Kyle Benedictus and his Raith team-mates will attempt to halt a miserable run of 17 games without victory tonight against an in-form St Mirren side who have won four out of their last five matches.
The only loss in that run for Jack Ross’s men came against Premiership champions elect Celtic in the Scottish Cup on Sunday at Parkhead with Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers rating the Championship’s bottom side as the best domestic outfit they have faced so far this season.
Despite all that, Benedictus insists he saw enough from his own team in defeat last week against Ayr at Somerset Park to believe that Rovers can finally return to winning ways.
Raith, of course, were forced to use outfield player Ryan Stevenson in goal against the Honest Men because all three first-team keepers were injured.
Benedictus refused to use that as an excuse for the defeat but he insisted the performance was full of promise for the hard tests ahead – starting against St Mirren.
The 25-year-old defender said: “Every game is massive for us just now and we need to pick up as many points as we can.
“St Mirren are on a good run and are doing well.
“I know we haven’t had the best results but we should feel confident going into Wednesday night’s game.
“I felt we played well enough against Ayr to win the game especially considering the circumstances we were playing under.
“We have to look at the positives and take them into Wednesday’s game.
“I just think confidence is low at the moment.
“We finished last season on a good run and this one started well but we have gone downhill from there.
“Confidence is a big thing but I don’t think we are getting as much luck.
“It seems to be that everything is going against us.
“We need to pick ourselves up. There are still nine games to go and a lot of points to play for.
“All it takes is one victory and it could push us on until the end of the season.
“We just need to stick together as a group and work twice as hard for each other – to put that extra couple of yards in on the pitch.
“I think performances have been better even although results haven’t.
“I believe if we play the way we did against Ayr, then results will come.”
Benedictus has fought rearguard actions successfully before when he was at Dundee after the club were docked 25 points for going into administration for a second time and more recently at Alloa.
He added: “When I was at Alloa, we stayed up through the play-offs.
“We had a good dressing-room there as well. Most boys here will have been through it.
“We were fighting at the top last season and we are fighting at the bottom this time.
“It is different pressure but the boys will not let the heads go down and we still have nine games to go. There is a lot to play for.”
Benedictus admitted that new boss John Hughes will ensure the players are certainly not lacking in motivation in the must-win games to come.
He said: “He has come in and he obviously has his own philosophy on things.
“He gets you upbeat before games, that’s for sure.
“He has come in until the end of the season and his main goal is to keep us up.
“Confidence is going to be low after so many games without a victory but as long as we stick together and play for the shirt, results will come.
“We have Dumbarton on Saturday after St Mirren so they are two of the biggest games of the season.
“If we can go and get four or six points, everything will be positive.”
