Raith Rovers ease past Stirling in Scottish Cup to set up Third Round tie with Livingston

Raith Rovers secured their spot in the Third Round of the Scottish Cup with a comfortable 2-0 win at League 2 Stirling Albion on Tuesday night.
Gozie Ugwu scores Rvers' first goal of the evening (Pic: Scott Louden)Gozie Ugwu scores Rvers' first goal of the evening (Pic: Scott Louden)
Gozie Ugwu scores Rvers' first goal of the evening (Pic: Scott Louden)

The Binos had their chances in the first half but the visitors dominated possession throughout and, despite not taking full advantage of several goal scoring opportunities, did more than enough to win the tie and set up a clash away to Livingston next month.

Rovers had a couple of early chances through Jamie Gullan and Kieran MacDonald but it was the hosts who should should have been 1-0 up on 11 minutes when Kieran Moore fired a shot over the bar while one-on-one with Jamie MacDonald

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Raith responded immediately and Gullan volleyed wide from a good position before Kai Kennedy had a shot held by Currie.

Albion had another big chance go begging when Sean Heaver found space down the right and had Jack Leitch in acres of space at the back post but Frankie Musonda got a slight touch on the cross in the middle of the area to take the sting out of it and divert it goalwards for MacDonald to stop on the line.

Rovers continued to have chances and Stirling keeper Blair Currie made a big save on 39 minutes to deny Adam King who had diverted a Dylan Tait cross at goal only for Currie to block it with his legs.

The pressure eventually paid off on the stroke of half time when Tait whipped in a great corner to the back post and Gozie Ugwuw rose above the defence to power a header home.

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Rovers remained on top after the break and Albion offered less in the second half than they had in the first.

The visitors had a few more chances that were either wide or easily held by Currie before eventually making it 2-0 on 70 minutes when a beautiful cross from the right by Reghan Tumilty split the centre backs and gave Tait a free header from six yards which he calmly guided past Currie.

Stirling still had a bit of fight left in them and Rovers had some defending to do to see the game out but it remained a relatively quiet evening for Jamie MacDonald who was seldom called in to action.

In the end it will go down as a professional performance where John McGlynn’s side avoided a potential banana skin at Forthbank.