Raith Rovers Preview Dec 12th 2009

Xmas shopping is in full swing now and Caley Thistle are no different, as they go shopping for three points against last seasons second division champions Raith Rovers.

Terry Butcher will take a different view of this game. He will be sitting in the stand after being sent from the dugout by last weeks pantomime villain, referee Alan Muir who is fast building a reputation as the bad guy, a ref who has shown more cards than my postman has so far.

As well as sending Butcher packing, Richie Foran and Russell Duncan were also on the receiving end of Mr Muir's generosity as they headed for the proverbial early bath at Palmerston. Not to be outdone, Queens also had a player red carded as the baddie showed his yellow card to no fewer than five other players, boo hissssss. So, for this week's game, Malpas will have sole occupancy of the dugout while Terry lauds it up with his buddies in the Main Stand. That could prove interesting.

Raith have had a good start to their first division campaign and have shown themselves to be nobodies pushover. John McGlynn has moulded a reasonable squad together. Having started the season with draws against Queen of the South and Dundee, they had their first win in the market village of Dingwall, and followed this by defeating the Pars 2-0. However, their season has been mirrored by their hosts and inconsistency has seen them slip to seventh spot, only one point behind Inverness. We had the better of Raith at Starks Park in October, when a late David Proctor strike was enough to separate the sides. Since that game, Raith have managed two wins, three defeats and a draw on league business, and knocked Peterhead out of the Cup with a convincing 1-4 replay victory. Their worst league performance was a humiliating 5-0 defeat at the hands of Morton when Murray was sent packing early in the second half. Beating Queens was the highlight of that sequence of results. Raith, like Inverness have done some of their best work on the road and McGlynn is quietly confident of returning the favour to Inverness.

Inverness, over the same period have fared little better, losing the Alba cup final to Dundee and losing league matches to Partick and Ross County. A home draw with Dunfermline along with last weekend's stalemate in Dumfries has offered little Christmas cheer, although resounding goal difference enhancing performances against Airdrie Morton and Ayr United were pleasing if nothing else. Inverness have been able to beat the lower positioned teams but are somewhat struggling when it comes down to the teams in the top half of the division, and performance swings are too commonplace to enable us to challenge the leaders at this stage of the competition. One ray of sunshine has been supercharged leprechaun Jonny Hayes who was voted the Irn-Bru Phenomenal award winner for the month of November. Hayes has been in splendid form for Inverness and is seen by most fans as one of the few successes in the transfer market this pre-season. He is certainly one to watch as his pace is troubling the defenders in the first division and he is also managing to score the odd goal into the bargain

Squads for the weekend.

Inverness will have to do without the services of last weekends early bathers as Duncan and Foran sit this one out. Ross Tokely missed out last week with an injured hand and might be kept out until the crunch Xmas games, with Proctor proving to be an able deputy at right back. Stuart Golabek who tweaked his hamstring prior to the Queens game may be fit, but Lionel Djebi-Zadi did his own prospects no harm with a good showing at Dumfries and could keep the left back position. Danni Sanchez could slot straight in to replace Foran as his exploits were cut short last weekend due to the dismissals. Dougie Imrie came on and showed up well and will be looking for a starting berth ahead of Eric, who did not have the best of games. With Foran and Duncan set to miss out then the starting eleven could read something like this;

Esson Proctor     -     Bulvitis     -     Munro     -     Zadi Cox     -     McBain Hayes     -     Sanchez     -     Imrie Rooney

Editor's Note: Since this preview was written it has been confirmed that Stuart Duff has been signed from Aberdeen on a one-month loan so he too could be vying for a place in the team.

Raith Rovers manager John McGlynn has been busy strengthening his squad recently. Loan striker Kevin Smith is available until January 2nd. The tangerines frontman is on his third spell at Starks Park and has been in scoring form, hitting the back of the net in the cup win over Peterhead. They have also signed 19-year-old Spanish midfielder Javier Corredera, formerly of Union Deportivo Almeria. He has signed on an amateur basis until the end of the season, and he made a goal scoring debut for the Kirkcaldy club's reserves away to Ross County. Thierry Gathuessi has been signed by Raith and has played a couple of trial matches for them, and made his debut against Ayr United, winning the sponsors MoM. He was expected to feature against Airdrie, but that postponement means the former ICT player could play his second match against us. Laurie Ellis is a former St Mirren player who adds plenty of experience to the Raith defence. Definitely out for Raith are the suspended Grant Murray, and the injured Iain Williamson and Iain Davidson, the latter pair are both back in light training but are at least a couple of weeks away from match fitness.

Bolstered by McGlynn's assosciation with Hearts, six former Jambo's are plying their trade at Raith. Striker Graeme Weir can be a handful for big defenders with his pace. Robert Sloan is a tricky wide player. Defender Grant Murray signed from Killie has bags of experience, as has Steven Simmons the classy midfielder. Youngster Ryan Wallace is the other outfield player. He scored on his debut against Partick Thistle. Garry O'Connor is one of three keepers on the books.

Last squad:- Raith Rovers: McGurn, Wilson, Ellis, Campbell, Hill, Murray, Tade, Walker, Simmons, Kevin Smith (Bryce 82), Darren Smith. Subs Not Used: O'Connor, Ferry, Weir, Whatley.

Tm4tj prediction

As eagerly anticipated as Xmas is for a turkey, here are my thoughts on the Raith game.

In the week that Rod Stewart was announced as next summers big signing I have reason to believe that Inverness will come out on top in this mid table tussle. Raith proved to be difficult to overcome in the first game and this will be no different. If ICT can contain Gregory Tade and use Jonny Hayes to good effect then the points will be staying in the Highlands. However, our inability to hold on to an advantage has been all too evident recently and Rovers will surely have done their homework on that aspect of our play. It's up to Inverness to get some reward for the hard work that has not always been fruitful. We have tough games coming up over the festive period which will make or break our season and any of the top seven teams that can maintain a level of consistency will push Dundee hard for the top spot.

Home win for me..........oh no it's not..........oh yes it is.