Raith Rovers 0-4 Heart of Midlothian: Defeat sends hosts into Premiership play-off quarter-final
- Published
Steven Naismith made a scoring impact off the bench
Raith Rovers will play Dunfermline in the Premiership play-off quarter-final after defeat to Championship winners Hearts cost the hosts second place.
A Gary Mackay-Steven double and goals from Euan Henderson and substitute Steven Naismith saw Hearts end the season 12 points clear.
Craig Halkett blasted a penalty against the bar for the visitors after Raith's Iain Davidson was harshly sent off.
Third-place Raith visit Fife rivals Dunfermline in Tuesday's first leg.
The sides meet again at Stark's Park next Saturday, with the winner of the tie taking on Dundee for the chance of promotion against the club that finishes 11th in the Premiership.
John McGlynn's men fell behind early on when Mackay-Steven latched on to Michael Smith's pass down the right and cut infield to drill the ball home.
Andy Halliday sent a free-kick against the Raith bar before Brad Spencer wasted a great chance to equalise, scooping the ball over from five yards.
Robbie Neilson's side ran amok after the break, with Henderson failing to beat Jamie MacDonald from close range before curling into the far corner of the net moments later.
Davidson was dismissed for halting Henderson in the box, although there looked to be no contact, but Halkett's spot-kick thudded against the bar on its way over.
Raith's 10 men were pinned back and Liam Boyce was next to strike the woodwork before Naismith poked home.
The Scotland striker combined with Boyce to tee up Mackay-Steven for a tap-in as Hearts ended their one-season stay in the Championship with an empathic victory.
Hearts head coach Robbie Neilson: "It's been an up and down season but a good one. We knew 57 points was the marker for promotion, we've got them. We knew we had to score more than 50 goals and concede less than 25, we've done both. So we've reached all our targets."
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