REFEREE Craig Thomson might consider Raith to be a "First Division team", but that will be scant consolation to John McGlynn this morning.
The official made the comment after Rovers' 4-2 aggregate defeat to Airdrie United signalled the end of their promotion bid for yet another season.
It is the second consecutive campaign that McGlynn and his team have come up short in the play-off
s and this time they really had only themselves to blame. Defensive errors in midweek and missed chances on Saturday mean it is Airdrie, and not Raith, who will face Clyde in the play-off final.
McGlynn said: "The referee spoke to me at the end of the game and told me he considers us to be a First Division club. But sadly we're not. It's easy enough saying that, but our problem is getting out of this division.
"When you put so much into a league campaign, it is always going to be difficult to take when you miss out in the play-offs.
"Congratulations to Airdrie United, but I'm so disappointed because we've contributed to at least three of their four goals. You can accept it if they've opened you up with flowing football, but that's not been the case."
Trailing 2-0 after two howlers by goalkeeper Chris Fahey in midweek, Raith adopted a 4-3-3 formation in the return game at New Broomfield, with defender Andy Tod leading the attack.
They started positively but within 10 minutes were a goal down when Bryan Prunty rifled home from six yards after Allan Russell had scuffed his shot along the box.
Raith were handed a lifeline when Marco Andreoni was adjudged to have handled Robert Sloan's free-kick and Graham Weir converted the penalty.
Rovers were lifted and threw everything at Kenny Black's side. Weir missed a sitter from two yards on 55 minutes and Tod's eight-yard header was brilliantly saved by Stephen Robertson.
However, Bobby Donnelly put Airdrie through with his first senior goal on 76 minutes. Again the Raith defence were posted missing and the defender stroked the ball home from six yards. Weir's second of the day, a deflected effort from 18 yards, was little consolation for Raith.
Airdrie United manager Black admitted his side had ridden their luck.
"I think Raith deserve a lot of credit and they put us under a bit of pressure. I know we can play better than that."
The full article contains 423 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
