Raith Rovers 🔵⚪️ [3] Vs [3] Partick Thistle 🔴🟡 [Rovers progress on penalties]

[Wardy]

9 minutes ago, Jilted John said:

Let’s agree that there’s pressure on both teams. It’s been a pretty decent thread so far without falling out over who’s under most pressure

Pray tomorrow, gets me higher,

Pressure on people, people on streets…

[Claudia Gentile]

 

[Broken Algorithms]

Pressure at Stark's?

Spoiler

 

 

 

[BigMadMental]

2 hours ago, Raithie said:

Thistle setting up to attack and get back into the tie is risky business for them. This could create space which Rovers can and will use

High stake game for both teams, neither team are under more pressure than the other imo. 

Didn’t work too well for Raith on Tuesday in the 2nd half though so they will need to figure that one out. 

[Scary Bear]

11 hours ago, Highlandmagar said:

Weirdly, I have a feeling we might just pull this off. Pressure is all on Raith.

No pressure at all for me. I’ve already had a tingling and a strong sense that this is our year. 

We are going up!

[Heid_The_Baw]

Hopefully Rovers can hold out at Starks, and end Patrick Whistles season.  Think the score the other night was fair over the piece, but Patrick cannot be written off.  Going to be hard for both teams, but if we can force Patrick Whistle into playing OUR game like we did in the first half at Firhell, then we should be fine.

1-0 Rovers on the night, a tough game, but we will prevail.  

Bring on Saint Johns Town.  

 

[Claudia Gentile]

3 minutes ago, Heid_The_Baw said:

Hopefully Rovers can hold out at Starks, and end Patrick Whistles season.  Think the score the other night was fair over the piece, but Patrick cannot be written off.  Going to be hard for both teams, but if we can force Patrick Whistle into playing OUR game like we did in the first half at Firhell, then we should be fine.

1-0 Rovers on the night, a tough game, but we will prevail.  

Bring on Saint Johns Town.  

 

[Raithie]

39 minutes ago, BigMadMental said:

Didn’t work too well for Raith on Tuesday in the 2nd half though so they will need to figure that one out. 

Didn't work too well? we won the game. With 20 minutes to go it was about seeing the game out and I suspect Murray had confidence in the team doing that, which they did, without needing to go gung ho.

[Broken Algorithms]

45 minutes ago, BigMadMental said:

Didn’t work too well for Raith on Tuesday in the 2nd half though so they will need to figure that one out. 

We lost a freak goal after being well in control, and then one of our main centre halves went off injured minutes later. 

I'm confident we'll look more composed, especially given how Dylan Corr asserted himself after getting adjusted to the game.

[Nightmare]

Too many Jags fans trying to talk themselves into thinking that we’re in some kind of good position here.

Rovers are firmly in the driving seat after Tuesday, and I’d much rather we were in their shoes right now than some kind of imaginary pressure free situation. That’s not to say we can’t go to Starks and win tomorrow night, but it’s a really big ask.

Edited May 16 by Nightmare

[AllanJM]

It really is funny how the pattern of a game can completely change attitudes. 

Before Tuesday night, most Thistle fans on here, twitter and their podcast agreed that they needed to take a lead to Stark's to get through the tie.  Now, despite losing the home leg, some Thistle fans are feeling confident because of the way they came back into the game.  I totally get that.

If you'd offered me a draw before Tuesday I'd have gladly taken it.  In the end I had to give myself a bit of a shake when I initially felt disappointed to only win 2-1 after starting so well.

Ultimately, tomorrow night is a completely different game which we just happen to have a 1 goal start in.  I've seen enough of us this season to know that a 1 goal lead (hell even a 2 goal lead) isn't always easy to hold on to so the tie is far from over.

The fact that we didn't concede a second after letting Thistle back into it on Tuesday actually gives me real confidence for tomorrow.  2 months ago we probably end up losing that 3-2 but we've improved massively in defence since then.

I'd go with a very similar line-up tomorrow with Corr coming in for the injured Watson.  Potentially start Mullin on the right if he's fit although I did actually think Tuesday was one of Connolly's better games this season with Matthews supporting him.

Should be another cracker and I'm relatively confident we'll get the job done.

[AllanJM]

2 hours ago, RandomGuy. said:

Nah. We can't score.

I had some faith the attack would help once we got them chances but they've bottled the last 2 games. Must've been 6/7 chances other sides take and we've scored one (or goal last night one I don't think every other side scores).

Motherwell could play the kids (they wont, not for us) and we'd struggle to score all game.

We were finished last night until County, bizarrely, took off their best players and thought sitting in for 20 minutes was a good idea.

I watched the game last night (by totally legitimate means of course....no dodgy firesticks involved) and I though Saints were really poor for most of it.  Even the goal came from absolutely nothing.  Their defence looks like it can be got at regularly and they seemed to lack any ideas in attack.  They actually looked like a team who thought they were already down.

Motherwell took a bit of a beating last night so Kettlewell will expect them to up their game for their last home match of the season.  I think Aberdeen will beat County but I can't see Saints getting a win at Motherwell.

As someone else pointed out though, the draw last night means both teams need to go at full strength on Sunday which should help the winner of this tie a wee bit with the 2 extra days to recover.

[TxRover]

IM’s intent would logically seem to be to setup to play a possession style, build forward first half and let Partick have to chase the ball and opportunities, much like the first half at Firhill. Simply sitting back and absorbing attacks to counter off hasn’t been a winner for us this year, other than perhaps against DU a couple of times, and surely he won’t change to that style as Partick don’t seem to offer the build-up game that DU preferred. That’ll leave Partick to need to try to either play aggressively to shut that down (and probably drain energy from a side with two more games played in the last couple of weeks) or to fall back and draw the Raith attack forward, with a quick break on the counter as their route to evening up the tie (chancy).

Does Doolan feel he has enough depth available to play the high pressure, up tempo game out the gate, or does he feel comfortable enough with his defending and keeper to play that counter option, guess that’s why we’re all bloviating on a fan forum rather than coaching. Certainly feels the tie isn’t nearly settled, but undoubtably Raith are feeling they are in a much better place than they were pre-match Tuesday. Should the match remain tied at the half, the second half choices of IM and Doolan will make interesting viewing and a fun summer of debate.

[BigMadMental]

29 minutes ago, Broken Algorithms said:

We lost a freak goal after being well in control, and then one of our main centre halves went off injured minutes later. 

I'm confident we'll look more composed, especially given how Dylan Corr asserted himself after getting adjusted to the game.

It was a game of two halves very clearly and some good goalkeeping kept the game from ending a 2-2 draw. The Thistle goal was coming either way. 

The fact that all of the match stats line up on the thistle side show how weighted the 2nd half must really have been, considering we were rotten in the 1st half.

not suggesting we are in any sort of “good” position and ultimately we are a goal down but the conditions of the game tomorrow are quite futile. If thistle get that first goal then both teams can absolutely forget everything that’s happened before that moment the goal goes in and it’s back to the drawing board.
 

We have watched thistle do this same thing last season in the final where we were forced to sit a wee bit and try to defend when up to that point, we weren’t really all that built around “sitting on a lead”.  It was ultimately our downfall. You’ll know better than me but is that something Rovers excel in? I see a lot of fans on here complaining of the defence situation across the season so I don’t know. 
 

I’m obviously a Thistle fan and I have to have the belief that we can take something from this and there were signs there on Tuesday that we can at the very least, level the tie and go from there (if we make the necessary personnel changes). 

[AuldReekie]

Have to say, through gritted teeth, that I thought Rovers looked excellent for 60 minutes or so. Really good balance to the team with players getting forward in numbers and combining well. If they don't go up and can keep that team together, will easily be strong favourites for title.

That said, Thistle were utter garbage during Rovers dominant spell. Had to go on attack through desperation but looked far better side and need to adopt same approach in next leg. As good as Rovers were when they were on top, I do sense they are fragile under pressure - Dabrowski, as good a shot stopper as he is, looks like he has a clanger in him at a moment's notice.

I think Rovers have the best chance of progressing in a play-off final. Not fussed who goes up - hope both sets of fans enjoy it. Championship really is a great league.

[Claudia Gentile]

I had Rovers favourites to proceed prior to Tuesday night.

I would say they are firm favourites now.

I will be pleasantly surprised if/ when Thistle progress to the final round.

We haven't won at Starks Park for ages.

I suppose records are there to be broken.

However, Rovers have the advantage and were a clear second. They still would be even if we reversed the H2H results in the league.

3rd place rarely if ever get past the second placed team in the Premiership players. Thistle are one of the teams to do so, last season.

Then again it is effectively now a one off game with a goal handicap, so nothing to lose.

It only takes one moment of skill or indeed one moment of madness and all the historical facts and trends to be placed in the bin.

I'm neither confident or pessimistic about Friday. I just hope we play better from the get go and see where that takes us.

[RAITHROVERS84]

Threads been excellent with some belting options and takes on current situation.

This post won’t add any quality but I’ll keep it simple - we score 2 goals and we’ll be in the final. 

[oneteaminglasgow]

44 minutes ago, RAITHROVERS84 said:

Threads been excellent with some belting options and takes on current situation.

This post won’t add any quality but I’ll keep it simple - we score 2 goals and we’ll be in the final. 

In my experience, three goal aggregate leads are by far the most dangerous…

[Starksdynamo]

Absolutely bricking it for tomorrow which I suppose makes up for how calm I was on Tuesday morning.  Have to say I totally got my line-up wrong on Tuesday and now agree that Scott Brown absolutely must feature in the midfield (which I'm sure Thistle fans must be sick of hearing by now).  Corr in for Watson, the latter has been a huge disappointment for me and appears to be a real misstep in an otherwise great summer of recruitment.  

I think IM's real dilemma would be whether to bring in Hamilton from the start, I think he was the change to make on Tuesday rather than Rudden.  However, bringing him in would either disrupt the midfield three of Stanton, Brown and Byrne which got a big pop from me or dropping Vaughan to the bench who was excellent.  

Really looking forward to this game, I hope it's an absolutely shite 0-0 or 1-0 home win but I'd be surprised if Brian Graham didn't have his say at some point.

[RandomGuy.]

1 hour ago, AllanJM said:

I watched the game last night (by totally legitimate means of course....no dodgy firesticks involved) and I though Saints were really poor for most of it.  Even the goal came from absolutely nothing.  Their defence looks like it can be got at regularly and they seemed to lack any ideas in attack.  They actually looked like a team who thought they were already down.

Motherwell took a bit of a beating last night so Kettlewell will expect them to up their game for their last home match of the season.  I think Aberdeen will beat County but I can't see Saints getting a win at Motherwell.

Yeah it's a confidence sapped side with no belief, and no direction, we've got just now. Just praying someone magicks a goal from nothing.

Its why I hate this "play offs are rigged against us" mindset Championship sides seem to go into the games with. We're 100% there for the taking, yet folk like Brian Graham are already getting excuses in and acting as if they're underdogs. Just fucking go for our throat and it'll be over after 90 minutes.

Motherwell won't f**k about against us, IMO. There's water on the bridge with former Saints managers having a go at them and Theo Bair being shite for us and thriving there. The result yesterday will encourage them to take it seriously more but I doubt they'd ever try and half arse it. Aberdeen will rotate more v County.