Club 26/12/2020
Match Preview: Alloa (Away)
| Alloa Athletic
V Raith Rovers Indodrill Stadium |
After a temporary break to proceedings last weekend, due to Hearts competing in the Scottish Cup final, Raith are back in action this Boxing Day, against a rapidly improving Alloa Athletic at the Indodrill Stadium.
The Wasps have won their last two league games, against Arbroath and Inverness Caledonian Thistle, and also knocked Hearts out of the League Cup last month, before going down to Hibs in the quarter finals.
Those six points have lifted Alloa out of the relegation places and into eighth in the league table, two clear of Alloa, and three clear of bottom placed Queen of the South.
Despite having a free week last weekend, Rovers still occupy a playoff spot, although they did move down a place to fourth, after Morton leapfrogged them with a win over the Doonhamers.
This will be the two sides 100th meeting in the league, with their first also coming in the festive period, back at the beginning of January 1923.
Rovers won 1-0 that day at Starks’s Park, and that result sums up recent meetings between the sides, with the contests generally tight affairs.
Only two of the last 18 have been won by more than a single goal, with the last meeting the Championship playoff semi-final second leg at Stark’s Park, which Alloa won by two goals to one on the day, and 4-1 on aggregate.
Ewan Murray had given Rovers a first half lead, but goals from Jordan Kirkpatrick and Ross Stewart condemned Barry Smith’s men to another season in the third tier.
You have to go back over five years for Raith’s last win at the Indodrill, when Grant Anderson’s goal gave Ray McKinnon’s men all three points.
Raith have a poor recent record in this fixture, with just two wins and four draws from their last 10 meetings.
Saturday’s match referee will be Steven McLean.
Head-To-Head League Record In Alloa: