Raith boss Barry Smith is demanding his players fully focus on today’s game at Airdrie and not allow themselves to be distracted by the wider implications of what it could mean to their promotion dream.
Rovers’ League 1 title hopes have suffered hammer blows in recent weeks with successive defeats to Ayr and then Forfar two Saturdays ago.
All of which means they are now six points behind the top-of-the-table Honest Men, albeit with a game in hand on Ian McCall’s side.
The title is now Ayr’s to lose with Raith simply having to try to win every one of their seven games left and hope the Somerset Park outfit slip up otherwise Rovers will face a promotion play-off.
However, Smith is looking for his players to put all thoughts of what might be happening elsewhere to one side and instead concentrate on the game against a Diamonds side that have only lost once in the league at home all season.
The manager is determined he will see a reaction following the two defeats with the players and the coaching staff talking things over in an attempt to “iron out” what has been going wrong.
Smith said: “We had a discussion to see where we could improve and get better.
“Everyone is determined to do well and it was also a chance to reinforce the fact they are a good team.
“We emphasised the positives but made sure that we have to iron out a few things as well to get back to winning ways.
“We may not have been right at it in the last two games but for the majority of the season the lads have done extremely well.
“All we can do now is to focus on the job at hand.
“We just have to take care of ourselves and our own business and we are only looking as far ahead as the Airdrie game.
“I watched their match on Tuesday night when they drew 2-2 with Alloa.
“They are a good side who have a great record at home and they are obviously used to playing on their artificial surface.
“However, we have to go there and play with confidence.
“It is also important that the players take collective responsibility.
“We have to make sure we win games – if we don’t, it doesn’t matter.”
Midfielders John Herron and Scott Robertson are once again major doubts through injury.
Smith added: “John Has been in and out of the team this season but Scott has been a big loss.
“That’s no disrespect to the others but we could have done with his experience in the middle of the park recently.”
