Raith Rovers boss Neill Collins on stunning goal v Ayr United and Callum Smith injury worry

With Callum Smith and Dylan Easton also linking superbly in the build-up, move initiator Lewis Stevenson, 36, turned the clock back by volleying a superb left-footed ball to the back post where Lewis Jamieson knocked in his second of the night from close range to seal a second straight Raith win which moved the seventh-placed side onto 14 points from 12 matches.

Stark’s Park gaffer Neill Collins was thrilled with that goal and his side’s overall performance in seeing off Scott Brown’s high-flying visitors.

On Stevenson and Jamieson being named joint men-of-the-match, Collins told Raith TV: "It says something about how good Lewis Stevenson must have been because LJ scores two goals and does loads of hard work.

"Lewis Stevenson had some moments of top quality. I think there were other players that you could easily say were seven or eight out of 10 tonight.

"They have all set a good standard which hopefully we can continue to build on.

"We had the quality, the intensity and we also managed the game very well.

"I don’t feel that at any time we looked uneasy. The back three and keeper had a great calmness around them."

On deploying a back three of Callum Fordyce, Paul Hanlon and Liam Dick for the Ayr match, ex-Barnsley boss Collins added: “I just felt that we’ve had two games in quick succession. The formation might change from week to week but hopefully the performances look as if they’ll stay the same.

"We still looked front foot. I felt we got going with the three at the back tonight.

"It just gave us the best chance of winning the game, putting two strikers high and being aggressive just suited us and I think the players executed it well.

"Plans are fine and well but it’s all about the players carrying it out and the players were superb.”

The one down side of the evening for Raith was the 46th-minute injury sustained by aforementioned striker Smith, with the 24-year-old former Airdrieonians striker potentially now facing a spell on the sidelines.

“Callum has been really pushing hard recently, making a big impact off the bench and then tonight I felt he gave us a real striker’s performance.

"Fingers crossed for Smithy that he’s ok but if anything it will just be an opportunity for someone else.

"Smithy has really put in a power of work to get in that position and he certainly took his chance.”

When asked how he had enjoyed watching his team winning a Friday night match under the lights in Kirkcaldy, Collins replied: “I loved it, of course.

"I think the performance has a lot to do with that.

“You turn up tonight, Stark’s Park’s looking great, the fans are out in force, the cameras are here, it’s excellent.

"I’m a big fan of football under the lights, especially on a night like tonight.

"Long may it continue and I’m sure if we keep playing like that the cameras will be back here before the end of the season.”

Defeated Ayr manager Scott Brown told club media: “I think when we look back we got the team wrong.

"We played a team to try and bully them physically but also have quality on the ball as well, have energy and we had none of that to be honest.

"We were slow on the ball, we didn’t get our press right, we were disjointed, we were a team of individuals today.

"If I’m honest it’s probably not the best performance I’ve ever seen.

"There was no desire to pass forward, to take that little bit of risk, throw that little bit of quality into the final third that we’ve usually got.

"I’ve got to take that one on the chin.”