Raith Rovers' Lewis Vaughan hails 'immense' character in play-off chasing squad

After going a goal down early on in Grangemouth, Barry Robson’s team turned the match around, eventually downing the ten-man Bairns thanks to three goals in seven minutes.

Substitute Aiden Marsh headed home the leveller at the back post two minutes from time with Paul Hanlon then calmly slotting home in injury-time after breaking free.

Fans’ favourite Vaughan – who manage his first 90 minutes of the league season – played his part too. The forward won a penalty after being clipped by Finn Yeats with Dylan Easton rolling home the third from the spot.

"We obviously shot ourselves in the foot in the first half, gave away a sloppy goal from their throw-in around the halfway line,” Vaughan said of the performance.

“That can’t happen, we said that at half-time. In the second half we were by far and away the better team.

“We deserved to win in the end, even though you could argue the sending off changes the game for them.

“We still have to go on and score the goals. I’m just delighted we got the win and kept alive the hunt for the play-offs.”

"We’re just trying to win as many games as we can.”

Raith boss Robson sent centre-back Callum Fordyce up top late on as Raith looked to win the match rather than accept a draw, and Vaughan praised his team-mates desire to not settle for a point.

Winning the match has allowed the Kirkcaldy club – who are on an eight-game unbeaten run – to go level on points with managerless Partick Thistle with two matches remaining.

With star striker Brian Graham in interim charge until the end of the campaign, Thistle drew 0-0 at Dunfermline Athletic on Saturday with the Jags winless in three and facing the top two next up.

“I thought we had to go and win the game,” Vaughan added. “The hard work the boys put in every week, we never stopped running. Our stats our crazy - that’s exactly what the manager wants.

“The manager gave us the confidence to go and play; the licence to go at Falkirk and press them high, win the ball high up the park.

“I think that’s where our goals came from. We keep the season alive and there’s a massive two games to go.”

​Raith now host Greenock Morton this Saturday at Stark’s Park before a Friday finale at Hampden Park against Queen’s Park the following Friday night.

Dougie Imrie’s side won at Airdrieonians last weekend but are safe in sixth and have nothing to play for. Queens on the other hand could be safe by the time the final round of fixtures come around.

The run-in for Raith is certainly a more favourable one, and Vaughan says his team-mates are “fully confident” that can topple Thistle for that final play-off spot after looking dead and buried a couple of months ago.

When the forward returned from injury off the bench in March, his side were hammered 4-0 by Queens at home and looked more likely to battling down the bottom-end of the table.

“Partick are only ahead on goal difference, it’s still in their hands,” Vaughan said. “But obviously things are going pretty well at the moment.

“Personally, I’m really looking forward to the last two games of the season.

“I can’t wait, the boys can’t wait. We are fully confident, playing well and scoring goals.

“Why not? We can be in the play-offs. The squad is good enough and it shows you the character of the boys that we’ve got that seven weeks ago people thought the play-offs were dead for us.

“We’ve went on an incredible run and long may that continue.”