Raith Against The Machine

That kind of break was always going to be a soft spot for us without Matthews. The defence is backing off and holding their line and there isn't that naturally destructive instinct in the midfield. Brilliant strike, though.

It's not like he's been quiet up til now...

I think we've shaded that, but it's been pretty uninspiring. We've gotten down the left hand side a few times but haven't been able to make much from it. Poplatnik has looked more like a striker than at any other point other than his cameo at Killie, but I still don't think he's touched the ball inside the box. Take Thomas out the Pars side and I'm not sure they'd manage three passes inside our half, though. More or less everything they've done has been sparked by him, and he's even managed to get back to the byline to stop Zanatta twice. We really don't have any options to change it so we'll just need to keep plugging away with what we've got. Everyone from our fullbacks forward has done some good things and made some mistakes. If we can string some decent stuff together, we should have enough quality to keep them out at the other end, but who knows. I don't like this new competent Owain Fon Williams, either. Takes all the fun right out of it.

Dick has really reverted to his early season form.

This is just Dom Thomas v Raith Rovers. The problem we've got is that he's holding his own!

Dom Thomas looks keen.

Called it.

He went out to close someone down at the edge of the box and lost his footing. I don't know if he slipped because his hamstring went or his hamstring went because he slipped, but either way, we'll need to wait and see how bad it is. I've not seen any indication of a prognosis beyond missing the game tonight.

Incidentally, I was heartened by the wee applause for Manny Duku and the response from him after full time. It's easy for stories to spring up when there's nothing to contradict them, and I think as much out of boredom than anything else there had almost been a bit of a villain created out of Duku, but it was clear from the way that he and McGlynn embraced at full time that there's no hard feelings there, either. I like it when everyone gets along, really...

Thanks, SD. I'd be surprised if the club appealed it, having now seen the replays. It could only be as a cynical attempt to have Matthews available, there's no prospect of actually having it overturned, and I don't think that's a particularly wise path to go down.

When you beat us 4-1 at East End last season, Iain Wilson ran the show and we didn't have Matthews available to shut him down. That's giving me a bit of the fear ahead of this one. Ultimately it's the same dynamic as last time. We've definitely got the better manager, and I think you'd have to say the better "team", but there are some individuals in the Dunfermline squad with higher performance ceilings than a lot of our players. It hasn't happened so far, but despite Peter Grant's best weird efforts, the Pars will win games because on the right day (or night) individual quality will shine through. Having said all that, I'm still pretty confident about this one. Despite our poor record, I prefer derbies at East End, there's less pressure, and I think the Rovers can really take that and run with it. As long as Lang slots into the defence - and I'm sure he will - we know we can be resolute, and there'll be space for Zanatta/Connolly/Ross/Poplatnik to work in. Prediction? It won't be 0-0.

It's a clear red card. I'm going to disagree very slightly with Grant on one point. Matthews does play the ball. He clearly also takes a lot of the man and it's not a mitigating factor, it's still a clear red card, but it's noteworthy because of how the incident has "developed". From behind the goal, it was very clear that Matthews played the ball because of the angles he and McKay are moving at and the way the ball moves towards the dugouts, but it was very difficult to tell how much force there was or how high he was, hence the almost complete consensus from those in the ground that it was very harsh. Conversely, when you see it from the camera angle and you're looking at it perpendicularly, you get the full view of the force, height and the straight leg that Matthews goes in at, but it's very difficult to see that he does play the ball too. Now, as I say, the fact that he plays the ball is irrelevant, it's absolutely a red card tackle. I just think it's interesting because I'd like to think that there's a fair few Rovers supporters on here who are pretty reasonable and were at the game, and the reaction at the time was almost unanimous. It's funny how the angles involved, and the environment of actually being at a game, can influence perception. No idea how anyone can look at it with the benefit of hindsight, and multiple replays, and not think that's a sending off though. The referee, for all his faults (and I think he got the penalty decision correct too), was absolutely spot on.

Agree with the above, it's a red card, and apart from that weird spell at the start of last season where madness reigned, never a penalty either.

Who was it that was booked in the first minute? I thought that was Allardice.

Particularly if Iain Wilson is back.

Even if Varian makes a recovery I'd still start Poplatnik, I think he's a better option for bringing our midfield into the game. Varian ploughs a lone furrow without quite achieving the same link-ups. Lang's a good player, I'm a big fan of his, but I would be much happier with Bene. It's just such a strong partnership that he and Berra have. Big shoes for Lang to fill, but we'll see. BRS is a bit of a wildcard. I wouldn't be astonished to see McGlynn pull Tait back into the base of midfield and put Ethan Ross into the attacking three. It'd be bold, but I'd quite like to see it...

Agreed. Much like Varian, he didn't really get himself into a lot goalscoring positions, but he offered a lot more outside the box, bringing others into the game and knocking the opposition 30 yards back down the pitch.

If we'd been able to put Poplatnik on as a second half sub, instead of on early doors, I wonder how that might've turned out. He was phenomenal, particularly when we needed out in that second half, but he couldn't barely move at full time. A very good, if very expensive, point. If only Zanatta had finished that chance at the end. Would've been bedlam. I don't know why he took it on his left!

I know I'm getting carried away, but was that challenge not from behind, and a little off the ground?

That's exactly the kind of goal you lose when you've got ten men. With an extra man on, there's no way the centre half is that far up the park to pick up the loose ball. Shame, but it was always going to happen.

At least Caley don't have anyone who's definitely going to score against us. Oh look, Manny Duku's on.

There is literally 0% chance we keep a clean sheet here, but I really do love this Rovers team. A knighthood for John McGlynn please. For services to good vibes.

We'll still get beat, but that was fun. Zanatta's wages justified for another week, phenomenal run. Thought Connolly had put it over the bar, too, but it was perfectly out of the keeper's reach.

Poplatnik is much more accomplished than Varian at playing this hold up role. Blatant foul on Zanatta as he went down the wing there, full back hanging his leg out deliberately. Referee not making it easy on himself.