Raith Against The Machine

He was for a long time, but he's listed as "Football Operations Manager" on the Contact Us page of the website, and when he was on that Aberdeen podcast previewing the cup game he was talking about registrations etc as part of his remit. I think he was previously on the Club Staff page too but isn't any more, which would tally with the new guy taking over that side of his duties. Presumably the Contact Us page has just been missed. I feel bad for speculating about it, Niall seems like a stand-up guy, but I don't think this particular move ties in with the CEO side of things at all. Reading between the lines it looks more like Niall has left the football ops side of things and Allan Halliday is stepping in. Whether that means any change to the media side of things, I've no idea, but I don't see that any of this is something Karen Macartney (or any incoming 'CEO' or similar position) would be directly involved in.

Is a lot of that not what Niall Russell was doing previously?

What a weirdly impassioned defence of some sub-standard admin procedures.

I know we beat Thistle 3-0 last week and you'd have to say that despite their current travails they're still better than Accies, but I think today's the best we've played all season. We looked cohesive and deliberate across the park, a very good team, doing good things together.

Funny.

For the second week in row, that looked like a soft penalty. From the other end it looked like Liam Dick was careening across the box and probably initiated any contact. Interested to hear what those watching online thought of it.

We'd be getting on a lot better if we stopped handing Accies a freekick every time they cross the halfway line. Aye a couple of them have been a wee bit soft, but you need to quickly learn that the referee's giving them and adapt. We've been better in open play over the piece, but we're inviting too much pressure by giving them a free shot at loading up the box every five minutes, particularly when we're dropping everyone back. I could do without Connell taking up offside positions when the balls knocking about the midfield. Two or three times in that half the ball broke loose and he couldn't do anything more than stick his hands up. Very frustrating. His long throws cause bother but he's not doing enough as the lone forward otherwise. Maybe a wee bit unlucky to not be in front on the balance of play, particularly with that one brilliant save, but that one lapse from O'Riordan (and good play from Tiehi, to give his due) has been massive. Until then Accies had looked all at sea.

What a save that was. Best I've seen in a while. No way he should be able to react to a volleyed shot like that so quickly.

Wow. That's maybe the first time O'Riordan has been properly exposed since he joined. Totally suckered in and turned far too easily by Tiehi.

In a way that we haven't really even hinted at doing up til now this season, our fullbacks have been unleashed. Ngwenya is sitting about fifteen yards further forward than his usual "neutral" positioning, with Brad Spencer hovering in as potential cover. Brown is doing the same on the other side, but as of now neither has really been called into action defensively because Hamilton just can't work out how to cover the Rovers in the middle or final thirds. There are huge gaps everywhere.

It's all about the balance in the midfield. In Brown, Spencer and Stanton you've got an almost perfect (for this level) distribution of all the necessary attributes that you need. They dovetail so nicely and you can see how removing any one of them would start to bring back some of the issues the midfield had earlier in the season.

Thistle improved to tepid after half time, but the first half display was one of the poorest I've seen at this level in the last few years. A big, burly backline being bullied by an out of sorts Kyle Connell and the Lollipop Guild's own Aidan Connolly. It's the season for it, and Harry Milne looks like he's been Freaky Friday'd. Presumably somewhere in Los Angeles Jamie Lee Curtis' body is bombing up and down a touchline, dominating in the air and arriving late in the box to cause havoc. Huge credit to the Rovers though. Murray choosing to switch ends is a huge call, and while it'll never feel right, going and banging in three before half time is pure vindication. I think you could argue that all of the back four had their best individual performances of the season. If any didn't, it's Connor O'Riordan, and only because of the high levels he's already set. There were a couple of hairy moments, but by and large they kept Thistle at arm's length. Seeing Vaughan back is incredible. Almost a moment to catch in the throat, knowing what he's been through. I've no idea how close he was to that late cross, but if he'd put it in the net the roof might've come off. And finally, I didnae notice Ian McCall waving his wee cap aboot like a daft fud the day. Not in the mood for it, Jobby?

Turner has made a huge difference to the flow of the game. It's taking place in the midfield now, rather than on top of Thistle's back line. We're playing without a striker at the moment too, which is weird. If Thistle can get a goal in the next five minutes, this could still get very nervy.

I find it very endearing that nobody with a microphone has any idea what the Raith Roary's Rovers South Penman Family Stand Shot Game is actually called.

Aye, I remember a game at Firhill where he looked unreal, can't have been too long after he joined. He's been all over the place today. Kyle Connell is far from a Brian Graham-esque troublesome opponent but he's bullying Akinola left and right. Surely McCall doesn't let him come back out, for his own sake as much as anything.

Akinola deary me. Do Thistle have literally any other option at the back?

Thistle have the best full backs in the league, but today they appear to be flanking the worst centre halfs in the world.

I know this isn't breaking news for the Thistle fans, but Akinola looks well off the pace. McMillan is having to defend for two on that side.

On Millen, it's not so much that he doesn't run, it's that he doesn't tend to run with the ball. He's very keen on delivering the ball from very close to where he receives it. You're right, though, he has gone with it twice already today. Bodes well.

Cannae believe we've swapped ends again. Going to have a terrible view of Vaughan's hat-trick.

People willfully pretending not to know that a good percentage of these five pound tickets go to people who'd normally pay in at full price.

Easton (presumably, as with other games recently) is having to deal with being shunted out wide. It doesn't suit him, he's much better in the middle where he can run and pass in any direction. He's unbelievably blunted when he's on the wing.

Was the goal from a corner? The Rovers updates on Twitter rather unhelpfully give details for all incidents except goals.

Is that not usually the case? He's played through and just tamely pops the ball into the keeper's breadbasket?

As long as Carson is available, Caley will win. He's always unreal against us. I can only assume he's a total bobo against everyone else or he'd be playing in the Champions League.