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wellyboot · Joined: 14 Jul 2008 Posts: 2580 Location: Aberdeenshire

Probably Easton’s poorest game for us but even the best have an off day. Byrne for me was imperious
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Vinnie · Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2024 6:13 pm Post subject:

Castle · Joined: 24 Jul 2010 Posts: 4940

Opening few minutes Dunfermline had a couple of half chances. A Chalmers shot where he maybe should have done better and a near post flick on which I was just waiting to nestle into the net. Then we scored and I have no idea what the goal was like as I only knew it was a goal once our players started to celebrate. For the next twenty odd minutes or so we totally dominated and controlled the game. Had several half chances, dangerous forays into their box and two or three pot shots on their goal. It was from one of those pot shots though I think allowed them to score. Millen somehow found himself on the left side of their box and a crack at goal. A decent attempt even though it missed but they must have taken the goal kick sharpish as I don't think Millen got back into position quickly enough and our players were all over the place as they surged into our half. It's happened time and time again this season when we have failed to close down an attacking threat and instead just back off. When someone finally decided to do something to stop Summers(?) It was Ewan Murray but he chose a half measure instead of going all in. He'd have got a yellow but would have stopped the shot that I think a fully fit Dabroski would have stopped. After that I was glad just to get to half time level as their was also a goal mouth scramble that we somehow cleared.
Got the lead early on in the second with a great header from O'Reilly. Nobody was stopping him getting onto the end of that corner. After that it was rearguard action similar to the first league game at the KDM. They had a lot of possession but I don't think they ever carved out any clear cut chances though it was still a nervy finish. Dabroski could barely walk by the end of the game so I don't know if we should have subbed him or not as it was certainly making our defending so much more difficult. Having said that he made some magnificent saves that maybe ultimately got us the points. My man of the match would have to be out two goal hero (and with that he should get his contract) but I also thought that Brown, Vaughan and Mullen put in a barrel load of effort and some good pieces of composed play.
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embow · Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2024 6:44 pm Post subject:

Great to see Ross Mathews get a wee fifteen minutes at the end after his lengthy lay off.
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Franco · Joined: 10 Oct 2019 Posts: 1204 Location: kirkcaldy

Big Kevin carrying an injury meant that he didn't kick from hand and didn't take bye kicks. But ,more importantly ,our defenders were ,effectively, denied an outball to the keeper. Our defence is shaky enough without putting that extra strain on them . Very surprised that the Pars didn't press hard and make us use Kev, which could have paid dividends for them.
Their goal was a carbon copy of three of the goals we lost to Ayr. I thought that having two defensive midfielders would have eliminated that weakness.🙄
We were well on top until Dunfermline scored. Thought we would regroup in the second half but we couldn't get our passing game going at all.
Just great to see Ross Matthews get minutes on the park ( he was stripped and ready to come on it seemed like ages before joining the game! )
Questions for IM seem obvious : why play Kevin with an injury and won't that hinder his recovery? and Is our two goal hero getting an extended contract?

StarksBarmy · Joined: 03 Apr 2010 Posts: 4031

Got away with it but as you say Franco, playing Kev in that condition was a pretty mental decision which on many other days would have blown up in our faces. Guess we were fortunate the Pars just weren’t good enough to exploit the situation.

Hopefully he heals through the week but if not, please bring in one of the other two for Airdrie!

Wasn’t pretty at times but after the last two games, was all about the result.

Surely isn’t a coincidence that our form and results have dipped since Stanton went off injured

Tam · Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2024 9:07 pm Post subject:

What a THREE POINTS and a nice victory.

Really mystified how on earth we played and injured goalkeeper, when we had two other keepers on the bench???? Absolute NUTS.

Like others have said, why put the defence under pressure when they shouldn't pass back to big Kev.
Having said that, Kev did bring off some great saves.

We should have capitalised when we were so dominant after scoring. Hey ho that's the Rovers.

I thought Scott Brown was outstanding to day. Lewie and Shaun Byrne were also in top drawer.

stan drew rover · Joined: 05 Jun 2017 Posts: 870 Location: Work it out!

Today, we caused ourselves far more problems than the opposition caused us.

Starting with the obvious - why on earth did Dabrowski play, given we have TWO perfectly competent gaolkeepers on the bench? Is there something we don't know about Scott Thomson?

The impact of that decision was to deny our defensive line the out-ball to the goalkeeper; to hand Pars possession from EVERY throw-out (we won the odd first ball from them, but we won zero second balls).

Kev made a couple of competent saves, so wasn't completely out of it, but no kicking, no mobility, no leaping - a wildly unnecesaary risk.

Then, outfield, we had half a team up for the contest, and the other half not at the races. Naming names - pass marks and better to O'Reilly, Byrne, Brown, Mullen, Vaughan; fail marks to Millen, Dick, Murray, Easton, Hamilton.

On an average day for our squad, that would have been a 0-5 win. But, as a team, we were off it for too loing so only won 1-2. Just the three league wins in a row against the Pars, four in a row counting the cup tie - and we've played well in one-and-a-half of these matches.

So there are plenty of positives, I guess.
First of these positives - the Pars remain rank rotten - how they're in the top half I'll never know.
Our other positives are varied -
1. Top of the league despite only being at our best once in the past four games
2. Ross Matthews is back
3. Shaun Byrne clearly wants to be at the Rovers, and will not want to warm Dundee's bench for the remainder of the season
4. Dan O'Reilly clearly wants to be at the Rovers
5. We have scoring threats all over the park - now including a defender

We really can win this league, because we have the best players - as long as enough of them perform week-to-week. Just like today, for instance

wellyboot · Joined: 14 Jul 2008 Posts: 2580 Location: Aberdeenshire

Wolfman Jack · Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2024 10:19 pm Post subject:

Highlights.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8qm7fLGxkc&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.raithrovers.net%2F&feature=emb_imp_woyt
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Hope he's got plenty Rovers action to comment on tonight....

wellyboot · Joined: 14 Jul 2008 Posts: 2580 Location: Aberdeenshire

Investigation into a Rovers fan being assaulted after the game. Hope they recover from this incident
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stan drew rover · Joined: 05 Jun 2017 Posts: 870 Location: Work it out!

embow · Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2024 11:19 pm Post subject:

Could have been a lot worse if you'd said Andy Mathews was back!🫣
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pinky · Joined: 15 Jul 2008 Posts: 509 Location: isle of south uist

I don’t think so Neil M. It was the pars fans throwing the squibs on the park, though I think there were smoke flares at the Rovers end.
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scotty · Joined: 12 Jul 2008 Posts: 9073 Location: Almost Dysart.

Just watched the highlights.

I don't think anybody can be questioning Millen's role in their goal, he was in his position. Question instead our midfield who allowed Summers to pick up a pass and advance 15 yards on goal. Murray for once steps up and goes to close him down but is far too easily sidestepped. This has been our main area of weakness in the last 3 games, and something that Ian Murray desperately needs to sort out.

Thankfully the Pars really are a woeful lot. A team who all but completely failed to exploit the chinks in Rovers armour, their keeper in especial though is worthy of a mention for all the wrong reasons, he seemed to berate everyone in sight for our goals except himself. He may have had a point though about Edwards who was more intent on stopping the man (O'Rielly) than defending the ball coming in. The Pars should stay out of relegation trouble but unless they bring in some quality (on and off the Park) I can't see that gang troubling the promotion play-offs.

An away New year derby win, 4 wins on the spin and failing catastrophes of biblical proportions a virtual guaranteed finish above them. Braw!
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Competitive goals: Vaughan 19, Easton 11, Hamilton 10, Smith 9, Stanton 7, Mullin 4, Connolly 3, O'Reilly 3, Rudden 3, S Brown 2, Dick 1, Gullan 1, Masson 1, Matthews 1, Millen 1, Mitchell 1, Murray, Watson 1, OG's 1,