Thirty seven games in and tonight we're off to see two new sides tonight, Raith Rovers & Cowdenbeath. A local derby between two sides at different ends of Division 1. Raith are currently top whilst Cowdenbeath are second bottom.
We've been watching the BBC football page on the net to see if the game is going to survive the torrential downpour of the last day or so. The 3.30pm pitch inspection passes the test so it's a straight from work effort tonight and my dad picks me up at 5.45pm for the journey over the bridge to Kirkcaldy. As ever the traffic across Edinburgh is brutal but we make time up on the rest of the journey. Listening to Sportsound on Radio Scotland, the commentator at the Raith game reckons Raith will shoot towards the shallow end in the first half. We make it to Kirkcaldy and park up not far from the ground by 6.45pm. We've got an hour before the game and decide to sit in the car for a while before braving the cold.
We make our way over to Stark's Park about 7.20pm to give ourselves time for the pre match photo and Club shop visit.
The stadium is hemmed in on either side, the far side has a derelict stand pushed up against the main East Coast railway line. The near side has a L shaped stand which runs half the length of the pitch and round a corner flag and behind the goals there are two large stands.
A visit to the Club shop later and we've picked up a programme but unfortunately, for my dad, they've run out of pin badges. A quick look at the programme and I'm slightly confused by the Merry Christmas banner and Christmas cartoon on the cover. On closer inspection I can see that this is the programme for the original game that was called off from the 18th December.
We decide on the L shaped stand for a better view of the game than behind the goals. Walking out into the stand we come face to face with the 'Tango Man' - Jimmy Calderwood. I over my hand and inform him of the fact I'm an Aberdeen fan and that I think they way he was treated by the Aberdeen Board was unjust and I wish him well at Ross County. He seems genuinely grateful for the comments. I'm already on my way to find a seat when my dad tells Jimmy that he's a Kilmarnock fan and I'm too far away to hear the rest.
Looking at the seating options available I'm dismayed to find that none of the seats have backs to them. All you get is a molded piece of plastic stuck to the concrete row. You also have to position yourself between the stanchions so you can see both goals. Still we chose to sit here as you get a better of the game side on.
Seat chosen and I'm off to buy dinner for us both, 2 Scotch pie's please.
Now then we could have a contender for Pie of the Season here. An eight out of ten, maybe even an eight and a half. According to my dad it's got a nice crust, tasty filling, it's not to hard and it's a perfect temperature. The fact that he's starving helps to. The pie is so good we have a second before kick off.
Cowdenbeath fans have turned up in their tens. A poor away support especially as Cowdenbeath is only seven miles away. The home fans have also noticed the poor away support 'What a shitty away support' they sing. Still there are probably more of them than there were Hamilton fans at Celtic.
Just before kick off the various board members from either team come out to sit in the Directors Box and low and behold, Donald Finlay QC strides out in a blue Cowdenbeath jacket. I never knew he was the on the board. My dad tells me he's the Chairman in fact.
Raith run out to there on theme song. It's full of accordions and sounds very much like the Hearts song so it does.
The game kicks off.
We get another look at Stevie Crawford tonight. Jimmy Nicholl, the Beath manager, signed him from East Fife where he was player manager earlier in the season.
John Baird, Raith's number nine, has the first chance when he takes the ball past two defenders and heads goal wards. His final touch lets him down though and the defender clears.
'Beath left back Kenneth Adamson tries his luck from fully thirty five yards out but his left foot shot almost goes out for a throw in it's that wild.
Simmons turns well on the edge of the box and curls an effort goal wards but its an easy save for David Hay in the away goal. Thirteen minutes in and a Craig Wilson shot goes just the wrong side of the post for Raith. Baird wastes a great chance five minutes later when he intercepted a poor pass, beat the last defender and then hoofed it miles over the bar.
Archie Campbell could have made Rovers pay for missing these chances when he sprinted clear of a static defence and found himself two on one against the last man. Rather than play the easy ball to his team mate he shot straight at the keeper.
Allan Walker of Raith then had a shot on the turn saved comfortably by the keeper. Minutes later a fantastic ball down the wing by Davidson was played right across the six yard box where Walker got a touch to it. He must have thought he's opened the scoring but a flying David Hay made a brilliant save.
On rare break into the Rovers half, Greig Stewart through on goal, took too many touches, narrowed his own angle and shot straight at McNeil. Davidson almost gifted Beath the lead when he was woefully short with a back pass and Campbell was only denied putting the league leaders behind by a brilliant McNeil save.
The home fans try and rouse their team with a burst of song and cheering.
It seems to do the job as right on the stroke of half time Mark Ferry floats a ball over the away defence and Gregory Tade smashes it in to the top corner.
Half time.
The stadium announcer informs us that second placed Dunfermline are being held one each at half time by bottom placed Stirling Albion. He deflates the hope of the crowd some what by telling us that Stirling are down to ten men however.
The second half kicks off and two minutes in Tade almost makes it two nil. Running at the keeper from the corner of the box, only the keepers legs keep the ball out.
Against the run of play, Cowdenbeath grab an equaliser. A Scott Linton cross is met by the diving head of Greig Stewart and the ball nestles in the bottom corner.
Rovers went up the other end of the park, Simmons headed the ball in to the path of Baird and his shot hit the post and rebounded to safety.
The away fans are singing it's all gone quiet over there!
Ferry then plays a shocking ball across the back four without looking and Ramsay picked it off. He has so much time to pick his spot and perhaps it's too much time as he shot tamely at the keeper.
The home fans are getting restless, they reckon their team have run out of ideas and there are many shouts from the crowd for the manager to change things round.
Ten minutes to go and a Ferry shot goes just past the left hand post.
My dad reckons the Cowdenbeath number eight looks like he has been kicking around the lower divisions of the Scottish leagues all his career. He is then somewhat embarrassed when the player is substituted and we find out it's Colin Cameron, ex Hearts, Wolves and Scotland.
Stevie Crawford shows his skills by taking the ball down expertly on the edge of the box and firing a half volley on the turn which scrapes the top of the bar.
Two minutes later and Baird fires the home side in front again. Walker breaks free on the right wing and plays a delicious ball across the face of the goal and Baird rises high to head it back the way it came and into the bottom corner.
The home fans celebrate with a burst of we're going to win the league.
With two minutes to go the last chance of the game fell to Crawford but his snap shot goes wide.
Full time.
On the basis of play tonight Raith have deserved their victory, they had most of the possession and way more chances than their opponents.
The home side are boosted when the news that comes through Dumfermline have been held to a draw as this puts them four points clear with nine games to go. If Raith do win the league and come up this year I feel they'll need to strengthen their back line if they hope to compete. I wish them well though as we don't want to see Falkirk and their annoying manager, Steven Pressley, to get promotion and as an Aberdeen fan I've witnessed Dunfermline beat us on too many occassions also.
Plus the fact they've got one of the best pies in the country.
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