Preview Raith Rovers

IRN BRU First Division: Saturday 16th March 2013

The Pars travel to Kirkcaldy on Saturday for the fourth match between the sides. The Rovers have announced that they will return revenue from any away fans in excess of 2000 and that should ensure that Pars fans will travel and consequently more home fans will turn out to create a good derby day atmosphere. So far Jim Jefferies record as Pars Manager against the Rovers is played three won three and to make it four in a row is the objective.

The Pars best win at Stark`s Park was over 18 years ago in October 1994 when Stewart Petrie and Kenny Ward hit doubles and Hamish French hit the net in a 5-2 win. The last Pars away win v Rovers 3-1 courtesy of goals from Stephen Husband (2) and Joe Cardle and was in November 2012.

In the last ten league fixtures the Pars have won seven of them, Raith two and one has ended all square.

Raith are ten points behind their West Fife rivals but everybody knows when it comes to local derbies form books and past history cannot be assumed to follow. Dunfermline have only won one of their last nine games but at least last Saturday they stopped the bad run by scrambling back for a draw.

Raith Rovers started the season off in fine form winning their first five matches and then knocking Ross County out of the Scottish Communities Cup in Dingwall but since the Pars beat them 3-1 in Kirkcaldy in November they have managed only three wins.  These were all at home against Highland League Deveronvale in the Scottish Cup, Airdrie United and Dumbarton in the First Division.

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE (v Airdrie United):  Paul Gallacher; Ross Millen (Joe Cardle 79), Andy Dowie (c), John Potter, Callum Morris, Alex Whittle; Chris Kane (Allan Smith 85), Ryan Thomson, Stephen Husband, Craig Dargo (Andy Kirk 70), Ryan Wallace,
SUBS NOT USED: Grant Munro, Michael Hrivnak (GK).

RAITH ROVERS (v Livingston): David McGurn; Grant Murray (Dougie Hill, 79), Jason Thomson, Eddie Malone, Laurie Ellis, Stuart Anderson, Allan Walker, Joe Hamill, Grant Anderson (Greig Spence, 46), Pat Clarke (Josh Watt, 64), Brian Graham
SUBS NOT USED: Ross Laidlaw, Reece Donaldson 

Referee will be John Beaton. This will be the whistler`s third match in charge of a Pars match this season; we have lost them all (against Aberdeen, Livingston and Hamilton Accies), he sent off Callum Morris in the Livvy game and that was just one of ten cards shown in the game. In 27 matches this season the whistler has brandished 7 red cards and 102 yellow.

Come on ye Pars!