Cup bid could rest on group decider, says Raith Rovers boss

John McGlynn (picture by Michael Gillen)

The Lang Toun men followed Saturday’s single-goal win over Cowdenbeath with a trouble-free 4-0 victory on Tuesday night against Brechin City to set themselves up favourably for their next game in Group D away to Livingston on July 24.

A test so early in the season against a leading Premier League outfit will be a good experience for Raith but McGlynn was pleased they had a good opportunity to get out of the group.

“I think the section is going to go the last game, as far as I can see it,” he said. “If we can go to Livingston and do really, really well, and if we can win the game, we are looking at Alloa here. That is going to be a tough game.

"If we get a draw – and Alloa are going to try to beat Ayr, of course they are – we will be sitting there with the potential that, if you get ten points, you are probably going to be through. If you get nine points, you could go through as a good loser.

"We have six points in the bag – that’s what we were trying to get to be in a good position and we have given ourselves a chance to get out of the group.”

McGlynn believed he and his side had read the game well against Brechin City and played a 3-4-3 formation, as they predicted correctly how the game would unspool.

While he felt Raith should have taken many more of the chances they created, he was happy with the night’s work.

“It was total domination in the first half,” he said. “It should have been three or four with the amount of attacks, the amount of times we got behind them and got balls across the face of the goal.”

McGlynn praised several of his players as he added: “The play was fantastic. The energy in the team, the number of times we closed them down, the pressing and the winning back of the ball. I am not being derogatory to Brechin but I think they know they have been in a right game tonight.”

McGlynn hopes to bring in three new players and he believes Raith will be very strong again once they are in, and when Tom Lang, Frankie Musonda and Ross Matthews are available again.