cinch Championship – Raith Rovers v Queen’s Park (Saturday 19th November)
The Premiership may have paused for the World Cup, but the action rolls on in the lower leagues! It’s 5th v 4th in the Championship, with Raith playing host to Queen’s Park.
Rovers endured a difficult start to the season under new manager Ian Murray. They picked up just 6 points from their opening 6 league fixtures but an upturn in fortunes has seen the Kirkcaldy side climb the table, currently occupying 5th place. Raith had gone 4 games without defeat before Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Dundee at Dens Park and they will be keen to bounce back with a victory against the Spiders. Aidan Connolly & Sam Stanton have been the key players in an attacking sense, sharing 9 of their side’s 19 league goals (Connolly with 5, Stanton with 4). Rovers also boast the second-best defensive record in the division, shipping 16 goals so far – just 1 more than 2nd placed Morton.
The Spiders bounced back from a disappointing Friday night defeat away to Cove Rangers with a fantastic 2-1 win over Inverness at Ochilview last weekend. Owen Coyle’s side came from a goal behind, with Simon Murray’s winner ensuring that they leapfrogged this weekend’s opponents into 4th place. Queen’s Park have been impressive since their promotion to the Championship. Their summer recruitment has seen them go from strength to strength and they very much look to be in the mix for promotion. Queen’s have won 3 times on the road this season and have already beaten Raith – 1-0 at the start of October. Depending on other results, a fourth away win could see them jump to 2nd place.
cinch League 1 – Clyde v Falkirk (Saturday 19th November)
New Clyde boss Jim Duffy has a big task on his hands as his side go in search of their 2nd home league win of the season against the club where his managerial career began, Falkirk.
Danny Lennon’s near 5-year stint in charge of Clyde came to an end last month, with the Bully Wee 9th in League 1, with just 7 points to their name. The managerial reins were handed to the capable Jim Duffy, who had been out of work since leaving Ayr United last December. Duffy’s first game in the dugout was a tricky one, away to league leaders Dunfermline Athletic. Clyde were only denied a fantastic victory by two Kyle Benedictus penalties in the second half, which cancelled out Jordan Allan’s first-half strikes. Nonetheless, an impressive point on the road against the division’s table toppers. Saturday sees the visit of Falkirk – a side Clyde have beaten on multiple occasions in the last few years (notably winning all 3 meetings in 2019/20). Duffy will be looking to better last weekend’s draw against another promotion-chasing side this time round.
Falkirk took a real blow to morale in their derby defeat to Dunfermline Athletic a fortnight ago. Craig Wighton’s unmarked second-half header saw the away side take all 3 points via one of the only meaningful attempts on goal from either side. Despite the disappointment, the Bairns bounced back brilliantly against Edinburgh last weekend. They ran out 2-0 winners, with Ola Lawal and Leon McCann scoring and each player putting in MOTM worthy performances to boot. Lawal brought an air of class to the midfield on his first start and McCann continued his fine form with a fantastic left-back display from both an attacking and defensive standpoint. The trip to New Douglas Park will be a tricky one, with the Bully Wee no doubt benefiting from the age-old ‘new manager bounce’, but if Falkirk are serious about escaping League 1, these are the kind of games they need to be winning.
cinch League 2 – Stirling Albion v East Fife (Saturday 19th November)
It’s second against third at Forthbank as both teams look to get back to winning ways after suffering home defeats last weekend.
Stirling were top of the table not so long ago after a superb six-match winning run but they have slipped five points behind Dumbarton after a 1-1 draw at Albion Rovers was followed by a 2-0 loss to Annan Athletic last time out. The Binos were hampered by red cards in both matches and will miss striker Robert Thomson and left-back Cammy Clark tomorrow as a result. Albion won’t want to let Dumbarton – who host Forfar Athletic – increase their lead any further before the teams meet on January 7 but their performances have dipped of late.
Darren Young’s men were worthy 2-1 winners at Bayview against his former club last month and now Greig McDonald brings his East Fife side to Forthbank, where he was manager for several years. He remains the last Stirling boss to lead the club to promotion – ironically against East Fife in the play-offs in May 2014. The Fifers have been outstanding on the road this season – unbeaten in seven matches with four wins and three draws. Their home form has been the problem, with five defeats including a 3-2 loss to Albion Rovers on Saturday when they had Aaron Steele sent off after just six minutes.
This feels like a big game for both clubs. A win for Stirling keeps the pressure on Dumbarton while an East Fife triumph would see them close the gap on their hosts to just three points.
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