Well, here we go again We blew it last year and the players were far too nervous in front of the 3000+ home fans in my opinion, we need to have a lead going into the 2nd leg as Airdrie will be hard to beat at home. Hopefully it will be an exciting match with a good atmosphere.

The players need to keep their cool and not get overwhelmed by the situation, players such as Goodwillie and Templeton better get used to playing in front of big crowds if they are hoping to break into their actual teams. As Rovers supporters, it is our duty to get right behind the team on Wednesday, make as much noise as possible, and be the 12th man.

I think the manager and players will have learned from last years failure, and we will win the 1st leg without conceding.

Truthfully, we were well beaten by Stirling Albion. I dont think Airdrie are nearly as good as Albion were then, and I expect us to beat them.

My predictions are a draw at Stark's and a win at Shyberry. I think Rovers dominated Airdrie more over there than at Stark's, both times, despite the suicidal defending last time, which I dont think will be repeated. I expect us to get thru to meet Clyde in the final, who will beat us.

I dont think so

As you do...

If Raith win they'll deserve to, if they don't the win was still deserved although stolen from them according to some on here. That game is long gone . Doesn't make a bit of difference now.

Get your arses up here Raith!dont mess it up this year.

Is that because your players can then have a bet on Rovers instead of Airdrie???

No, it's because everyone hates you.

Well, they can hate us in the First Division next year then.

I'm sure they will, big yin

I'm hitting the hay for the night, tro bud.

He will never play well infront of big crowds or break into Hearts first team because he's a lightweight, shite player. If he plays we're shooting ourselves in the foot.

Big carrot for both teams as im sure that the winner of this tie will win the play-offs, Alloa and Clyde are rank rotten and bar a complete shock dont have a chance in my opinion. Rather Rovers came up but as Airdrie came down with us and its still fresh in the memory of how shit it felt i definately wouldn't grudge them they're place in the 1st.

Good luck both teams and im sure we'll be meeting one of you on league duty next season

Been confirmed that away goals don't count double on the Raith website. I look forward to the playoffs, last year we took a decent crowd home and away and hopefully promotion could see us return to larger crowds.

I really do fail to see why he's been so heavily promoted as Scotland's Next Big Player. He really has failed to offer anything with us. He does manage to get the ball a lot, which would be fantastic if he did something with it 90% of the time. Too many times he just runs into the first defender he sees.

In a less physical league, I imagine he'd do better. He also clearly can't play against defences which sit in, which has been the majority of all our home games this season.

Exactly. I hope McGlynn can see this and not just us.

Knowing us we'll bottle the home leg, it'll end up a draw or a home defeat. Then we'll have to do it the hard way by winning in Airdrie.

I'll be there on Saturday for the second leg. Never been to Airdrie's ground before. Looking forward to the game.

I will be there at both legs. Really looking forward to it. I just hope we don't mess it up on wednessday, which I can see happening! Hope we get alloa next round! Just to confirm 7:45 KO right!?

Any particular reasons why?

I think I'd rather play Clyde. I'd rather be playing Clyde than Airdrie.

They've had a poor season, morale must be very low. Airdrie/Alloa have both had good enough seasons, scoring enough goals and not conceding many, to finish at the to end of the table, whereas Clyde are the opposite.

Clyde have severe weaknesses in their team, hence why they finished 9th. Granted they were playing in a higher league, but they must still have a poor defensive unit, or a toothless attack.

I'll be there, in the Airdrie end of course.

15-03-08 Raith Rovers Airdrie 1 : 0 2. Division
02-02-08 Airdrie Raith Rovers 3 : 0 2. Division
20-10-07 Raith Rovers Airdrie 2 : 1 2. Division
04-08-07 Airdrie Raith Rovers 0 : 1 2. Division
08-08-06 Raith Rovers Airdrie 1 : 2 League Cup
09-08-05 Raith Rovers Airdrie 2 : 0 League Cup
07-05-05 Raith Rovers Airdrie 0 : 1 1. Division
19-02-05 Airdrie Raith Rovers 2 : 1 1. Division
18-12-04 Raith Rovers Airdrie 0 : 2 1. Division
21-08-04 Airdrie Raith Rovers 1 : 1 1. Division
05-04-03 Airdrie Raith Rovers 1 : 1 2. Division
18-01-03 Raith Rovers Airdrie 1 : 0 2. Division

Airdrie away form, played 18, won 9, drawn 3, lost 6
Raith home form, played 18 won 8, drawn 3, lost 7

I predict a 1-1 draw on Wednesday.
Rovers are 5/4, Airdrie 11/8

then Airdrie 2-0 at home (I hope)

If the Rovers beat Airdrie, they'll get promotion IMO

You're right there. From our play-off experiences, the 9th team is the weakest of the 4.

We sorted out Stranraer (then from the league above) home and away no problem and then got shafted by Queen's Park. As weird as it seems, it's probably better to finish 4th in the league and get an easier route to the final.

no idea how this will go.......nervy stuff.

By whom?

Think wednesday will be tough and could go either way, I've a feeling we'll have it all to do in the second leg, but thank god a few thousand of us will not have to endure the Stamford Bridge Slumber party.

Roll on wednesday!

What kind of squad did Airdrie play yesterday?

under 19's

pretty average game but for a team containing three regulars in the squad they did really really well.

This will be a nervy game, and I'm not confident at all. I think we'll draw or lose this.

I see what people are saying about Templeton, but I'd rather he played than Carcary.

I'd go with this:

Fahey

Wilson
Pelosi
Campbell
Davidson

Borris
Silvestro
Sloan
Templeton

Hislop
Weir

Pretty much the same as Rovers. Means that Wednesdays game will be interesting.

I'm really looking forward to this now, and agree 100% about Templeton. However, there's no doubt 4-4-2 is our stronger formation, so who else are we going to play out wide? The useless Carcary? No thanks.

I'd go with:

Fahey
Wilson
Pelosi
Davidson
Campbell
Silvestro
Borris
Sloan
Hislop
Weir
Templeton

With a bench of Carcary, Goodwillie, Henderson, Bryce and some goalkeeper who isn't injured.

I think Goodie could be used as an impact sub, someone to give us a different dimension against a tiring Airdrie defence, and with any luck could rip the pish out of them. Same with Carcary and Bryce if need be.

I'd take a one goal lead into the second leg right now, but it'll be a really close game. It's vital we start brightly and not nervously like we did last season. It could well be decided by a moment of magic or a mistake- knowing this league, it'll be a mistake!

I'll be optimistic and say Raith 2-1 Airdrie, but I'm not too confident about it.

A few weeks back i said Stevie Hislop could end up playing if goals if needed. I'm getting more and more worried that may be the case.

We have found it very difficult against Raith this season so I am not confident at all over the 2 legs. No matter who comes out on top on Wednesday, given both teams ups and downs I don't think the tie will be settled until Saturday. Let's hope Alloa can beat the gypos as, given our record against them this season, I'd rather play them than the Broadwood squatters.

When he was leaving Stenny, I'm sure Man Utd/Chelsea/Liverpool/Rangers/Celtic were interested.

Assuming my mate can purchase petrol, I'll be up at this one. Not looking forward to it in the slightest though.

I firmly believe Airdrie are a better side than Raith, and the league table would back that up. For some reason, we're nigh on incapable of getting a result against them though. A Walter Smith style "anti-football" 0-0 draw would do me nicely, but I've no idea how this will go.

Nervy times ahead.

Totally bricking it now. The fact that the games between us and Airdrie have been close affairs this year offers a glimmer of hope to the Raith faithful that wasn't truly there last year against Stirling - therefore, it will hurt all the more if/when we lose....

Templeton shouldn't start, he offers little as it is over 90 minutes - seems a harsh thing to say after scoring some terrific goals for us but he's lightweight, can only beat a man about 15% of the time and is generally quite ball greedy. Goodwillie is more of a prospect but unfortunately he didn't look fully fit on saturday, my problem with him as an impact player as noted above is that when things are going raith's way he's all over the opposition like a rash, when it's all going to shit, he's worse than useless, Hislop is much more of an impact player IMO, several times this year he's come on and taken the game by the scruff of the neck.

The keeper's position has already been sorted with Renton taking himself out of the picture, Dingwall had a poor game on saturday, think I'd rather have Pelosi in there if he is halfway fit. For a 4-4-2, I'd go:

Fahey

Wilson
Davidson
Campbell
Pelosi

Borris
Sloan
Silvestro
Carcary

Goodwillie
Weir

Will obviously be behind whatever team McG puts out 100%, [i]someone[\i] has to win the play offs, form counts for little going into these ties, will be close either way.

I just posted this on the other thread but here I go again tempting the fates.

I'm confident about Airdrie, there league position tells me we should be worried but the truth is that in the 3 games I've seen them in this season they've not looked particularly strong. No doubt it'll be close - there's me tempting the fates again - but i'm confident we'll beat Airdrie over two legs.

Then we'll get pumped by the other finalist .

Edited for grammar, also the first part sounds slightly arrogant. I'm not meaning to be and am solely basing this prediction on the fact we've beaten you all 3 times I've seen you. Although I'm aware that the other time we got molested.

I think we will have to win by 2 clear goals to stand any chance of progressing.

Is Allan Russell injured for this game?

I wish, besides, Airdrie don't lack other threats anyway...

Ach well Am I right in saying he hasn't played since picking up a knock a couple of weeks ago then?

I may be wrong but I thought he played last week but had to be taken off as a precaution?

Its 15mins down the road from me. A cheap bus ride....

Is it 7:45 on wednesday!?

Picked up a dead leg early on against alloa last week, never played yesterday but was fit for selection. He's 100% fit and raring to go on wednesday and hopefully fire us into the 1st division!

Wont make the game on wednesday but hoping we can get a result, if you offered me a draw on wed i'd take it. We've been pretty good at home this year and would fancy us winning a one off game. With a host of players rested yesterday there can be no excuses for tiredness come wed night. I reckon we'll line up with:

Robbo

Smith Donnelly Smyth Lovering

Andreoni Holmes MacDonald Noble

Prunty Russell


Not sure how long McKenna is going to be out for think he's been out with a broken wrist (or something along they lines) but if he was fit i'd reckon he would play instead of Smith with Marc Smyth going to Right back.

yeah but i'd get their a bit earlier if it is anything like last year.

Time will the turnstyles be open at Airdrie? Lasy year was a joke! Get there early folks, come quarter past 2 they still weren't open and the queses were a ridiculous length.

Hopefully this is avioded by some common sense this year.

Don't think Stirling had anticipated the numbers we were to bring. Hence the terrace being opened.

Yep, 7:45 kick-off but remember it was delayed last season to let the crowd in, me and my mates will be there at 7 on the dot to take our place at the back of the South Stand, be warned...we have airhorns

What row/ part of the stand are you sitting in. I don't want to be deafened by you and your mates when you decide to bring the airhords out.

Hmm.... we should make a party of this.

Whistles and glowsticks anyone?

We're hoping to get seats in the very back row that's why we are goin so early, I think airhorns add a wee bit extra atmosphere to games I have 1 for the away leg as well

Raith Ravers?

Ayep

It would be good if we could do something a bit different to be honest.