Sam Stanton has never tasted success in Scottish football’s play-offs – and it is a personal record he is desperate to change with Raith Rovers.
The Stark’s Park midfielder has enjoyed a magnificent season and was recently named in the Championship team of the year.
He helped Ian Murray’s side sign off on the regular campaign on Friday with a 5-0 mauling of Arbroath that boosted confidence ahead of their tilt at promotion.
They await the winners of the Premiership play-off quarter-final between Airdrie and Partick Thistle and will then battle it out for a clash with either St Johnstone or Ross County.
Stanton knows what the play-offs are all about, having gone into battle in the end-of-season shoot-outs on five separate occasions.
But his experience has not exactly been a positive one – so far.
- In 2014, he played for Hibernian when they lost their dramatic play-off with Hamilton Accies on penalties to succumb to relegation from the top-flight.
- In 2015, he was on the bench for Championship Hibs when they lost to Rangers in the Premiership play-off semi-final.
- In 2016, he was relegated from the Championship on loan to Livingston with an 8-6 aggregate defeat in the semi-final against Stranraer .
- In 2018, he lost with Dundee United against Livingston in the Premiership play-off semi-final.
- In 2019, he lost with Dundee United in the Premiership play-off final against St Mirren.
“My play-off record isn’t great,” he admits. “I’ve never won one.
“I’ve been to the final a couple of times and lost on penalties and my experiences have not been that great.
Stanton has ‘fingers crossed’
“So, fingers crossed, this time it can be the one.
“That experience is good to have. I’ve been involved in a lot of these games, so it’s good to have that and I’m looking forward to it.
“You need a bit of everything. You need quality, you need to dig it out and you need some luck along the way as well.
“Also, you need to give everything and that’s what we’ll do.
“My record has to turn at some point and, fingers crossed, it’s this time.”
Stanton was initially rested for Friday’s finale against Arbroath but was pressed into action earlier than planned when Dylan Corr succumbed to a dislocated shoulder after 40 minutes.
It was an encouraging display from Raith, albeit against an Arbroath side already doomed to life in League One.
The game was a ‘dead rubber’ but you would not have known that from the intensity on show from Rovers.
Confidence for play-offs
“It was a good performance and a great result,” added Stanton. “So, it gives us good confidence going into the play-offs.
“It was good to get 20 wins in a season with a really high points tally.
“We have not scored as many goals in the last few weeks so it was good to get a few. That will do us the world of good.
“We’ve got so many options. We’ve got guys that can do something out of nothing.
“And sometimes you need that in these [play-off] games. Sometimes it can be that wee thing, that one moment.”
