Scottish Championship: Raith Rovers boss Ian Murray admits he was 'gutted' defender Dan O'Reilly rejected Raith contract offers before joining Partick Thistle

Having signed a short-term contract with Raith in November, Irish stopper O’Reilly, 28, made six appearances and scored three goals during his brief stint in Kirkcaldy.

"We were gutted to lose Dan,” boss Murray told the Fife Free Press. “Obviously we tried to keep him but the bottom line was he knocked back all our offers and went to Partick.

"That's completely in the player's prerogative as well. It's always the risk you run with short term deals. Partick ultimately offered him a better contract.”

When asked if it was particularly sore to lose O'Reilly to a Partick side just below second-placed Rovers in the table, Murray added: "Not really. I think Dan had done so well wherever he went he was going to make another team better.

"But it didn't really concern me too much whether it was Partick Thistle. Once a player leaves it's up to them.

"I know they're sitting in third place just behind us and it could get to a point where it's really, really close but we just had to accept his decision and kind of move on."

Murray was then asked if Raith would be trying to sign a replacement centre-half during the January transfer window.

He said: "It's a maybe. It's not something that we're scrambling madly for at the moment.

"It depends of how big Keith Watson is doing and if we can keep Euan Murray fit as well.

"Centre-back is definitely an area where if we pick up another injury it's a tough one for us.”