Sports Nostalgia: Raith Rovers make their Premier Division dedut in 1993.

Raith Rovers gave a good account of themselves as they made their maiden bow in Scotland’s top flight back in 1993.
Peter Hetherston nutmegs Saints' Paul Ramsey as Rovers player-boss Jimmy Nicholl looks on.Peter Hetherston nutmegs Saints' Paul Ramsey as Rovers player-boss Jimmy Nicholl looks on.
Peter Hetherston nutmegs Saints' Paul Ramsey as Rovers player-boss Jimmy Nicholl looks on.

A crowd of 4628 created a carnival atmosphere at Stark’s Park for the historic occasion as Rovers took a well-deserved point in a 1-1 draw with visitors St Johnstone in their first ever game in the Premier Division.

Both goals came in the first half as Paul Wright opened the scoring for the visitors before Shaun Dennis equalised for Rovers.

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The debut boys’ early play was infused with caution and the gap between the established Premier side and the newcomers was there to behold.

Saints keeper Andy Rhodes is put under pressure by a partly hidden Shaun Dennis.Saints keeper Andy Rhodes is put under pressure by a partly hidden Shaun Dennis.
Saints keeper Andy Rhodes is put under pressure by a partly hidden Shaun Dennis.

Steadily though, Raith settled down and started to make an impact into the match though they were less visible as an attacking force and until the last 15 minutes they only threatened from set pieces.

Striker Gordon Dalziel and his new striking side-kick Warren Hawkes ran all afternoon in support of their hard-pressed midfield and left the biggest threat to Andy Rhodes in St Johnstone’s goal from the aerial power of Shaun Dennis.

His superb headed goal which entered the record books as the first scored in Rovers’ Premier history couldn’t have come at a better time to squash Saints’ free-wheeling momentum after Wright’s opener.

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St Johnstone forced a corner within 60 seconds from the opening whistle, but they found Raith’s five-man defence a resilient force on that occasion, and throughout the 90 minutes.

Whilst the visitors had looked threatening and their attacks had tested the organisation of Rovers defence, their goal came in the 29th minute as a result of a goalkeeping mistake.

Tom Carson failed to hold what was a low 22-yarder from Martin Buglione, and striker Wright darted in to angle the loose ball into the net despite Jock McStay’s last ditch lunge.

Fears that the unfortunate goal could spark a collapse were swiftly dealt with by the debut boys, who punished St Johnstone’s apparently unlimited capacity for fouling needlessly inside their own half.

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Nicholl floated a sweet chip into the box and Dennis came surging in to direct a powerful downward header into the bottom left corner of Rhodes’ goal.

Only a goal-line intervention by McGinnis prevented the home side from taking the lead four minutes later.

Peter Hetherston sent over a corner and George McGeachie powered in an accurate header which had Rhodes beaten but McGinnis nodded clear.

Raith began the second half brightly – Dalziel only just missing a searing Ian McLeod cross after intelligent interplay with Warren Hawkes – but were handicapped in 55 minutes when McGeachie went off after a clash of heads with his own gaffer Nicholl.

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They were reduced to 10 men for six long minutes until it became clear that the defender, who needed stitches in a bloody head injury, could play no further part. Fired-up David Sinclair was brought on as replacement.

The home side were the dominant force for the final 15 minutes, putting the Saints defence under relentless pressure, but were unable to find the all important winning goal.

In the final minute, Rhodes pounced after a cross into the area was deflected goalward by a defender.

Raith Rovers: Carson, McStay, McLeod, Coyle, Dennis, McGeachie (S6I Sinclair), Nicholl, Dalziel, Hetherston, Hawkes, Cameron. Subs: (not used) Rowbotham, Arthur.

St Johnstone: Rhodes, Budden (S82/Davies), Deas, McGinnis, Inglis, Curran, Ramsey, Turner, Wright, Torfason. Buglione (S73/McGowne).

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