Raith Rovers Jan 27th

[Robert]

Looking at the table, we need to improve our home form.

We have 9 points from 10 home games: only Arbroath have taken fewer.

Conversely we have 15 points from 12 away games: only Dundee United, Raith Rovers and Partick Thistle have taken more.

Our next two league games are at home against Queens Park and Partick Thistle so it’s time to start winning at home.

 

[The Mantis]

That was sweet. Never in doubt even after going behind. When I saw the orange strips it took me back to November 2001 when we went behind to a Nacho Novo penalty and won 5-1. 
Sure the last 20 minutes were nervy but that was all in our heads. A lot of that spell was Rovers knocking it about in their own half looking for a gap. The players looked composed and some of the passing was superb. Hamiltons goal was really sloppy on our part with two newbies in the back three so they will need to work on who is picking up at corners. 
No failures today and we looked physically strong and made Rovers look a shadow of the side which was flying earlier in the season.

The double- barrel Jeremiah looked very impressive apart from his blunder which let Vaughan away to score for 3-2, which made the second half a much less comfortable watch. The other three were solid too. Cammy Kerr, Savage and of course Samuel - Machine #2. What a warrior. On another day Billy might have grabbed a fourth but his touch let him down. 
A bit risky changing defenders late in the game but hey, it made no difference to the result and we got a chance to see Duffy’s haircut.
We have lost 10 games and have probably left too much to do for the playoffs but we should be looking up at Dunfermline, Ayr and Airdrie. At least watching ICT isn’t a chore any longer.

Edited January 27 by The Mantis

[caley100]

Great win!  Really important 3 points...  Now can we please get a home league win to keep us suffering home fans happy?

[Douglas Mackenzie]

Was thinking that Dunc clearly wants a stronger more solid pool and the five who came in seem better and stronger than the five that left.We all were concerned that after our first 11 we did not have strong fringe players to call upon.Now we have bolstered our pool taking one in from Dundee,one from Ross County one from Wigan and I cannot recall where the other two are from.Already,the pool is stronger which allowed Dunc to take three defenders off today and put back on three equally strong defenders.Maybe an attacking midfielder would be the icing on the cake.It should make a difference having a strong bench to call upon.

[Leaky Blinder]

Its all about going on a run ( easier said than done but as a group hopefully the team gels) and see where it takes us. There's been little realistic expectation recently of a playoff spot so if safety could be established we can at least play without pressure and hopefully Morton's run hits the buffers as they currently look most likely for 4th spot on current form.  That said there are plenty games left  and a tight mid table to call with Ayr welcoming a new manager and the Pars with key players out recently. Airdrie could actually be the dark horse given recent results. 

[bishbashbosh]

Their 1st goal was poor defending from a corner. Devine got bullied by the scorer who towered over him to head down and up to roof of net. Devine started on ridgers for not coming the couple yards of his line to catch. Truth be told devine won very few headers today. Waiting for ball rather than attacking it plus being out jumped regularly.

Samuel didn't give their back four a seconds rest, he was awesome. 

Dunc has done well so far in this window. We can now bring on subs who don't weaken the team.

Oh and I thought kerr had an excellent game, a proper right back.

[STFU]

8 minutes ago, bishbashbosh said:

Devine started on ridgers for not coming the couple yards of his line to catch.

Ridgers seems to be slower off his line and increasingly reluctant to come for balls recently, so that may have been a good shout by Devine.  I await the highlights to see.

Important 3 points today.  We continue to be able to turn it on against the teams above us and I wonder if that's because they come at us more and we know how to exploit that? (This is why I think we have more than half a chance against Hibs) Teams around us seem more content to sit in a bit more and let us pass the ball around in front of them where we're not creating any threat, and we can't break that down.

Hopefully the new players give us options to change that.  Next week will be the test.

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

The initial team sheet looked risky. However, the new lads added real athleticism to the team. We went to sleep at the corner and Hamilton scored a really good goal. However, we did not lose heart and out of nowhere Samuel scored an incredibly quick hattrick. Aged 28 he has now bagged 4 goals in two games with us and if he keeps scoring he could double his career total this second half of a season. Once again he worked his socks off and has certainly released Billy to be more influential and creative. 3-1 at half time felt like a dangerous score to take into the second half and so it proved. However, and this felt like the first time Duncan has brought on substitutes when danger threatened. Rather than wait until we were 4-3 down with 4 minutes of added time left, substitutes were deployed quite early and liberally. Again if looked quite high risk with so many but it worked. This actually felt like an ICT that might now make progress if we can take that performance to next week's home game. Cammy Kerr was a great addition. No fist pumping from Duncan at the end - he let the players do the talking with Samuel hugging the match ball. 

[tm4tj]

 

[tm4tj]

Devine looks as though he is fouled at the first goal, Hamilton climbing all over him.

[Leaky Blinder]

8 minutes ago, CELTIC1CALEY3 said:

No fist pumping from Duncan at the end  

He'd possibly just been told the Everton score

[Yngwie]

Just watched highlights of Maidstone’s remarkable win at Ipswich (shots 38-2 but goals 1-2) and saw Manny Duku playing up front for the visitors. He only signed for them a few days ago after spending the first half of the season with a side in Gibraltar!

[Robert]

Three good goals by Samuel.

For Raith’s first, Ridgers looked to be blocked as well as Devine being pushed.

A good highlights package by Raith. 

[ICTPaisley]

13 minutes ago, Robert said:

Three good goals by Samuel.

For Raith’s first, Ridgers looked to be blocked as well as Devine being pushed.

A good highlights package by Raith. 

The commentators seemed certain the tug of the shirt at the end was a penalty. I thought the same at the time but looking back probably the right call. 

[Leaky Blinder]

32 minutes ago, ICTPaisley said:

The commentators seemed certain the tug of the shirt at the end was a penalty. I thought the same at the time but looking back probably the right call. 

Maybe there is a benefit to playing in orange 

[Yngwie]

Samuel was very sharp and alert, and  took his goals well…but some of the defending made it a bit easier for him..

For his first, watch the Raith no. 3 who is too busy claiming for offside when he should have been getting back as quickly as possible and could have got a challenge in if he had.

For our 3rd, Raith’s 21 was sleeping and failed to get a challenge in.

[lizi]

Once again a very very enjoyable away game - atmosphere first class, away support loud and positive.   That’s why away games are so much more appreciated than at Inverness where atmosphere is nil, any singing is in very distanced groups.  Can we find anyone within ICT (or anyone anywhere) willing to suggest some constructive ideas to replicate the atmosphere within ICT fans who were at Raith today ?     

[STFU]

We could move the stadium 3 hours away from Inverness.

[robbo1985]

8 hours ago, tm4tj said:

 

Thanks for adding.... What a pass that was for Samuel's first goal...not sure who played it but clearly someone with a sweet left foot!

Great victory and second what Lizi said about the difference in atmosphere between home and away games.

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

Samuel would have impressed the new Chief Executive of Raith Rovers - Andrew Barrowman scored 2 in 30 games for ICT!!!

[bishbashbosh]

7 hours ago, lizi said:

Once again a very very enjoyable away game - atmosphere first class, away support loud and positive.   That’s why away games are so much more appreciated than at Inverness where atmosphere is nil, any singing is in very distanced groups.  Can we find anyone within ICT (or anyone anywhere) willing to suggest some constructive ideas to replicate the atmosphere within ICT fans who were at Raith today ?     

Lizi,

I don’t think lack of atmosphere is owned by ICT.

the away games I have been at this season our guys(  not me, home and away I just sit there and watch the game, cheer a goal) sing “ what a shi1ey home support. I didn’t detect any atmosphere from the home support yesterday, maybe I was too engrossed watching us come from 1 down to 3-1 in 9 mins.

Our home games away guys do similar, “ what a shi1tey home support to us.

took my Dingwall grandkids to Tynecastle few weeks ago. Told them one of the best grounds in Scotland for atmosphere. Apart from the gudgies behind us singing from start to finish, as our guys did yesterday, didn’t hear a sound from the home support the whole first half, until they booed hearts of at half time. When county went 2 up hearts fans become more vocal, but didn’t sound like support to me.

my brother in law, living in Edinburgh area goes to all our away games, home games for him. His fav ground, tynecastle,(AH the glory days) but not that day he said.

Can’t see what club or anyone else can do to make people change their nature, not possible. 
I didn’t sing yesterday, nor anyone around me, did you belt out a few songs yerself. 

[The Mantis]

11 hours ago, Yngwie said:

Just watched highlights of Maidstone’s remarkable win at Ipswich (shots 38-2 but goals 1-2) and saw Manny Duku playing up front for the visitors. He only signed for them a few days ago after spending the first half of the season with a side in Gibraltar!

You should get a free mug for providing all that detail.

[Robert]

3 hours ago, robbo1985 said:

Thanks for adding.... What a pass that was for Samuel's first goal...not sure who played it but clearly someone with a sweet left foot!

Great victory and second what Lizi said about the difference in atmosphere between home and away games.

Nathan Shaw made the pass for the first goal. 

[The Mantis]

11 hours ago, Robert said:

Three good goals by Samuel.

For Raith’s first, Ridgers looked to be blocked as well as Devine being pushed.

A good highlights package by Raith. 

If Bonnyrigg can get praise every week from League 2 fans for their highlights, we’ve really no excuses for how poor ours are. 

[robbo1985]

1 hour ago, Robert said:

Nathan Shaw made the pass for the first goal. 

Thanks Robert , that explains it then.... !