Raith v Queens

[Northfield53]

Very important game for us when really only a win will do for us.
We have not been playing well for weeks not confident that we can get anything at Raith or Dumbarton still time will tell.
Need to make changes for Tuesday night.
Get Kerr back in and start with Lyle Russell and Holt.
Give a start to Kidd as well
Clark
Mitchell Durnan Higgians Holt
Kidd Kerr Burns Russell
Lyle Reilly.

[JRSLEFTPEG]

Really have no idea why McIntyre would play Higgins over Holt at left back. This is not a dig at Higgins who has been a very good player for us and is decent with ball at feet . Holt is a better left back than Higgins in the same way that Higgins is a better centre half than Holt . We missed Holt's thrusts down the left side . The manager has more belief in McHugh than me also.

[Auld_Chippy]

A big improvement on yesterday's form is needed if we are to stay in the play-off positions. Dumbarton are hanging on our coat-tails making the outcome of next Saturday's game even more important. Picking up three points at Raith would certainly ease the tension going into that game.
Like others I was impressed by Kidd when he came on V Falkirk and may be worth a start on Tuesday. Think I would also pair Lyle and Reilly up front for a bit more dig. Holt must be well in the running for Young Player of the Year, strange that the Manager has opted to instal Higgins in his position.
Let's hope that Lee Robinson is well treated by the QoS fans but given a hard time by our players.

[aloreburn]

Very important game for us when really only a win will do for us.
We have not been playing well for weeks not confident that we can get anything at Raith or Dumbarton still time will tell.
Need to make changes for Tuesday night.
Get Kerr back in and start with Lyle Russell and Holt.
Give a start to Kidd as well
Clark
Mitchell Durnan Higgians Holt
Kidd Kerr Burns Russell
Lyle Reilly.


And breath ;)

[Dariusz]

Really have no idea why McIntyre would play Higgins over Holt at left back.

The only theory I can think off is that he is trying to make space for Andy Dowie who should only really be a decent back up guy. He plays decent most of the time, but every so often has a right howler!

Barring injury, illness, suspension, or a collapse in form over a fair number of games, I think our back 4 should never change from:
Mitchell, Durnan, Higgins, Holt.

I also think that Lewis Kidd should be given some more game time.

[Lefty3]

Watched the highlights of the Raith game from Sat, and their defence looked well dodgy, even before Hill got sent off. They certainly didn't like the Dumbarton players running at them with the ball.Hill will be suspended and he will be missed by them because he's a solid centre half.
Hope the manager freshens the team up a bit because Saturdays starting line didn't work.
Mc Hugh was ineffective and Paton didn't look fit. I like most fans would like to see Russell,Holt and Lyle back because they are three of our best creative players.Up the Queens!

[qosdreamer]

A big game and a chance to get saturday's game out of their system where few were at the top of their game.
It's never easy away but Raith is not the worst venue to be visiting at the moment and Hill is a big player for them.
I can't disagree with Holt being a miss at left back.Higgins is a trier but we had little going down the left in the second half especially when we moved Russell inside despite his early threat including the red card.
I would love to see someone from midfield get beyond the forwards in games.McKenna and McShane were very flat on Saturday and Paton again never showed the talent he has.Burns will make runs but we need more from the midfield.
These players have shown great effort in the last few months and will need to show it again.
Come on Queens.

[arrol1919]

Was impressed with Lewis Kidd when he eventually made his Queens debut on Saturday . I'd start him tomorrow night against Raith

[Tam_o_Terregles]

Hope the players get to Kirkcaldy in good time. I was about to leave my house in Embra for the game but am now unable to go. There are 2 hour delays northbround on the bridge after a diesel spill at 1pm today. :(

[QoS1_StMirren1]

Kick off delayed til 8.15 because of those traffic problems.

[TOSHSON]

Two down after 7 mins ,ah well looks like Saturday's game is going to be interesting!!

[Tam_o_Terregles]

Two down after 7 mins ,ah well looks like Saturday's game is going to be interesting!!

Is it? Are we settling for the Championship?

Glad about the fuel spill now! Two down already :blue:

Betting syndicates shoving their gold bars on Dumbarton now, I imagine.

I wonder if we will see a race to be fifth on Saturday.

[QOS_MAD_ADMIN]

Now 2-2 Durnan with brace - get in there !

[Deke]

We're still in the driving seat.

[WULLIEQOS]

no where no 3 -2 raith

[WULLIEQOS]

raith down to ten men

[QOS_MAD_ADMIN]

We will have to do it the hard way - hope we are up for it on Saturday !

[Deke]

We're still slightly in the driving seat - better goal difference.

[rjc_1988]

We were extremely lucky to go in at 2-2 -thank goodness we have a threat at set pieces because our open play was devoid of any creativity.

Can't believe Higgins was preferred to Holt at left back and Russell is simply not a left midfielder. when we are devoid of natural finishers I am mystified why he isn't worth a start up front but these selection errors are really hurting us again as they did in the first quarter.

Despite almost the whole team being off colour the manager waited an eternity to make a change.

Our quality of football is miles away from last season even allowing for much stronger opposition. We can only hope for a big improvement in last three games.

[Auld_Chippy]

Very few, if any, deserving pass marks in this game. Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles could have defended better at Raith's goals. McShane and Burns were like wee boys lost in the midfield, only McKenna played anywhere near decent (just).
The late ?? introduction of Kidd and Carmichael geed things up a bit and McIntyre finally saw sense and replaced the struggling Higgins with Holt, only about 88 minutes later than the switch should have been made.
Have we got the bottle for a fight to stay in the play-off positions? Not on the evidence in this game.:(

[Dariusz]

Worryingly we appear to be losing our form at the wrong time of the season.

Why our number 1 left back Holt has been benched recently in favour of playing Higgins out of position seems bizarre.

After the first 1/4 of the season many were doubting the manager due to his tinkering with a machine that was already working! Which yielded terrible results. After 3/4 had past I think I'm probably right in saying he had won over most doubters.

However regrettably I must say these doubts have recently started to return. Is it just me or has our downturn in form coincided with him breaking up the successful Higgins/Durnan partnership in centre defence?

[deek5trans]

^^^No thats just you :D

Dowie and Durnan have been playing very well together in recent weeks, infact would go as far to say he (Dowie) has proven the doubters wrong.

Higgins for Holt is where the mistake is. Higgins central or not at all. How many goals has Higgins cost us at left back? Holt makes one error and is immediately dropped the following game.

[Bluehome]

Higgins has played 7 games at left back.
2 wins, 5 defeats.
One of the wins was v Morton.

[rjc_1988]

For me the shape of the team just doesn't look right.

If we play Mitchell and Holt we have the added advantage of two forward thinking players who can get wide and deliver an attacking threat.That is surely a no brainer?

We also have two natural wingers/wide midfield players in Paton and Carmichael. Paton is a very good player who in my view hasn't delivered what he is capable of but if fit is an obvious on the teamsheet. Carmichael on the otherhand is a talented guy who for some inexplicable reason hasnt built on his great season last year and when he has appeared his final ball continues to let him down.I can understand Danny being ommitted but if neither Paton or Carmichael are picked I dont think playing Ian Russell in wide midfield is a great option.

I dont understand why Russell is not seen as a strong contender for one of the striking roles. He has quick feet, good movement and a very strong goal scoring record in this Division. The Manager may well be right that Lyle an

[Edqos1]

Anybody else get stuck on the bridge? Left home in Edinburgh at 6.45pm for the short hop over to Kirkcaldy, hit the traffic jam at 7pm, and it was 9.00pm before I was nearing the bridge. Annoyingly, once stuck there was no way I could reverse out or do a U turn, it was 9.30pm before I got home, just in time to catch Raith's winner on the Queens website updates. Another chapter in the ups and downs of being a Queens fan...

[Dariusz]

^^^No thats just you :D

Dowie and Durnan have been playing very well together in recent weeks, infact would go as far to say he (Dowie) has proven the doubters wrong.

Higgins for Holt is where the mistake is. Higgins central or not at all. How many goals has Higgins cost us at left back? Holt makes one error and is immediately dropped the following game.

Just me, yeah yeah! :D Dowie for me is a player who is decent but is often the one who makes the inevitable massive howlers whereas Higgins & Durnan are always solid.
It cant be a coincidence that our recent dodgy form has been since McIntyre has started playing 3 centre halfs in our starting 11, albeit 1 out of position!

[topfitter]

Our most successful period co-incided with the establishment of the Dowie - Durnan partnership. Our results with Higgins at LB are poor at best.

Your obsession with berating Dowie and questioning his ability are becoming tiresome suggesting an obssesive bent that is questionable.

[Dariusz]

I am glad that it is just my Dowie comments that are tiresome to you.

ALL of your comments are tiresome to me.

[topfitter]

When did I say only your Dowie comments are tiresome?

You may find my comments "all" tiresome but you obviously take the time to read them, although you do not produce any qualitative argument.

[Dariusz]

I am going to parachute out of this one citing advice that someone once gave me:

never argue with an idiot, because they just bring you down to their level, and then beat you on experience

[topfitter]

Pity you never took someone's advice eh ? ;D

[Dariusz]

it is!

[Lefty3]

The highlights of last nights game are on the Raith website. It's not pleasant viewing, that could have been 5 or 6 to Raith by the look of it.Let's hope for a vast improvement for Saturday, and i think a draw would be a good result.Up the Queens!

[fruitloop]

I felt embarrased to call chris Mitchell a defender last night. Joe cardle tore him apart every single time

Clark should have saved the first two goals and taking mckenna off was a shocking decision

[mainstandman59]

I felt embarrased to call chris Mitchell a defender last night. Joe cardle tore him apart every single time

Clark should have saved the first two goals and taking mckenna off was a shocking decision
Unfortunately it wasn't just Mitchell who under-performed in defence, the whole back 4 were a shambles. Vinnie might have scored twice, but his positioning, passing and overall play was poor.Higgins we all know is not a full back, and really Mitchell is not much of a defender, last night Cardle had the beating of him all night long, and the mystery was how we only lost 3 goals. Bit harsh blaming Clark for the first 2 goals, maybe the 2nd, but he was unsighted at the first and almost kept it out. A big improvement is certainly needed for Saturday's big game at the Rock.

[Soothmoother]

For me most of the the problems were at full back (HIggins and Mitchell) and the second goal was Durnan's error. He should have headed the ball out of play but chose to nod it straight omto Watson's toe. Other than that I thought that Dowie and Durnan played solidly. McShane spent the entire match running around chasing the ball and when he did get it he passed it straight to a Raith player. Burns was poor as well. Russell was reasonable early on but faded. There were too many ineffective long balls up to the strikers for my liking. Definitley need Holt and Paton in if fit.

[rjc_1988]

Interestingly a staunch Raith supporter tracked me down yesterday to share our thoughts on the match...whether he would have been as keen if it had been 2-3 is another issue but without any prompting from me his key observation was...why do you keep playing Ian Russell wide left?

I am not certain over the piece that Ian Russell is a better option than Gavin or Derek Lyle but the surprising thing for me is that he hasn't been given a sustained chance to stake a claim for one of the main striking roles.