Half-dozen goals from nine league matches not enough, says Raith Rovers gaffer Neill Collins

Raith Rovers manager Neill Collins watching his side drawing 1-1 hosting Queen’s Park in football’s William Hill Championship at Stark’s Park in Kirkcaldy on Saturday (Photo by Paul Byars/SNS Group)

Raith Rovers manager Neill Collins is calling on his team to turn opportunities into goals to improve on their record of scoring only twice every three games.

The Fifers’ tally of six goals in their nine games so far this William Hill Championship football season, half as many as they’ve conceded, is the joint-second-lowest in the division, equal with basement side Airdrieonians and only one better than second-from-bottom Dunfermline Athletic’s five, two of them scored against their Fife rivals in mid-September.

That goal-shy record needs to change if the third-from-bottom Kirkcaldy club are to challenge at the top end of the table and the sooner the better, says Collins.

“It’s something we’re aware of – we need to score more goals,” the 41-year-old told Raith TV after Saturday's 1-1 draw at home to Queen’s Park at Kirkcaldy’s Stark’s Park.

“We need to be scoring more goals from set-pieces and open play.

“I don’t think anybody come come here and say we’re not an attacking team, that we’re not creating chances, that we’re not looking exciting because I think we’re all of those things, and I believe we’ve got good finishers, we’ve got players who can score goals, and they will and the wins will start coming, and that will compliment a lot of the good things we’re doing.

“We need to keep pushing because we’ve got a busy time coming up.”

Raith’s goal difference of minus-six is the third-worst in the league, outdone only by Airdrie’s minus-12 and seventh-placed Hamilton Academical’s minus-seven.

​Half-dozen goals from nine league matches not enough, says Raith Rovers gaffer Neill Collins

Half-dozen goals from nine league matches not enough, says Raith Rovers gaffer Neill Collins