When Kyle Benedictus was at Dundee, he was part of the famous “Deefiant” squad that defied all the odds to overcome a 25-point deduction to preserve the club’s then First Division status.
Now, as he prepares to face firm favourites Hibs in the Ladbrokes Premiership quarter final, first-leg play-off for Raith Rovers tonight, he can see similarities with the strong characters inside the Stark’s Park dressing-room and the one he previously shared at Dens.
And Benedictus is hoping they will help the Kirkcaldy side produce a similar big upset against the Easter Road outfit.
He said: “We are 11 games unbeaten just now with only one defeat in the last 15 which is incredible.
“It is a great squad. I said that on Sunday at Livingston when I saw just how strong our bench was.
“The manager has been changing things in every game recently but it has never weakened us as a team.
“It is such a good, strong group of boys.
“When I was at Dundee, you had guys like Rab Douglas and Gary Harkins who were all big characters – it is the same at Raith.
“Jason Thomson is a big influence, Craig Barr has come back and he is a strong lad. If you take a telling off him, you listen as he is a big boy.
“Lewis Toshney is another big character, I also like to shout now and again while Kevin Cuthbert in goals is always talking to the back four.
“You need these strong characters and hopefully come Wednesday, we can do the business again.”
Benedictus knows what it takes to negotiate through the play-off minefield having helped Alloa escape relegation when he was there on loan last season.
He said: “Every game we play against Hibs is like a cup final for the boys.
“Even last season at Alloa, we always had confidence we could get a result.
“Wednesday is the first game and it is at our ground so hopefully we can nick a win and take into Saturday’s match at Easter Road.”
The first side Alloa faced in the play-offs last season was Brechin who were managed at the time by current Raith boss Ray McKinnon.
City were stung by the Wasps with Benedictus contributing to their downfall by scoring a crucial goal in the first-leg and he admits, McKinnon has still not forgiven him.
He said: “The manager has mentioned it a couple of times!
“But I think he will finally forgive me if I can score a couple on Wednesday or Saturday.”
Raith only found out who they would be facing in the play-offs following Falkirk and Hibs’ matches on Sunday but Benedictus confessed he was not concerned who they would be playing.
He said: “We beat Hibs the last time we played them and we drew with Falkirk last week but to be honest, the boys weren’t bothered who we played.
“We didn’t even look at their scores until the end of the Livingston game to see who we got.
“We will take either of them. There is no pressure on us and if we can play the way we have been playing, then we have a really good chance of going through.”
“Even the games where we have been beaten by them this season, it is only been by the odd goal.
“We have always been in the games and it has maybe been the odd mistake that has cost us.
“We have gone toe to toe with them and Wednesday and Saturday will be no different.”
