John McGlynn has urged Raith Rovers to rediscover the magic of their 5-1 demolition of Dunfermline — but this time in front of supporters.
Rovers claimed their biggest triumph against the Pars since 1983 when they swept Stevie Crawford’s charges aside in March.
It was arguably the most complete display of attacking football produced by Raith since McGlynn’s return to the club in September 2018 — quite the compliment, given some of their free-flowing performances to date.
However, the fact that masterclass was played out to empty seats still rankles with McGlynn — and he is desperate to give fans the chance to experience an unforgettable Friday night in person.
“The performance in the 5-1 game was just outstanding; amazing,” said McGlynn. “But it was a pity there was no-one there to see it.
“Of course, everyone watched it on television but that’s nothing like the real thing.
“We didn’t have that last year. So, there is an opportunity to try to recreate that on Friday.
“I appreciate there is another team out there, Dunfermline, who will be trying to do the exact same and get their fans behind them. That’s the nature of the beast.
“We just need to make sure we are one step ahead — and at least one goal ahead!”
‘What it meant’
McGlynn’s appreciation of the vociferous backing Raith Rovers received during their 2-1 victory against Aberdeen on Sunday shines through.
Stark’s Park was rocking as Ethon Varian cancelled out Jay-Emmanuel Thomas’ opener, before Dario Zanatta bagged the winner.
And McGlynn continued: “You could see at the end of the game what it meant to the fans and what it meant to the players — and what it meant to us all together.
“A big crowd is something we’ve not been used to recently and that atmosphere really helped us, which is pleasing.
“The players can take confidence from that. That’s perfect going into a derby game. This is another big game with another big crowd; it’s on television — there are a lot of similarities.”
Ecstatic Ethon
While Zanatta has taken the plaudits following his strike — capping a tireless man-of-the-match showing — Varian was also able to celebrate his first ever senior goal, having joined on loan from Stoke City during the summer.
Following missed chances against Hamilton and Inverness, it was a moment of joy and catharsis from which McGlynn believes the 19-year-year will benefit.
“Hopefully he’ll score another 10 in a row — then I’ll tell you how much it boosted him,” joked McGlynn.
“No, I think you could see that it boosted him during the game. He visibly got a lift.
“Ethon was really sharp onto that delivery, finished it really well with his weaker foot and that should give him all the inspiration in the world.
“For a young lad to score a goal at the home end, hear the crowd and be in among the celebrations — it’s a massive moment and I hope there are many more ahead for Ethon.”
