Sat 6th August / 15:00 / 2022-23 / / home
Raith Rovers vs Dundee
Preview
Ian Murray looks ahead to the first home match of the season against Dundee:
Raith Rovers make their home bow in the SPFL Championship this weekend, against a side who are generally tipped as the favourites for the division; Dundee.
However, like the Rovers, the Dens Park side lost their opening match last weekend, and are looking to bounce back under new manager, Gary Bowyer.
The former Blackburn, Blackpool, Bradford and Salford manager took the reigns at Dundee over the summer, and while pre-season results were positive last weekend's 3-2 defeat to Partick Thistle was very much a set back in a game where they found themselves 3-0 down at one point.
Rovers also started off proceedings with a loss last weekend, after a 2-0 defeat to Cove Rangers at the Balmoral Stadium, and they'll be hoping for a far better result when Dundee are the visitors to Stark's Park on Saturday afternoon.
Rovers did win the last time the two clubs faced off in May last year in the second leg of the Premiership promotion playoffs, when a Lewis Vaughan goal handed Rovers the victory, but a 3-0 loss in the first leg meant Dundee advanced in the playoffs, and ultimately gained promotion against a poor Kilmarnock side.
Rovers also won the last time the two sides met in the Championship at Stark's Park back in January last year, when goals from Kyle Benedictus, Reghan Tumilty and Kai Kennedy cemented a 3-1 win.
Head to Head
Raith Rovers Wins: 35
Dundee Wins: 74
Draws: 36
Reports
Rovers welcomed Dundee to Stark’s Park for the first home fixture of the league season with manager Ian Murray hoping they could make amends for the opening day defeat at Cove Rangers last week.
The match got off to a lively start but it was the visitors who got the first real chance, and they made it count, with Josh Mulligan firing a Jordan Marshall cross into the bottom corner past MacDonald.
Sam Stanton was twice denied by tremendous saves from Harrison Sharp as Rovers searched for the equaliser, a shot from the edge of the box looked like it was going high into the net but the keeper got a touch on it enough to send it wide, and soon after Stanton’s clever side-foot forced an outstanding save from the goalie.
Mulligan nearly doubled his and Dundee's tally in the second half but the best chance of the half fell to Ethan Ross when Sharp slipped and the ball fell to Ross who looked to have the easiest of tasks to round the keeper to equalise but he snapped at the shot and the ball went agonisingly wide with the goal gaping.
Morton are the visitors to Stark’s Park next week when Rovers will be hoping to get their first points on the board.
Photos
All Tony & Jim's action pictures from the match against Dundee and, if you were at the game, have a look and see if you were caught on Cameron's Camera.
Pictures © Tony Fimister, Jim Foy & Cameron Goodsir-McGuire.
Highlights
Interviews
Manager Ian Murray spoke with RaithTV after the game v Dundee: