Match Preview: Dumbarton

Raith Rovers V Dumbarton Stark’s Park Saturday 24th September Kick off: 3.00pm

Match Preview:

Steve Aitken’s Dumbarton side are the visitors to Stark’s Park this weekend, with both teams aiming to put a stop to winless runs which stretch back to August.

While Raith’s last victory came in that month’s Kingdom derby on the 20th, Dumbarton’s last three point haul came at the expense of Dundee United a week earlier, with the 1-0 triumph their only league win to date.

That sequence has witnessed Rovers slip from second to third, but the Sons two draws since then, coupled with Dunfermline and St. Mirren’s poor form, has seen them move up to eighth.

After last season saw Dumbarton finish just above the relegation play-off place, manager Steve Aitken embarked on a summer squad restructure, with a raft of new additions to the roster.

Goalkeeper, Alan Martin was brought on board from Hamilton, and he’s already proven an astute acquisition, with a number of fine performances this term.

Full-backs, Craig Pettigrew and Daniel Harvie arrived from Stranraer and Aberdeen, while an abundance of midfield options were brought in to the fold.

Sam Stanton was signed on-loan from Hibernian, while former Hearts winger David Smith headed to the Cheaper Insurance Direct Stadium after his release from Falkirk.

Josh Todd was snapped from Annan Athletic, Ryan Stevenson from Ayr United and Joe Thompson was brought in on-loan from Celtic. Left-winger Andy Stirling also joined up with his boss again, with the midfielder a stand-out performer during Aitken’s tenure at Stranraer.

Up-front, Robert Thomson was acquired following a fine end to last season with Brechin City, where his goals helped secure the Glebe Park side an eighth placed finish, after being bottom of League One for much of the campaign.

This fixture has a history of producing goals, with last season alone featuring a 3-2 win for Raith, and an unforgettable 3-3 draw, when Rovers let-slip a three goal lead with just ten minutes remaining.

Since being reaquiainted in this tier in the 2012-13 campaign, the two have produced 63 goals in the 16 league meetings, with Dumbarton’s last win coming back in 2014, with a 2-1 home win.

Due to this, Raith have a good recent record in the fixture, with four wins and four draws from the last ten meetings.

Saturday’s match referee is Steven Kirkland.

Head-To-Head League Record at Stark’s Park:

Raith Rovers Wins: 35 | Dumbarton Wins: 11 | Draws: 11

Raith Rovers Goals: 120 | Dumbarton Goals: 66

Current Form:

Raith Rovers: W-W-D-L-L-L

Dumbarton: W-D-L-L-L-D

Top Goal-Scorers:

Raith Rovers: Declan McManus 3 | Ross Callachan 2 | Mark Stewart 2 | Lewis Vaughan 2

Dumbarton: Mark Docherty 3 |  Robert Thomson 2

Match Odds:

Raith Rovers: 8/13 | Dumbarton: 22/5 | Draw: 3/1

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