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Sam Stanton thought he’d opened scoring with a stunner and explains optimism for Raith Rovers’ season ahead

Stanton made his return from the bench on Tuesday. Image: SNS.
Stanton made his return from the bench on Tuesday. Image: SNS.

Sam Stanton has been a standout for Raith Rovers in recent weeks.

He sat out the win at Cove Rangers to recover from a knock but was instrumental the week before in the victory over Ayr United.

Since Scott Brown moved into midfield, Stanton has had to think less about holding midfield duties and can get forward to create havoc.

He was unstoppable at points in the first half in the defeat to Queen’s Park – but “it just wasn’t our day in front of goal”, said the busy midfielder.

Rovers also hit the bar and had an effort cleared off the line in a late scramble for a winner.

Stanton’s stunning effort in the opening minutes was millimetres away from setting a completely different tone to the match.

Stanton hits the post:

‘I thought it was in!’

“I think if you get the first goal – the first goal is always very important, especially in this league,” he said.

“So it would have been nice if it had gone in but it just wasn’t to be.

“I thought it was in! I don’t know how it didn’t go in.

“It just seems to come across the line and out. It’s just one of those things.”

The result leaves Rovers sixth with nine points after eight matches.

Stanton believes there were enough positive signs from Saturday’s match to stay optimistic for the season ahead.

Reasons to be optimistic

“I thought it was a good game of football,” added the former Dundee United midfielder.

“I thought we were maybe unlucky – we were definitely the better team in the first half and unlucky not to score.

“We created some good chances throughout the game.

“I think if we were playing in these games and getting beat and we weren’t playing very well it would be very different.

“But the signs are there we can play and we’ve been unfortunate sometimes.

“We need a bit of luck as well.”

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