Ayr United 0
Raith Rovers 2
League (Championship)
Ayr UnitedAyr United |
0 - 20 - 2 |
Raith RoversRaith Rovers |
 |
League (Championship) |
 |
| Goalscorers | |
| None. |
Varian (14) Zanatta (25) |
| Team Managers | |
| Unknown. | |
| Starting Eleven | |
|
1. Aiden McAdams 2. Jordan Houston 3. Patrick Reading 4. Aaron Muirhead 9. Tomi Adeloye 14. James Maxwell 15. Jack Baird 17. Nick McAllister 18. Joseph Chalmers 22. Mark McKenzie 23. Markus Fjortoft |
1 MacDonald 2 Tumilty 6 Benedictus 5 Berra 3 Dick 23 Riley-Snow 7 Connolly 15 Tait 11 Zanatta 18 Varian |
| Bench | |
|
5. Sean McGinty 7. Michael Moffat 10. Daire OConnor 11. Cameron Salkeld 16. Steven Bradley 21. Charlie Albinson 24. Jonathan Afolabi |
9 Keatings 12 Lang 14 McKay 17 Thomson 21 Fotheringham 25 Arnott 99 Poplatnik |
| Substitutions | |
|
Steven Bradley for Joseph Chalmers (59) Jonathan Afolabi for Mark McKenzie (59) Cameron Salkeld for Nick McAllister (72) |
7 Connolly Substituted for Fotheringham at 41'minutes 15 Tait Substituted for Arnottat 90+3'minutes |
| Cautions | |
|
Aaron Muirhead |
None. |
| Red Cards | |
|
Aaron Muirhead (70) Jonathan Afolabi (75) |
Riley-Snow (79) |
| Match Officials | |
|
Chris Graham (Referee) |
Match Report
Two goals in the opening 25 minutes helped Raith Rovers ease to a first Scottish Championship win of the season against Ayr United.
Ethon Varian gave the visitors the lead after 14 minutes before Dario Zanatta doubled the advantage soon after.
Ayr rallied, Jamie MacDonald thwarting Nick McAllister and Mark McKenzie having an effort disallowed, but the hosts could not break through.
The contest ended with three red cards in the final 15 minutes - two for Ayr.
First, Jonathan Afolabi was shown a straight red for a wild challenge before Raith's Blaise Riley-Snow and Ayr's Aaron Muirhead received second bookings.
Raith had played two games fewer than the seven teams above them, after this fixture was initially postponed following a Covid outbreak at Ayr and their derby with Dunfermline Athletic was abandoned.
However, the Fifers are now up to fifth, with Ayr remaining in ninth place.
Match report written by BBC
Squad Statistics (as at September 7th, 2021)
| 2021-22 | All Time | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | Nat |  |
 |
|
|
|
| Aiden McAdams (GK) | - |
|
3 | - | 3 | - |
| Jordan Houston | 21 |
|
8 | - | 56 | - |
| Patrick Reading | 22 |
|
7 | - | 31 | 1 |
| Markus Fjortoft | 27 |
|
5 | - | 5 | - |
| Jack Baird | 25 |
|
8 | - | 42 | - |
| Nick McAllister | 20 |
|
2 | - | 2 | - |
| James Maxwell | 19 |
|
4 | - | 4 | - |
| Aaron Muirhead | - |
|
8 | - | 75 | 5 |
| Joseph Chalmers | 27 |
|
4 | - | 35 | 1 |
| Mark McKenzie | 21 |
|
8 | 1 | 45 | 3 |
| Tomi Adeloye | 25 |
|
8 | 4 | 8 | 4 |
| Steven Bradley (sub) | - |
|
1 | - | 1 | - |
| Cameron Salkeld (sub) | 22 |
|
8 | 1 | 8 | 1 |
| Jonathan Afolabi (sub) | 21 |
|
5 | - | 5 | - |
League Table (as at September 7th, 2021)
| Pld | W | D | L | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | ICT | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 2. | Partick Thistle | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| 3. | Kilmarnock | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| 4. | Arbroath | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| 5. | Raith Rovers | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 6. | Hamilton Academical | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 7. | Morton | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 8. | Queen of the South | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 9. | Ayr United | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 10. | Dunfermline Athletic | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |