After four straight losses, Raith Rovers boss Ian Murray says restoring his players' confidence is 'paramount' to ending grim run

Murray, whose team were defeated 3-2 at home by Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the league last Saturday and resume competitive action in an SPFL Trust Trophy semi-final at home to Airdrieonians this Friday night, told RaithTV: “We have got a lot of character. We’ve got a lot of heart in the team as well.

"We’ve shown that numerous times this season. But in the last four or five games, we’ve taken the lead in games but somehow we walk away with one point or zero points.

"And that’s a harsh reality of what’s been going on the last four, five weeks.

"We’ve played a back three, a back four, we’ve changed personnel.

"That's why I go on about the collective. It’s a whole mentality that we need to try and get ourselves out of.

"There’s no-one else is going to do it apart from ourselves.

"We have to work together, we have to be really honest with ourselves.

"The only way you get better is if you look at everything you do.

"We take all the plaudits when we play well and win games so we have to take criticism when we lose games.

"And we have to be big enough to take the criticism, which I think we are.

"We also have to just get back to what we’re good at.

"We’re good at creating chances, scoring goals, being solid with two big centre-halves at the back and we’re now thankfully getting boys back. We look to ways of trying to win the semi-final on Friday night.

"Belief and confidence is paramount in my opinion. I think we have to get back to believing in ourselves, believing in our team-mates, regaining our confidence as individuals and as a team unit, and our work-rate.”

Murray said he thought Raith were “lethargic” in the Inverness loss, stressing that his players had to work hard in every game or risk getting turned over.

"We just look a wee bit fragile at the moment,” he said. “All teams go through it.

"We have to dig ourselves out it, no-one’s going to help us.”