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SFL preview: Raith Rovers

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Raith Rovers boss John McGlynn has set his sights on reaching the magical 40-point survival mark as quickly as possible to provide a platform to take his side even higher up the table.

Rovers raced out of the traps last season as they made their long-awaited return to the first division and were top of the league in September.

However, a combination of a crippling injury list and horrendous backlog of postponed matches saw the Kirkcaldy side flirting with relegation by April.

With the distraction of a Scottish Cup run which took them all the way to the semi-final at Hampden against Dundee United, it was a relieved but exhausted group of players who eventually secured first division survival with three games to spare.

Now, having bolstered his squad with the addition of Andy McNeil, Willie Dyer, Scott McBride, John Baird and Jamie Mole, McGlynn believes the club are poised to do more than just survive.

“I am fairly pleased with the way our preparations have gone,” he said.

“We have brought in some new players and we have trained well and worked hard.

“The Cowdenbeath game did not work out the way we had planned but we bounced back at the weekend against a good East Fife side.

“I am also happy with the squad I have at my disposal.

“Mark Campbell has still to make his comeback after his serious car accident but he is getting closer all the time.

“Other than him everyone is fully fit, which is the best situation we have been in for a long time.

“We have a tough start to the league campaign (against Partick Thistle, Queen of the South and then Dunfermline) but there are no easy games in the first division.

“However, as we found out last season, a good start is definitely an advantage. The points we put on the board early in the season helped us later.

“But there will be another 10 teams looking for a dream start at three o’clock on Saturday.

“If truth be told, eight of those sides will be hoping to hit the 40-point mark as quickly as possible to guarantee their safety in the league they would be telling lies if they said that was not their first aim.

“Hitting that target early also gives you more chance of finishing higher up the league.

“But this is a notoriously-tight division and there are always surprises.

“Staying in the league is obviously a priority for ourselves but we are all ambitious at the club and we want to finish higher than last year.

“If we all work our socks off, I believe we are capable of doing so.”