Match Preview: Rangers

Raith Rovers  V  Rangers  Saturday 2nd April 2016  Stark’s Park  Kick off: 3.00pm

Admission Information:

This is an all ticket game for allocated seating. There will be no ticket sales on match-day. Remaining tickets for home support are on sale until 4pm today. Fans can purchase in person at Stark’s Park or call 01592 263514 to order and then collect the tickets at the game tomorrow.

Match Preview:

After two successive wins on their travels, Raith Rovers return to Stark’s Park this Saturday, looking to extend their unbeaten run which currently stands at six matches, while in the process, take points off the only Championship club whom they’ve failed to do so this season.

Champions elect Rangers are the visitors this Saturday, and if Raith are to keep their good form going, it’ll be the first time they’ve avoided defeat to the Ibrox side in a league game since November 1996.

Kevin Twaddle and Scott Thomson were the Rovers goalscorers on that occasion, but while it was a fine result, it was one of just a handful in that campaign, as Raith finished bottom of the Premier League with just 25 points, 55 behind the champions Rangers.

It’s been a radically different campaign from Raith this time around, but while they pushed Rangers close the last time they visited Stark’s Park in February, they’ve yet to score a goal against Mark Warburton’s side this season.

The first meeting in August was the most one-sided of the three head-to-heads so far, with Rangers cantering to victory in a 5-0 win. The aforementioned return fixture ended up with a 1-0 away win for the ‘Gers, despite a spirited second-half performance from the home side, while the final Ibrox meeting between the two teams ended up as a reasonably comfortable 2-0 win for home side.

That evening at Ibrox was the last time Raith tasted defeat, and with five wins and a draw since, Rovers are the form team in the division, picking up more points in the last six games than anyone else. The sequence of 16 points in just six games, makes it Raith’s most productive run in a single season since they won eight consecutive games on the way to winning the Second Division title in the 2008-09 campaign.

Both these sides know that a win on Saturday, coupled with results elsewhere, would see cause for celebration. For Rangers, three points at Stark’s Park would see them champions, if Hibernian drop points at Paisley against St. Mirren, while Rovers place in the playoffs would be confirmed if they win, and Queen of the South fail to do the same against Falkirk.

Saturday’s match referee will be Euan Anderson.

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

Raith Rovers Wins: 8 | Rangers Wins: 28 | Draws: 7

Raith Rovers Goals: 49 | Rangers Goals: 93

Current Form:

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

Rangers: W-W-W-W-L-W

Top Goalscorers:

Raith Rovers: Mark Stewart 11 | James Craigen 7 | Kyle Benedictus 4 | Ryan Hardie 4

Rangers: Martyn Waghorn 28 | Kenny Miller 12 | James Tavernier 8 | Jason Holt 8

Match Odds:

Raith Rovers: 15/2 | Rangers: 4/11 | Draw: 4/1

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