Raith Rovers vs Clyde

[roverthemoon]

Ground out the win today. Not a great performance but happy with the win. Armstrong made the difference after he came on and McLean calm as you like for the tap in. Thomson secured us the points with that save at the end. Fair play to the decent Clyde crowd that travelled through in shocking conditions. 

[Raith_Raver]

Clyde look like they can do us a favour against the Bairns, who by all accounts were even luckier than us today against the Mo.

[lellywong]

Good solid three points for us today even though Clyde were the better team overall.  Unfortunate that Montrose didn't score their penalty against Falkirk but at the end of the day we have to win our games and not rely on other teams beating the teams around us.  Since coming back from injury Thomson has been making some great saves, last week at Patrick and this week clawing away a ball that I'm sure Goodwullie thought was going in.  This Rovers team seems to have the ability to dig deep and grind out a win, keep it up lads

[Hottoddy22]

For fu...

He did well second half against Thistle, but Miller has been so much more effective. In a game where we should (respectfully) expect to be going forwards more than backwards, it feels like an odd choice.

Miller could conceivably be carrying a knock, but I haven't heard anything to that effect.

Miller probably dropped after a poor game at Stranraer

[TamClyde]

Can I just ask wit was the need for sprinklers 1) in the weather and ,2) on astro???

[Raith Against The Machine]

Miller probably dropped after a poor game at Stranraer

You could well be right, but I think that's incredibly harsh, if so. It was nigh on impossible to have a good game in those conditions.

Incidentally, as with last week, McKay was better after half time, but I'd still prefer Miller in there. I've been a huge proponent of the 3-2-1-2 that'd let you play both, but I can understand McGlynn not wanting to lose any of his current front six. Bowie's maybe due a rest, though.

[embow]

1 minute ago, TamClyde said:

Can I just ask wit was the need for sprinklers 1) in the weather and ,2) on astro???

No idea why if weather was wet but believe it or not sprinklers are needed to provide the best astro surface. I sometimes wonder if Livi or QoS etc take enough care of their pitches

[Hottoddy22]

The substitutions turned the game for the Rovers.

Armstrong had his best game since coming back, replacing Bowie who possibly his worst. Bowie was bullied by Lang early on, and didn't really seem to recover. He snatched at the couple of half chances that came his way, and wasn't picking his passes.

Spencer was calmer and a little more expansive than Tait, which helped bring Armstrong into the game, and seemed to move us 10-20 yards further up the park.

And Dingwall caused a bit of grief, particularly after the goal, with his tricky running. Baird never quite settled into the game, and he was dropping deeper and deeper to try and have an effect.

I'd probably have Matthews down as my man of the match for the Rovers, he was the one just about holding things together in the first half, and he was doing well keeping things going in the second. Tom Lang was undoubtedly the best player on the park this afternoon though. Shame he ended up on the losing team.

Armstrong was defo the game changer

[Rovers_Lad]

Thought we were brutal in a first half mainly dominated by a decent Clyde side.Second half I thought we dominated and thankfully got the goal that keeps us on track

Bowie,Hendry and Tait disappointing as was MacKay especially first half,hes is not a full back

 

Edited February 22, 2020 by Rovers_Lad

[WSDR 88]

I think it was for a handball...one game, vs Clyde...hope it’s foul play, then he misses us too.

Handball on the line, and was on Sky Sports as Foul Play. So is that 2 match ban?

[R.R.FC]

9 minutes ago, Rovers_Lad said:

Thought we were brutal in a first half mainly dominated by a decent Clyde side.Second half I thought we dominated and thankfully got the goal that keeps us on track

Bowie,Hendry and Tait disappointing as was MacKay especially first half,hes is not a full back

 

Would agree with all of this except I thought Hendry had a decent game. Second half in particular he got his foot on the ball higher up the pitch and helped us keep a bit of pressure on Clyde.

Think Bowie and Tait will be out the team for Armstrong and Spencer next week. Subs were great, fair play to the manager. Armstrong in particular turned the game. Tait has been excellent since he came but I think next week would be the right time to bring Spencer back in. Even Dingwall did well when he came on.

Special mention to Thomson for that excellent save near the end, reminded of his stop against Hippolyte last season. I thought his handling was good throughout too, made most of his other saves look easy and held on to those shots well. Like Munro, he doesn’t always convince on crosses but that is 2 goals conceded in the 4 games since he was brought in, he has justified his place as our new number 1.

Thought Bene and Davo had a tough time from Goodwillie but credit to Davo for his headed clearance under the bar in the second half. Not seen it mentioned elsewhere but it was superb and saved a certain goal.

Finally, that’s 5 wins after only 7 games in the second half of the season so far. We only won 6 of our 18 games in the second half of last season. Credit to McGlynn for the massive improvement this season.

[David W]

We played really well today. Normally I'd say we got what we deserved given the missed chances but for the first time in months we played a system and style that suited our players, and got players running off Goodwillie. You'd genuinely look through the starting eleven and say everyone put in a good performance. 

We played Cunningham off the left, and Love off the right. As a result, they played more as inside forwards than wide players and linked up with Goodwillie. Lamont was terrific and for the first hour linked play up brilliantly. Cunningham gave us a bit of quality in the final third with his movement inside but he really should have scored one of his three chances. McStay unlucky to see a shot hit the post. 

Unfortunately we did tire as the second half progressed and Raith's changes made a difference. We dropped deep and Goodwillie became more stranded. Love, who played as well as he probably has done as a starter, gave the ball away three times in succession out of sheer tiredness and the goal came as Wylde was ready to replace him. Conceding a goal from a low cross that is converted at the back post? Seen it all before. Livingstone struggled with Armstrong one-to-one and that decided the game unfortunately. Even then, Raith somehow cleared a cross off the line that Lang looked to set to convert, whilst Rankin should have burst the net in the last minute.

I thought Raith were really poor today. I'm not convinced they're a better team for having McLean in there.

[Roath Raver]

Our highlights are edited and will be up on the Rovers’ website at midnight. 

[Rovers_Lad]

15 minutes ago, R.R.FC said:

Would agree with all of this except I thought Hendry had a decent game. Second half in particular he got his foot on the ball higher up the pitch and helped us keep a bit of pressure on Clyde.

Think Bowie and Tait will be out the team for Armstrong and Spencer next week. Subs were great, fair play to the manager. Armstrong in particular turned the game. Tait has been excellent since he came but I think next week would be the right time to bring Spencer back in. Even Dingwall did well when he came on.

Special mention to Thomson for that excellent save near the end, reminded of his stop against Hippolyte last season. I thought his handling was good throughout too, made most of his other saves look easy and held on to those shots well. Like Munro, he doesn’t always convince on crosses but that is 2 goals conceded in the 4 games since he was brought in, he has justified his place as our new number 1.

Thought Bene and Davo had a tough time from Goodwillie but credit to Davo for his headed clearance under the bar in the second half. Not seen it mentioned elsewhere but it was superb and saved a certain goal.

Finally, that’s 5 wins after only 7 games in the second half of the season so far. We only won 6 of our 18 games in the second half of last season. Credit to McGlynn for the massive improvement this season.

Suppose my reasoning behind saying Hendry was disappointing or decent as you put it is down to expectations because his norm is above those levels

The rest of your post is a fair and balanced analysis

[pantene proV]

12 minutes ago, David W said:

We played really well today. Normally I'd say we got what we deserved given the missed chances but for the first time in months we played a system and style that suited our players, and got players running off Goodwillie. You'd genuinely look through the starting eleven and say everyone put in a good performance. 

We played Cunningham off the left, and Love off the right. As a result, they played more as inside forwards than wide players and linked up with Goodwillie. Lamont was terrific and for the first hour linked play up brilliantly. Cunningham gave us a bit of quality in the final third with his movement inside but he really should have scored one of his three chances. McStay unlucky to see a shot hit the post. 

Unfortunately we did tire as the second half progressed and Raith's changes made a difference. We dropped deep and Goodwillie became more stranded. Love, who played as well as he probably has done as a starter, gave the ball away three times in succession out of sheer tiredness and the goal came as Wylde was ready to replace him. Conceding a goal from a low cross that is converted at the back post? Seen it all before. Livingstone struggled with Armstrong one-to-one and that decided the game unfortunately. Even then, Raith somehow cleared a cross off the line that Lang looked to set to convert, whilst Rankin should have burst the net in the last minute.

I thought Raith were really poor today. I'm not convinced they're a better team for having McLean in there.

As opposed to Gullan? I'm not sure either, but he set one goal up last week and scored this week so I think he's starting to settle (his free kick looked close from the south stand too). 

[Jilted John]

Can I just ask wit was the need for sprinklers 1) in the weather and ,2) on astro???

The pitch is too slow unless it’s wet, that’s why we have the sprinklers. f**k knows why we used them today though!

[HIT THE CHANNEL]

4 hours ago, Karpaty Lviv said:

Should be 2 or 3 ahead. Definitely will lose 1-0 now.

Hope you picked the lottery as well mate. 

[TxRover]

24 minutes ago, Jilted John said:

The pitch is too slow unless it’s wet, that’s why we have the sprinklers. f**k knows why we used them today though!

Maybe on a timer and someone forgot the key?

Today seems an example of why we need to rest players mow and then. Tait, Bowie and Hendry have been playing nearly even minute the past while, ad I just they would benefit from a wee break. Hendry is the least easily replaceable of them, but I know we’ve seen we can make it work. I’d like to see Hendry sit versus Dumbarton. Maybe also rest Bene, and let McKay team with Davo, Miller and MacDonald back. Then Spencer, Matthews and Armstrong, with Baird, Smith and MacLean, perhaps.

[HIT THE CHANNEL]

That was brutal. Very much take it and move on, a classic ‘that’s a win you need to grind if you want to be champions’ game and all that.
 

First half we should have been a couple down. Some really, really great handling from Thomson today, despite a couple of crosses second half where he seemed a touch absent. 
 

Good that McLean is off the mark as well, should do well for his confidence. 
 

Not much to add to what’s been said above but I think Spencer also made a difference. I think he will now ‘have the jersey’ and tait will find himself on the bench next week at Dumbarton. 

Anyway, makes the jars all the better. f**k aye rovers! Enjoy your nights ladies and gents. 

[Ebanda's Handyman Services]

2 hours ago, TamClyde said:

Can I just ask wit was the need for sprinklers 1) in the weather and ,2) on astro???

Didn't need the sprinklers today but as good as our pitch is, it's much better when it's wet. 

I'm still sporting a mark and bald patch at the top of my left leg after slide-tackling someone on it!