Raith Rovers vs Dumbarton

[Silverton End]

12 minutes ago, Hank Scorpio said:

Dumbarton deserve praise today - so I’m going to give them it. They played very well and deserved to win. Kyle Hutton in particular was a constant thorn in our side and read the game very well, broke up our play and generally dominated our midfield. Duffy had clearly done his homework on our makeshift back line and knew that Watson was never going to go beyond the right back, instead looking to cut inside high up the park and find Hendry. As soon as he stopped and brought it back on to his stronger foot Hutton either read it and cut it out or anticipated it and pressured Hendry enough to not allow him to make an incisive pass. Quite an impressive performance from someone who I’ve never been impressed by any time I’ve seen, until today.

 

Our defence was ragged, which shouldn’t be any surprise to anyone. Anderson looked out of place and Watson, as alluded to, didn’t influence the game in an attacking sense. Kieran MacDonald took the captains armband and was superb again.

 

Our lack of goals is concerning. For all our injury woes our front line had remained relatively untouched, which makes it all the more worrying that we are struggling to find the net with such regularity. We’re top at Christmas - that’s good. But we could really do with a few players finding their shooting boots soon.

 

 

Good post

Duffy can divide opinion among Sons fans at times, but what he has done with a cheaply acquired squad has been pretty impressive so far.

Kyle Hutton has been easily one of our best players this season on & off the park, I think Jim Duffy's good at getting the max out of a player's abilities.

I'd have bitten Frank conner's hand off to still be in wi a shout of the play-off spots halfway through this season.

 

 

 

[TxRover]

17 minutes ago, grumswall said:

 

 

Mcglynn must know bene is back or he wouldn't have said it. Bowie is in his first full season of senior football and is a talent but will have to sit out now and again as you say tx. If we had a nizzy type in this squad I think we'd stroll the league. We're still the top goalscorers in the league without a standout striker though aswell as top of the league and we apparently have an ordinary team so long may our ordinaryness (doubt thats a word) continue.

 

I know, and all I can figure is Bene's on five yellows, with the second yellow not being counted because it was a red (in terms os suspension). That's not to say that JMcG might not be caught out by SFA actions...but you'd think.

Hoping for Miller, McKay, SAndo, Bene, MacDonald in back next week.

[Starkiplier]

Probably because he knew Gullan would make a mess of it anyway.

Boo’er found.

[Hank Scorpio]

Kyle Hutton has been easily one of our best players this season on & off the park, I think Jim Duffy's good at getting the max out of a player's abilities.

He was fucking excellent. Every time I’ve watched him prior to today he’s been cumbersome and not influenced the game in any positive way. Today I saw a totally different player. He played on the front foot and was at the heart of everything good for Dumbarton - winning the ball back and surging forwards on several occasions. If Duffy can get that sort of performance out of him on a regular basis he’ll be your best player by a distance.

[Bogheidman]

A win away at the league leaders without our top goalscorer where we dominated the game and restricted our opponents to one shot on target, aye that’ll do.

Great team performance and not a single failure out there. Thought Neill and McGeever were outstanding and PJ put in a good shift too, held the ball up well.

Aside from Raith’s move that ended up hitting the bar, we restricted them to very little and Regan Hendry made little impact, largely down to Hutton and Carswell being excellent.

An excellent team performance and a thoroughly deserved win. Happy days.

[Scottydog]

A bridge too far/one man too many missing in a key area ...

Not as fully committed as the opposition.

Ziggy needs rested.

Baird not being used correctly/proved a disapointment

No natural finishers 

 

All that and still top!...................there's hope!

 

 

Win at Methil and go into 2020 topping the table and there's more than hope.

[Scottydog]

2 minutes ago, Bogheidman said:

A win away at the league leaders without our top goalscorer where we dominated the game and restricted our opponents to one shot on target, aye that’ll do.

Great team performance and not a single failure out there. Thought Neill and McGeever were outstanding and PJ put in a good shift too, held the ball up well.

Aside from Raith’s move that ended up hitting the bar, we restricted them to very little and Regan Hendry made little impact, largely down to Hutton and Carswell being excellent.

An excellent team performance and a thoroughly deserved win. Happy days.

You  got1 stat correct and the score, well done dude.

 

Keep up!

[Bogheidman]

You  got1 stat correct and the score, well done dude.
 
Keep up!

Not sure what your issue is, I’m saying I’m pleased we won and only allowed you one shot on target. That’s decent by anyone’s reckoning.

[Scottydog]

4 minutes ago, Bogheidman said:

 

Not sure what your issue is, I’m saying I’m pleased we won and only allowed you one shot on target. That’s decent by anyone’s reckoning.

 

"we dominated the game" 

 

did ye's aye?

[The Moonster]

26 minutes ago, Scottydog said:

"we dominated the game" 

 

did ye's aye?

Pretty much. We were the better team in the first half and scored two goals. In the second you had more of the ball and done f**k all with it. Weird comment to get butt hurt over.

[Silverton End]

49 minutes ago, Hank Scorpio said:

 

He was fucking excellent. Every time I’ve watched him prior to today he’s been cumbersome and not influenced the game in any positive way. Today I saw a totally different player. He played on the front foot and was at the heart of everything good for Dumbarton - winning the ball back and surging forwards on several occasions. If Duffy can get that sort of performance out of him on a regular basis he’ll be your best player by a distance.

Aye, Hutton is definitely a player of the year contender for us. He's stepped up big time

With a fit Lewis Vaughan you guys would be possibly well ahead at the top.

[Silverton End]

33 minutes ago, Scottydog said:

"we dominated the game" 

 

did ye's aye?

We won

[Bogheidman]

"we dominated the game" 
 
did ye's aye?

Haha aye we absolutely did.

First half we were absolutely dominant. Other than the one that hit the bar you guys did nothing. We scored twice and were deservedly 2-up at half time.

In the second half we restricted you to very little, were well organised and what little huff and puff you had made little inroads. Other than a few crosses, Conor Brennan had very little to do.

Glad your not upset about it though. Chill out, your still top of the league. But aye, we dominated it today. And the fellow raith fans I spoke to / overheard after the game agreed too.

[Jan Vojáček]

 

He was fucking excellent. Every time I’ve watched him prior to today he’s been cumbersome and not influenced the game in any positive way. Today I saw a totally different player. He played on the front foot and was at the heart of everything good for Dumbarton - winning the ball back and surging forwards on several occasions. If Duffy can get that sort of performance out of him on a regular basis he’ll be your best player by a distance.

Hutton always had that sort of performance in him, unfortunately he just tended to show it about four times a season. And the rest of the time he was cumbersome and let the game pass him by as you say.

 

This season he’s been, imo, quite possibly our most consistently good player. He’s put in quite a few barnstorming showings and even his off days haven’t been anywhere near as bad as they were previously. Combine that with the fact that he’s done a power of work in the community through C&G and I dare say a lot of fans are really starting to warm to him. Even when he was playing poorly, or when we were playing poorly, he never hid - and I think this season has shown why both Duffy and Aitken had him as one of their first names on the team sheet.

 

As Silverton says Duffy has a knack of getting the most out of players, and he’s certainly doing that here. McGeever was poor for Brechin but, after a shaky start, has been solid for us, the same goes for big Morgyn Neill who has really came onto a game after a difficult start. He’s got Isaac Layne scoring, Kyle Hutton performing consistently and since returning from injury Rico Quitongo has kicked up a gear.

 

Duffy might frustrate sometimes, and we can turn in some right stinking performances, but by and large I really cannot fault him as Dumbarton manager at all at the moment. Our form this calendar year, especially away from home, has been excellent - and I love how committed he’s got the players. There wasn’t one player on that pitch in white and black who jumped out a tackle or Willie Dyer’d out of blocking a shot. And that says a lot about the sort of characters he’s brought in and the team spirit.

 

Now I’ve said all that Stranraer will batter us next week.

[Scottydog]

2 minutes ago, Bogheidman said:

 

Haha aye we absolutely did.

First half we were absolutely dominant. Other than the one that hit the bar you guys did nothing. We scored twice and were deservedly 2-up at half time.

In the second half we restricted you to very little, were well organised and what little huff and puff you had made little inroads. Other than a few crosses, Conor Brennan had very little to do.

Glad your not upset about it though. Chill out, your still top of the league. But aye, we dominated it today. And the fellow raith fans I spoke to / overheard after the game agreed too.

 

Upset? TBH I'm more miffed at us not turning up for that first half which as you say you had the better of even after a bright start by us.

2nd half pissed me off further as Sons sat in and offered f**k all in attack (they didn't have to) and we had nothing to show for it, the damage was already done and everyone in the ground knew it.

 

To say Sons dominated the game was shite though, they did what they needed to an d no more.

 

[Bogheidman]

Upset? TBH I'm more miffed at us not turning up for that first half which as you say you had the better of even after a bright start by us.
2nd half pissed me off further as Sons sat in and offered f**k all in attack (they didn't have to) and we had nothing to show for it, the damage was already done and everyone in the ground knew it.
 
To say Sons dominated the game was shite though, they did what they needed to an d no more.
 

I’m certainly not arsed but you seem upset by me saying that we dominated the game.

You’re right, you didn’t turn up but even when we sat in, you offered nothing.

To say we didn’t do any mote than was needed sounds sour grapes though. We outplayed you totally in the first half, scored two goals, restricted you to one shot on target, defended solidly and our goalkeeper didn’t have a meaningful save to make. If that’s not dominating a game then I’m not sure what is.

Good luck for the rest of the season. Enjoy your Saturday night, I know I am.[emoji481]

[Roath Raver]

Here are this week's highlights. Have a good Christmas everyone.

 

[foreverarover]

6 hours ago, Brashy's Boots said:

Any Raith "supporter" booing at the end or indeed during the match today needs to take a good, long look at themself. We were all at sea in defence due to injury and self inflicted suspension and we had players out of position. We also had fewer options from midfield because, for example, Gando wasn't an out ball and McDonald couldn't make an overlap run. Other players had poor games but only the bar prevented a superb Dingwall goal and Bowie missed a sitter header. With all of these variables at play do you really think your bovine booing did anyone any good? Does it ever? What, precisely, were you complaining about? Bad day at the office. Still top.

We hit the bar , that was it. We chased the game supposedly and created nothing. Not a shot at goal in that second half. 

[Rovers_Lad]

3 hours ago, rockson said:

Brennan got his fingers to it to tip it onto the bar.

A wish i had eyesight like yours

[Deputy Keeper]

I wouldn't have used the word 'dominated', but it was a fairly comfortable afternoon for the Sons. We played some neat passing football in the first half and deserved to be ahead. Rovers had their moments with Hendry orchestrating most of their attacks.

I was expecting a difficult second half, but Raith were toothless . We offered next to nothing in attack and gave away possession far too easily. However our defence coped easily with anything thrown at them. Connor Brennan didn't have a serious save to make. Our back four all had good games; Kyle Hutton had another fine match; Stuart Carswell had arguably his best game of the season and Ruaridh Langan put in a good shift.

A bad day at the office for Raith and clearly their injury list and suspensions took its toll. They will be there or thereabouts come the end of the season. The fans who booed them need a reality check.

Thinking back to August and the 6v0 drubbing at Falkirk, if you had said then we would be 5 points off the league leaders at Christmas, I would have advised a thorough health check. Jim Duffy and the players deserve huge credit for turning things around.