Raith Rovers boss Grant Murray has conceded his side’s play-off hopes are now hanging by a thread after back-to-back league defeats but insisted that should not mean standards should drop.
The Kirkcaldy club’s chances of sneaking into fourth spot now look dim and distant after losses to Queen of the South and Hearts in recent days, with just nine games now remaining and an 11-point gap to try and overhaul.
However, Murray reckons there is plenty to play for in the final weeks of the season with league positions and potentially players’ futures still at stake.
Asked if Rovers could yet catch Queens and Falkirk in the race for promotion, Murray acknowledged: “I think it’s a very big ask now and we need everything to go for us.
“We need to go on a run of winning every game and the other two dropping points.
“But the aim doesn’t change and as a player and as a club we’ve got to go out and try to win every game – do what you are meant to be doing right from the start of the season.
“If it gets us as many wins as possible between now and the end of the season then we’ll see where we are, but it’s definitely a massive ask to get into the play-offs because there’s too big a gap.
“But you never stop.
“You’ve got to stress to the players that it’s still important to win games of football.
“You want to finish as high up the league as possible, that’s still our aim, and you don’t want teams below you catching you.
“And you want to finish the season with a winning mentality.
“We started the season with a winning mentality and you want that to continue right up until the end of the season.
“Players are also playing for contracts and that happens whether you are top of the league, middle of the league, bottom of the league.
“You are always playing for contracts so I don’t see that being any different because of where we are and if we may or may not make the play-offs.
“If you are a football player you are motivated every day you come into training and for every single game.
“You’ve got to be or you get found out.”
Striker Calum Elliot has returned to training following his knee injury but Murray is loathe to start him against Alloa tomorrow due to the length of time he has been out, meaning that Rovers will be short in attacking options with Christian Nade due to serve a two-match ban.
Raith decided against appealing the red card shown to Nade against Hearts in midweek and Murray said of the situation: “It was a difficult one.
“I think looking at it, Christian has gone into try and win the ball.
“Nowadays it’s difficult when two players are going in at that pace, there’s going to be contact and somebody sometimes comes off worse off.
“The referee just deemed it as serious foul play and it’s just one of those things.
“I thought it was a bit harsh at the time, if I’m honest, because a tackle can be a tackle.
“The lad has got up and played on, not that that makes the tackle not right, but just the way the two players came together there was always going to be a bit of contact.
“But Mark Stewart and Lewis Vaughan have played together in the past, if that’s how we go on Saturday, so I’ve no worries on that score.
“It’s that time of the season where you sometimes need to make changes because of certain things, but we still have a group of players out there that are capable of winning games.”
Tomorrow’s visitors to Stark’s Park raised a few eyebrows in midweek when they signed former Newcastle, Sunderland and Cardiff striker Michael Chopra.
The 31-year-old will be desperate to impress after a failed stint in India and Murray admits his team are up against a bit of an unknown quantity.
“Obviously he’s been away playing abroad but he’s a player who has played at a high level,” the Raith boss added.
“He’s had it, I wouldn’t say he’s lost it, and he’s obviously got a desire to go and do well wherever he plays his football.
“So it will be a tough game for us.
“Alloa have got something to play for.
“There’s always something to play for, wherever you are in the league, and Alloa are no different.
“They want to stay in this division, whether it be through the amount of points they gain or whether it is if they fall into the play-offs.
“But they will want to stay in this league and they’ll be buzzing after their fantastic result at Ibrox in midweek.
“Rangers look to have picked up, getting a new manager in, but Alloa have gone there and given a good account of themselves.”