Raith cup hero John Baird gives old club the blues

Paul Heffernan opened his account for Queens. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

RAITH Rovers fans will always have a place in their hearts for John Baird as his goal defeated Rangers to lift the Challenge Cup in 2014, but they will not be so fond of the striker after he scored the winner as Falkirk triumphed 2-1.

After respects were paid at Stark’s Park to McCrae’s Battalion, Raith went ahead six minutes from the break, when Paul Watson’s passback slipped away from goalkeeper Danny Rogers and Mark Stewart rolled the ball into the empty net.

Falkirk levelled three minutes later when Blair Alston volleyed home. But Baird lofted in the winner on the hour. Rogers atoned for his part in Raith’s goal by keeping out a late effort from Craig Wighton that looked set to earn his side a point.

Bairns boss Peter Houston was delighted that Raith’s cup final hero had won a “cup-tie” of a match.

Houston said: “The game had a cup-tie feel to it in the second half as both sides were looking for a winner. There was not a great deal of high quality football, but a lot of determination to secure a win.”

Queen of the South defeated Dumbarton 1-0 to pick up their second win in a row. The Sons, who have now lost four in a row, had the better chances in the first half but were made to pay for a lack of a cutting edge six minutes after the break when Paul Heffernan headed his first goal as a  Doonhamer.

Morton picked up their third league success on the trot, defeating Livingston 1-0 at Cappielow. The goal came after six minutes when Jackson Longridge sent Conor Pepper tumbling and Denny Johnstone rolled home the spot kick.