Raith Rovers boss Ian Murray enthused by Queen's Park clean sheet achieved with midfielders Scott Brown and Ross Matthews playing full game in defence

With loan centre-back Lee Ashcroft back at parent club Dundee after sustaining a long-term hamstring injury just 43 minutes into his Raith debut at Ayr United, Keith Watson benched as he regains full match fitness following a groin problem and James Brown unavailable short-term after picking up a strain at Partick Thistle, Scott Brown again excelled at centre-half at Hampden while Matthews proved a more than able deputy at right-back.

Boss Murray, whose second-placed team have now moved level on points with leaders Dundee United with seven matches remaining, told RaithTV post-match: "We have come here, got a clean sheet and we have two midfielders playing in defensive positions just because that’s what we had in terms of team selection.

"So I’m really, really happy. We’re protecting our box very well, protecting our goal really well. We’re giving Kevin (Dabrowski) the chance to keep as many clean sheets as we can, so it’s really positive.”

Murray, who reckons James Brown will be fit for Rovers’ next league game at Dundee United on Saturday, March 30, also said he was “very pleased” to have Watson back in the fold going forward, with the experienced stopper having gone off injured in the recent 3-2 loss at Arbroath.

After Lewis Vaughan's Stark’s Park testimonial against Hibernian this Wednesday (kick-off 7.45pm), Raith’s return to league action will see them play three vital home games within a week, with Ayr United on Saturday, April 6 followed by Airdrieonians on Wednesday, April 9 and Partick Thistle on Saturday, April 13.

"It’s a really tough schedule for the boys,” Murray said. “It’s not just the physical pressure that they’re having to put themselves under, it’s mental as well.

"We saw that at East End Park (where Dundee United lost 3-1 at Dunfermline Athletic on Friday). Going to win games is hard enough when there’s not much to play for. When you’re going for a league title, it changes the whole dimensions and dynamic of your thought process, your decision making.

"But I think we’re making good decisions on the park, we’re looking really, really solid. You can’t win leagues unless you’re solid, it’s very, very difficult.”

On the respective league run-ins facing Rovers and title rivals United, Murray added: “There are a lot of tough, tough games coming up for both sets of teams.

"We’ve got to go to places like Cappielow still – so have Dundee United – we’ve got to go to Tannadice, but we’re very, very capable of winning these games.

"We always knew at this stage of the season we were going to have to win games.

"It doesn’t really matter where you win them, but we have to go and win them.

"At the moment, we’ve eaten into a four-point gap that was there this time last week, so it’s been good.”