Relichtie

     Memorable matches No. 38

  Arbroath  took all the points from the men from Kirkcaldy in this seasons encounters, but it was the Rovers who went up at the end of the season. 

Dec 10 1966.                                    Arbroath 5-1 Raith Rvs.               Scottish League Division 2.

Arbroath went in to this match on the back of away defeats at Stenhousemuir (0-3), and Stranraer (1-2) so it must have been with a sense of trepidation that they welcomed their Starks Park rivals to Gayfield.

Right from the start though Arbroath took the match to the visitors, and despite incessant pressure it took 43 minutes for the break through to come. Finnie chipped the ball to Donnelly who headed home to give the homesters a half time lead. 

In the first minute of the second half, Sellars gathered the ball from Donnelly and netted to double the lichties lead. Seven minutes later Cant took a pass from Finnie and hammered home from thirty yards. Gardner pulled one back for the visitors, but minutes later Donnelly scored his own second, and the maroons fourth. The match was over as a contest now, but Arbroath added to their tally when Cant was Brought down in the box, and Stirling converted the resultant penalty to complete the scoring.

Arbroath - Williamson, Cameron, Hughes, Pierson, Stirling, Cargill, Sellars, Donnelly, Jack, Cant, Finnie.

Raith Rvs - Reid, Stein, Gray, McLean, Evans, Porterfield, Lister, Wallace, Richardson, Gardner, Horn.

Referee A. Webster, Falkirk.

Attendance 1520.

League Table after above Stranraer match 

When the sides met again for the return fixture, both sides were locked together on 50 points in 2nd and 3rd place, so there was all to play for.

From the Arbroath Guide April 8 1967.

" A special rail excursion is being run from Arbroath to Kirkcaldy today. Indication are that many Arbroath supporters will avail themselves of this opportunity to make the trip"

April 8 1967                                      Raith Rvs 0-1 Arbroath                 Scottish League Division 2.

The match was too tense ever to be a classic, and with both sides determined to give nothing away it was always likely to be settled with a single strike. So it proved with Donnelly Heading in from a Sellars corner in the 70th minute. Raith thought they had equalised in the dying minutes, but the referee disallowed for offside a strike from Wallace, much to the chagrin of the home support. This result put Arbroath in the driving seat, but it was the Rovers who triumphed by a single point at the end of the season

Raith Rvs - Reid, Stein, Gray, Polland, Evans, Porterfield, Miller, Richardson, Wallace, Gardner, Mackie.

Arbroath - Williamson, Cameron, Hughes, Cargill, Stirling, Pierson, Sellars, Donnelly, Jack, Cant, Finnie.

Referee R. K. Wilson. Glasgow.

Attendance 5000.

League Table at end of season

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