Raith keeper Aaron Lennox admits that while there may be just another three points at stake today there is no avoiding the wider significance of his side’s crunch top-of-the-table clash with Ayr United.
With just nine matches of the season to go, Rovers sit at the summit of League 1, four points ahead of the Honest Men who have a game in hand on the Kirkcaldy outfit.
Barry Smith’s men could land a huge psychological blow if they can win at Somerset Park with the team raring to go after their previous game against Forfar was twice called off because of the wintry weather.
Back home in Australia, Lennox had never seen snow so while his Raith team-mates were heartily sick of the stuff after days of the deep freeze, the big keeper admits he was still revelling in the Scottish winter wonderland.
So much so, the 25-year-old even took some time out from his preparations for the Ayr game to make his very own snowman.
Lennox, who has represented Australia at Under-17, 20 and 23 level, said: “We have been travelling about trying to get places where the snow wasn’t quite as bad but training has been sharp all week.
“I have to say I have loved the snow, even making a little snowman!
“It is something I have never experienced before.
“I had never seen snow in Australia so I still get all the wonder of it.
“We were obviously disappointed that the Forfar game was called off twice but we are ready for a huge match on Saturday.”
He added: “We are just taking every game as it comes.
“You can’t start thinking too far forward or you will just get distracted at this stage of the season.
“We are only focusing on one game, trying to pick up three points and then move on to the next one.
“Saturday’s game is just another three points but it is massive in terms of both our league positions and how we would like to open up a gap.
“It will probably be a very tense match and I would imagine it won’t be for the faint-hearted going down there.
“But we will take everything head on.”
This has been a frustrating season for Lennox after he picked up a serious groin injury playing against Brora Rangers in the Challenge Cup back in August.
He was out for weeks and even after he had recovered, he had to be patient to win his place back in the team because of the form of fellow stopper Graeme Smith.
Lennox said: “I was back training after about 15 weeks but it was then about returning to the level I wanted.
“It was really difficult getting things like kicking back up to standard.
“Smithy had been doing really well so it was hard to get the spot back.
“So I was just working as hard as I could in training and fortunately I got my chance.
“I really enjoy it at Raith and I think you can see we have a great good team spirit.
“The coaching staff and the players are brilliant.”
Raith will be without the suspended Iain Davidson and John Herron while Scott Robertson is an injury doubt with a back problem.
