
Peterhead boss Jim McInally was angry that defensive mistakes cost his side again as they lost 2-1 to Raith Rovers.
The Blue Toon have visited Stark’s Park four times this season and lost on every occasion.
McInally said: “I’m angry about the first half because once again we gave them an early goal.
“That’s something we’ve done every time we’ve gone to Stark’s Park.
“Scott Hooper tidied up a situation with great defending in the box and then decides to try to pass it rather than clear it and he put David Ferguson in trouble and Raith won it and scored.
“It’s another self-inflicted goal that we’ve lost and the second goal was the same with the ball going under Jason Brown’s foot.
“It’s the fourth time this season we’ve played Raith away from home and every time individual errors have killed us.
“We can’t keep shooting ourselves in the foot against a team that are top of the league.
“We made mistakes at the wrong time and then Greg Fleming kept us in the game. Once again we’ve shown there’s not a big gap between the teams, but we can’t make those mistakes.”
Raith took the lead on eight minutes with Dylan TAIT capitalising on Peterhead giving away possession cheaply to score from 25 yards.
But the Buchan outfit responded two minutes later with a well-worked move down the right culminating in Scott Brown’s cross being finished off by Derek LYLE.
Rovers were in front again midway through the first period with Grant Anderson squaring for Jamie GULLAN to net.
Shortly before the interval Peterhead goalie Greg Fleming made a fine save to keep out Regan Hendry’s penalty.
With 10 minutes left Raith’s David McKay received a second yellow card from ref Gavin Ross for a foul on Rory McAllister. Peterhead piled on the pressure with Lyle heading against the bar and Aidan Smith shooting wide, but they couldn’t find an equaliser.
McInally was also disappointed with the performance of whistler Ross.
He added: “The penalty was given for Derek Lyle pushing Paddy Boyle so I couldn’t understand that.
“McKay should have been sent off 10 minutes earlier because he elbowed Paddy Boyle in the face after Paddy won a header and Paddy had to go to hospital because his teeth came through his cheek.
“I heard Brian Rice saying earlier in the season that a referee refereed the game to the best of their ability and that’s all I’d say about Saturday’s referee.”

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