Dropping points from winning positions is a bad habit Raith Rovers can’t seem to shake this season.
Saturday’s 3-3 draw with Arbroath was the NINTH time they’ve surrendered a lead to draw – or lose – a match.
It was also the THIRD time this season the Kirkcaldy side had blown a lead of two or more goals.
Reoccurring problem
This is not a recent phenomenon for Rovers.
A 4-4 home draw with Hamilton on the opening day seems to have set to tone for the season. Four up against the Accies on 65 minutes, they threw it away.
Since that day, Raith have ended up with a point or less from a winning position against Dunfermline, Morton, Queen of the South, Arbroath twice and Inverness three times.
Most of the decisive strikes have come in the closing stages of games.
In all, Rovers have shipped 20 goals in the last 20 minutes of matches this season. Some of those have been late consolations, but many have proved costly in their quest for promotion.
Looking at the nine games which have been thrown away makes for galling reading for Raith fans.
Out of a possible 27 points their side could have claimed from those winning positions, they only picked up seven.
What could have been
If you add all of those dropped points on to their current tally, the table would look very different for John McGlynn’s side.
Rovers would be on 63 points – four clear of Kilmarnock at the top of the table.
Instead, they are scrapping for a play-off spot, two points behind Partick Thistle. If not for the Jags’ terrible form, they could have found themselves cut further adrift.
With five games left they face Dunfermline, Morton, Partick, Hamilton and Kilmarnock.
They’ve blown leads against three of those sides already this campaign.
John McGlynn will know he has to shore up his defence to see games out if they want to reach the play-offs.
But with most of the season already played, is it too late for Raith Rovers to learn their lessons?
