians: Hemfrey, Megwa, Watson, Fordyce, Ballantyne, Telfer, McMaster (Donnell 87), McGill (McGregor 67), Frizzell (Lyall 87), Hancock, Todorov.

Referee: Lloyd Wilson

Crowd: 3,646