Raith Rovers sit second in the Championship, four points off the top with a game in hand.
The recent postponement at Arbroath means the first quarter is slightly lopsided, with an extra Fife derby making up the nine fixtures in its absence.
Sam Stanton goals have won each of those Dunfermline clashes, the most recent being a dramatic strike in the 93rd minute at the weekend.
Another derby goal for Sam Stanton, another three points for the Rovers 💙
Match highlights and Ian Murray's post-match reaction from our win against Dunfermline Athletic are available on YouTube now 👇https://t.co/3rhla4HULF pic.twitter.com/qF0l2GrpE8
— RaithTV (@RaithTV) October 29, 2023
A trip to Greenock on Tuesday night gives them the chance to slash the gap to one point ahead of the weekend games.
Courier Sport assesses Raith Rovers’ season so far.
Transfer window
Right from the off, the signs were good. With the takeover of the club being finalised before last season had finished, recruitment was under way early and first targets were secured.
Josh Mullin, Keith Watson and Shaun Byrne all have experience of winning the Championship, Jack Hamilton has scored goals at this level – though has struggled with injury – and Scott McGill’s versatility has been crucial.
Callum Smith, meanwhile, became the latest League One player the Rovers boss gambled on and has been one of the standouts so far.
The one area they have been a little light at has been at centre-back, though much of this is down to injuries to Dylan Corr and, more recently, Watson.
It could be argued that their most crucial signing was to bring in John Potter. The technical director has played a huge part in encouraging these players to the club.
Grade: A
Form
It would be unrealistic to expect an undefeated quarter, so losing just once is an incredible return.
Just two draws on top of that have Raith within touching distance of United if they can win their game in hand.
A midweek game may present some issues in terms of squad selection, given the reduced numbers recently, which makes the sustained form even more impressive.
Rovers have lost just twice in all competitions, both away from home.
It’s not just that, it’s the way they have won some of these matches that has people paying attention.
They even ended a 23-year hoodoo by beating Inverness.
Grade: A+
Manager
The Rovers manager’s campaign has had roughly two different phases so far.
An abundance of attackers at the start made selecting the best combination and keeping everyone happy a challenge.
Murray negotiated that well and some even used it as motivation in their performances on the pitch.
More recently, injuries have hit but Raith Murray’s side keep collecting points.
The manager has been flexible in his shape this season too, starting the campaign with a 4-1-3-2 before the signing of Byrne brought a change to two holding midfielders.
Even in-game Murray has made improvements to the side, most recently in Saturday’s Fife derby.
Grade: A+
Star man: Sam Stanton
Arguments could be made for a number of players but Stanton was standing out above the others even before his latest derby winner.
Whether as a holding midfielder or more advanced – sometimes as a second striker – he is one of the first names on Murray’s team sheet.
This time last year, Stanton had a burst of goalscoring form. His tally is fewer so far this season but his all-round game has been exceptional.
Every week the Rovers fans have been treated to his blend of composure, technique and energy.
It has to be said, however, that were it not for injury and a harsh suspension, this could have been Dylan Easton.
Grade: A+
After lots of off-field positivity over the summer, Raith Rovers have backed it all up with results on the park.
Fans are buying into it all, evidenced by the initial uptake for their Clubb 1883 scheme, and everyone seems to be pulling in the same direction.
There is a long way to go still but all is well at Stark’s Park at the moment.
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