Raith Rovers travel to face Arbroath on Friday night knowing a positive result will take them back to the top of the Championship.
Heading to Angus level on points with Dundee United, but with an inferior goal difference, the Stark’s Park outfit will go three points clear with a victory.
However, even a draw at Gayfield will make Ian Murray’s side outright league leaders.
For how long they would stay there is a different matter, given United play on Saturday and would return to the summit if they at least match Raith’s result only a few hours later.
Courier Sport looks at how Raith Rovers have taken and lost top spot in the Championship so far this season.
16/09/2023
Raith Rovers 1-0 Inverness Caley Thistle
Dundee United 1-1 Morton
After regaining first place in the division the previous week as teams jockeyed for early positions, Dundee United went into the weekend at the summit courtesy of goal difference.
By the end of play, Raith had moved top for the first time in the campaign by two points.
With the visit of Inverness heading for a goalless stalemate, Jamie Gullan was thrown into the fray with five minutes remaining.
Barely a minute after coming on, with his first touch being to send a free-kick over the bar, the striker snatched three points with an 87th-minute drive.
The win also banished a long-running hoodoo against Inverness with a first success against the Highlanders over 90 minutes since October 2000.
Meanwhile, despite Louis Moult’s 19th-minute opener, United – who had Mathew Cudjoe sent-off in the second-half – were held to a draw at home by Morton thanks to Robbie Muirhead’s equaliser.
23/09/2023
Airdrie 1-0 Raith Rovers
Inverness Caley Thistle 0-1 Dundee United
Raith lasted just a week at the summit, however, as they suffered their first league defeat of the season – and just their second in 12 games – against bogey team Airdrie.
Calum Gallagher got the late winner for Ian Murray’s old side against his current one.
United were reduced to ten men for the second week in a row, with Jordan Tillson this time seeing red for two bookings.
And with time running out, Chris Mochrie made the breakthrough they craved in the third minute of stoppage time.
The victory sent the Tangerines back to the summit with the lead of a solitary point.
08/12/2023
Raith Rovers 4-3 Partick Thistle
09/12/2023
Dundee United 1-0 Ayr United
United went on to stretch their advantage at the top of the table to four points – and briefly on two occasions to a commanding seven thanks to Friday night action.
But, in early December, it was Raith’s turn to put the squeeze on with a meeting with Partick before their title rivals played the following day.
In a remarkable game under the lights at Stark’s Park, Rovers roared into a two-goal lead thanks to goals from Dan O’Reilly and Sam Stanton.
But Partick levelled with an O’Reilly own goal and a Brian Graham penalty before Blair Alston remarkably put the Jags in front.
In a sensational 90 minutes, Callum Smith restored parity for the Kirkcaldy outfit with 11 minutes to go and Sam Stanton popped up with a stunning winner just four minutes later.
Again, Raith’s lead was two points.
Rovers only stayed at the top for less than 24 hours, though, as United responded to the challenge with a win of their own.
Again, it was tight and hard-fought.
But Kai Fotheringham scrambled in a crucial goal in the 63rd minute to send the Tangerines back into pole position by a point.
13/12/2023
Arbroath 1-2 Raith Rovers
The rollercoaster nature of the division took another twist just four days later when Raith leapfrogged back into first place.
On a frustrating night at Gayfield, Aidan Connolly’s early opener was cancelled out by a Jermaine Hylton penalty for Arbroath.
Knowing they needed a win to seize back top spot, Rovers pulled out the late winner that was by now becoming their trademark in a remarkable campaign.
Lewis Vaughan was the hero with a 95th-minute strike that was helped into the net by the unfortunate Colin Hamilton.
12/01/2024
Inverness Caley Thistle 0-1 Dundee United
13/01/2024
Raith Rovers 1-2 Queen’s Park
Raith’s two-point lead quickly became a five-point advantage when they stunned United at Tannadice four days later.
Dylan Easton’s wonderful solo goal earned the Kirkcaldy side a 1-0 victory to spark dreams of a title triumph.
They followed that up with disappointing draws at home to Ayr United and Arbroath before getting back on the winning trail with a Fife derby victory over rivals Dunfermline.
However, then came a run of five straight defeats – three of them in the Championship.
And before the second of those league losses, against Queen’s Park, they lost top spot on goal difference.
Tony Watt sealed an 87th-minute winner for United against Inverness in a Friday night battle in the Highlands.
The following day, a third-minute opener from Jack Hamilton appeared to show Rovers meant business.
But goals either side of the break from Cameron Bruce and Sean Welsh left Raith in the runners-up spot they have held until now.
