Raith up to third after five star show at Alloa

John McGlynn’s troops were 2-0 up at the break, with the wind in their favour, but they knew Peter Grant’s Wasps would carry a more potent threat in the second period – which they did.

However, a late burst of goals near the end put a more impressive sheen on the scoreline, with Ethan Ross grabbing a brace.

Raith went in front on 17 minutes when Dan Armstrong floated a free kick into a crowded box and Manny Duku rose easily to head home past Neil Parry,

The conditions helped gift Raith a second when Armstrong again delivered a cross from the right which swirled in the rain-soaked breeze and dropped into the net in the 32nd minute.

Unusually, both goalkeepers retired injured at half time. Raith’s Jamie MacDonald had a thigh injury and was replaced by Robbie Thomson, while Reece Willison deputised for home stopper Neil Parry after a groin strain. Raith also lost goalscorer Duku with an ankle injury on 62 minutes.

John McGlynn’s theory that a two-goal lead is not enough and the third goal in any game is a turning point proved correct as Alloa hit back after 75 minutes. They forced the ball beyond Raith’s defence and Nicky Jamieson couldn’t connect properly with his shot but Liam Buchanan collected the loose ball to fire home.

Raith made it 3-1 soon after, though, seven minutes from time, when a blocked Benedictus shot came to sub Lars Lokotsch, Duku’s replacement. His low, slow shot trundled under Willison’s body.

Alloa piled some more pressure on Rovers with an 88th-minute penalty, converted by Buchanan. He had gone down in the area after a push in the back when going for a high ball and took the spot kick himself.

But Rovers immediately went up the field and Ethan Ross scored to make it 4-2 just seconds later.

Two minutes into stoppage time, Ross out the cherry on the post-Christmas cake with a super solo effort, running from around halfway and evading around four challenges before slotting the ball beyond Willison for 5-2.