Raith Rovers manager Ian Murray is enjoying a more typical week after Storm Babet wreaked havoc on the training and fixture schedule.
The Kirkcaldy club are preparing for their third Fife derby of the season after last weekend’s trip to Arbroath was postponed.
It allowed Raith to work on the fitness of some injured stars ahead of a crucial fixture.
Murray explained why the free weekend was both a blessing and a curse.
“In the short-term, it’ll help us,” said the Raith boss. “It gives the boys a little bit of a rest going into a busy time.
“There were a couple of injuries that we could improve, but then it’s going to catch us up again, we’re going to have to play at some point in midweek now.
“But I think with the weather being so bad, Arbroath is never an easy place to go, with that wind and rain that was coming, it was just going to be a lottery.”
Raith to assess Easton and Watson
The lay-off means Dylan Easton and Keith Watson have had an extra week to recover and both will be assessed ahead of the derby.
“Dylan was sore at the weekend end there and we were able to improve him with the game called off,” added Murray.
“It was just a bit of bone bruising, it’s always going to be sore. But structurally his knee is absolutely fine.”
Jamie Gullan has an outside chance of making it and it is hoped Jack Hamilton will resume full training at the start of next week.
Ross Matthews and Dylan Corr, meanwhile, are continuing to progress well.
Given Raith’s league position, the big games keep coming, though the Fife derby has added importance regardless of league position.
Raith boss praises Dunfermline counterpart
Dunfermline come into this one off the back of two consecutive defeats, but the Raith boss won’t underestimate the Pars after two tight encounters already this season.
“The first two have been really tight, really tight,” said Murray. “Both games could have gone either way.
“We could have won the first, they’ll argue they could have won it.
“The one at East End easily could have been a draw, we got our noses in front and hung on to the lead, which was a fantastic win for us.
“I expect a really tight game, I think James [McPake] and Dave [Mackay] have done a fantastic job there since they’ve gone in.
“They’ve had a couple of poor results in their last two games, but when we’ve played them they’ve been very well organised – structurally and defensively, really hard to break down.
“They know their roles inside out and they tend to play out their game plan to the point.”
Conversation