Fans In Focus...Will Lyon

Click here or read below for my 'Fans In Focus' piece I wrote for The Rover, the official Raith Rovers matchday magazine.

Fans In Focus

I'm Will Lyon and I live in Dalgety Bay. I have just finished a four year history degree at the University of Edinburgh and will be missing the first half of this season to train as a reporter at the Press Association in Newcastle. Away from Starks Park I keep myself involved with other sports, but due to my lack of sporting talent I tend to watch, read and write about it instead!

I was bought a Raith shirt shortly after they won the League Cup in 1994, but didn't take much notice of them at the time as I was only five years old. Although I was living in Jersey at the time, I started following Rovers in 2001 after I was brought to a pre-season friendly while on holiday. My first full season watching Raith was the 2007/8 campaign when they were knocked out of the playoffs by Airdrie United after a few goalkeeping errors in the first leg.

Laurie Ellis is my favourite Rovers player at the moment. He is always dependable, organises the defence well and has been a fine servant to the club in his three spells. The goal he scored against Dundee in the Scottish Cup semi final in 2010 was something special and the celebration, with his arms aloft, was just as brilliant.

Robert Sloan may not have been the fastest player in the world, but I like a player with a cultured left foot and Sloan's was probably the best in the Second Division. He was a calming influence on a team which had a tendency of thumping the ball up the pitch, but my overriding memory of him would be the fantastic set piece ability he had. The freekick he scored against Brechin City in the climax of the 2008/9 season will live long in the memory.

The 2-2 draw against Dunfermline last November was a classic, but the aforementioned 2-1 Scottish Cup semi final win over Dundee is the best game I've ever attended. The feeling of being two goals up after just ten minutes and then walking out of Dens Park, knowing you would be going to Hampden to watch Raith play for a place in a national final against a team other than Queens Park, was just incredible.

A very unoriginal choice, but it has to be Lionel Messi. His goal against Real Madrid in last season's Champions League semi final summed up the qualities he possesses. He has pace, balance, control, composure and a superb first touch.

I am not expecting another title challenge this season, but I would expect Rovers to steer clear of relegation and if I had to pick a position, I would say seventh. I think that Ayr United, Morton and Livingston all have a weaker starting eleven than Raith, but a lot could rest on injuries and suspensions picked up along the season.

Raith Rovers Preview, Season 2011-12

Click here or read below for my prediction of how Raith Rovers will compete during the 2011/12 season. It was published in Scotzine. The 64 page magazine can be purchased here for just £1.

1. Who do you think will win the league this season?

Once again, the First Division is likely to be a tightly contested league. Ross County however, have added a number of different options in the summer which should propel their underachieving team into the title race this season. Colin McMenamin will be a welcome addition up front, Rocco Quinn should add some increased trickery in midfield, while Russell Duncan and Grant Munro will bring an abundance of experience required for maintaining a promotion push late in the season.

2. Other than your side, what club will you be watching closely?

It shall be interesting to observe how Dundee perform this season. Despite their twenty-five point deduction last term, the Dens Park side finished sixth and although they have lost Gary Harkins, Craig Forsyth and Leigh Griffiths they could well be an outside bet for the title.

3. Who do you think will be bottom of the league/destined for the drop?

Ayr United will most probably have the tightest budget next season and will be the only part-time club in the First Division, so you would expect the Somerset Park side to prop up the table. The ninth placed play-off position could be held by a number of teams, but whoever occupies it should be able to come out of the play-offs victorious due to their full time status.

4. Where do you think your club will finish in the league?

It is hard to predict where Raith Rovers will finish this season, due to the similar quality of all teams in the league. However, fifteen players left the Kirkcaldy club in the summer and with a limited number of players replacing the departed, I would expect Rovers to finish around mid-table this time around.

5. Who is the club's key player?

There are no stand out players in the Raith squad although experienced defenders Grant Murray and Laurie Ellis will be an important component of Rovers backbone. However, as the phrase goes, goals win games and therefore top striker John Baird will be the go-to guy when the team is struggling.

6. Hopes for the coming season?

This may come across as very defeatist, but staying in business is my main hope for the season. The fairly significant recent budget cuts were an unwelcome surprise and financial stability is paramount if Raith are to be around for the long run. On the pitch, I would hope Raith can be competitive all season and keep away from the bottom half of the table.

7. Fears for the coming season?

As above, I do worry about the finances of the club, but in more pressing terms I do have a slight fear that Raith could find themselves in a relegation battle this season. Losing experienced campaigners such as Mark Campbell, Stephen Simmons and Craig Wilson may just prove a little too much upheaval.

8. Whose player was the biggest waste of money from last season? And where is he now?

Former Kilmarnock striker Gary Wales was brought to Starks Park in November 2010, but would only go on to make seven appearances all season with a measly sum of just sixty-four minutes on the pitch. Wales was never able to get into a rhythm due to persistent injuries and ended up being a burden on the club's tight budget. As far as I know, Wales has been on trial at Queen of the South recently, but it appears unlikely he will be offered a contract by manager Gus McPherson.

9. Other fans think our club is....

Most fans appeared to praise Raith for overachieving last season after finishing second in the First Division, but the unsavoury style of football on show (labelled “hoofball” or “punt it down the channels”) is widely criticised.

10. What opposition player would you want to play for your club?

Dundee centre half Rhys Weston always impresses me when I see him. He is a superb defender for First Division level and it surprises me that he did not move elsewhere in the summer.

11. What opposition player would you love to see fail miserably?

I have no qualms with any player in the First Division although I am sure a few Rovers fans who disliked Simmons would like to see him fail at his new club Queen of the South.

12. Your manager's popularity out of 10 with the fans?

Despite leading Raith within touching distance of the SPL – an unbelievable feat- a minority of Rovers fans still find themselves bewildered by John McGlynn's supposed favouritism towards certain players and stubborn tactics. Therefore his popularity would be somewhere around 9/10.

13. What team would you select for the opening season for your club?

A home game against Dundee or Falkirk would bring a big crowd to Starks Park and thankfully Falkirk will indeed be visiting Kirkcaldy on the opening day of the season.

written by Will Lyon

Walker Wonder Strike Keeps Rovers In The Hunt

Click here or read below for my match report of this afternoon's fixture between Raith Rovers and Dundee. It was published on the official Raith Rovers website.

Raith Rovers 2 v 1 Dundee

Raith Rovers managed to keep themselves just two points behind league leaders Dunfermline Athletic after a last minute 25-yard Allan Walker strike at Starks Park this afternoon.

Raith dominated the majority of the game and deservedly went in at the break a goal to the good thanks to a fabulous Gregory Tade volley.

However, Dundee hit back on the 71st minute when Stephen O'Donnell squeezed the ball home from the tightest of angles.

The teams

The Dees looked to have stolen a point until Walker stepped up and drilled home in unstoppable fashion.

The first half was almost entirely dominated by the home side, but it was not until the 13th minute that they managed an attempt on goal. A Scott McBride long throw found Tade who managed to loop a header over Rab Douglas, only to see the ball land on top of the goal.

Two minutes later Rovers should have taken the lead. An Allan Walker corner was flicked on to Iain Davidson at the back post and with Douglas floored, the midfielder somehow managed to blaze over the bar.

Dundee were sitting deep and the Kirkcaldy side were struggling to break through as Douglas mopped up long range attempts by Walker and John Baird.

However, with just a minute remaining in the first period, Raith broke through. Baird knocked a freekick into the path of Tade who volleyed home from the edge of the box superbly.

Despite having little to do in the first half, Raith goalkeeper Andy McNeil was forced off at the break with a back problem and gave way to David McGurn.

Dundee managed their first shot on goal almost immediately after the interval when Davidson brought down Gary Harkins at the edge of the box, but McGurn was more than equal to the playmaker's effort.

Despite their early pressure, Dundee were forced back again and Baird went close with a scissor kick after Kevin McBride curled a shot just wide of the target.

Action in front of the South Stand

On the 60th minute Kevin McBride was causing more problems as he had a strike deflected wide for a corner. From the set piece Dougie Hill just failed to convert at the back post.

Dundee however, were not going to go down quietly and started to fight harder to keep their unbeaten run going. Raith manager, John McGlynn sensed the change and replaced Davidson with Mark Ferry.

Despite the substitution, disaster struck five minutes later for the Starks Park side. Connor Rennie filtered a ball through to O'Donnell who brushed off Hill and stroked the ball past McGurn at the tightest of angles.

McGlynn responded by changing from a 4-4-2 system to 4-3-3, taking off Scott McBride for Graham Weir.

Dundee were struggling to keep possession and on the 84th minute were in more trouble as Craig McKeown brought down Baird and earned himself a second yellow card.

The visitors were now camped in their own half and Raith should have re-taken the lead on the 84th minute. Walker swung a corner into the box which was flicked on by Grant Murray but somehow Baird couldn't find the net at the back post.

With Dunfermline winning away at Cowdenbeath it looked as if Rovers would end the day four points behind their closest rivals, however, they were not done yet.

A freekick was cleared by the Dundee defence only as far as Walker who, from 25 yards out, smashed a ball at goal with it dipping just at the right time, clipping off the underside of the bar and into the back of the net, leaving Douglas helpless and Dundee's unbeaten run in tatters.

It was a thoroughly merited three points for Raith but credit must be given to the heavily weakened Dundee team for a phenomenal 23 game unbeaten streak.

Rovers next match is a Fife Derby against Cowdenbeath at Starks Park next Saturday and a win against Jimmy Nicholl's men would take them back to the top of the league due to Dunfermline's spare weekend.

written by Will Lyon

First Division Round-Up - Saturday 12th February 2011

Fairytale Dees, sacking Staggies and a ceremony at Central Park...just another day in the First Division!

Neil McCann celebrates after scoring against Raith Rovers

After their CVA agreement on Tuesday, Dundee's financial problems appeared to heading towards an end. The question was, how would Dundee respond on the park to this welcome news? The answer would be provided in fairytale fashion with their match winner coming from a man who came out of retirement and played for no fee, just to help out his first ever senior side.

Dundee were facing top of the table Raith Rovers at Dens Park in a clash that would have been a top of the table one, if it were not for the Dees SFL imposed points deduction.

Both teams struggled to dictate play in the opening period but it would be Rovers who took the lead after a Grant Murray header beat former Scotland keeper' Rab Douglas.

However, few could have predicted the perfect comeback from the battling Dees. Gary Harkins stepped up 25 yards from goal and curled a stupendous freekick into the back of the net to haul Dundee level with just 7 minutes to go.

The fairytale comeback was complete, unbelievably, in the 5^th minute of stoppage time when 36-year-old Neil McCann, who came out of retirement to play for Dundee, controlled a cross and delicately looped the ball over the despairing Andrew McNeil to send the Dens Park crowd into raptures. Indeed, the joy on show from both Dundee's players and fans, would bring a tear to a glass eye after recent events.

Elsewhere in the First Division, Dunfermline Athletic romped to a 4-0 victory over struggling Cowdenbeath which means they are now just 2 points behind pace setters Raith, with a game in hand. Other landmarks in this game was an official ceremony for the unveiling of Cowdenbeath's brand new floodlights, but less pleasing for the Central Park side was watching former Blue Brazil striker, Liam Buchanan, scoring his first goal in Dunfermline colours.

At the other end of the table, Ross County laboured to a 0-0 draw against bottom side Stirling Albion and this would prove to be Willie McStay's last match in charge of the Staggies as he was relieved of his duties shortly after the match. Quite unbelievably, it was only McStay's 9^th game in charge of the Highland outfit.

Meanwhile, Queen of the South managed to hold Partick Thistle to a thrilling 3-3 draw at Palmerston after two late goals and Falkirk kept up with the title challengers after a narrow 1-0 win over Greenock Morton.

What we have learnt

Today was another reminder that first of all, there are likely to be many twists and turns in the race for promotion. The contenders could not be any more different as Raith are a physical and workman-like side, but Dunfermline are a fairly free-flowing and attacking outfit. However, we cannot forget about Falkirk, who need to place together some sort of Caley-esq consistency if they are to challenge for the title. Narrow wins over Raith and Morton are certainly a step in the right direction for Steven Pressley's men.

At the other end of the table, Dundee, who are as Jim Spence would claim, “morally” top of the league, are already up to 7^th place in the real world and bar a catastrophic collapse, are all but clear of relegation because they have a superior side to those around them. So that leaves Stirling rooted at the bottom, which looks like the position they will end up finishing in, unless new manager Jocky Scott can pull a few rabbits out of the hat. The more interesting battle down the bottom is likely to be between Ross County and Cowdenbeath as they battle it out to avoid slipping into the relegation play-off spot. Ross County have a huge decision to make with regards to a new manager and will arguably need to appoint an experienced head, while Cowdenbeath need to find their early season form again if they are to avoid nerve shredding play-off fixtures.

written by Will Lyon