Raith Rovers aim to make the jump on Fife derby day

That’s the scenario ahead of this weekend’s home Championship match with Dunfermline three points above the Kirkcaldy side, who have a superior goal difference.

MacDonald says it’s one of the factors that makes this meeting – his first with the Pars since joining the club – such a mouth-watering prospect.

"There are a few things that this game brings up,” he says.

“It's what you live for in football. A derby is a match that always gets made a big deal of, it always has that extra spice to it.

"There's a bit of an edge.

“Dunfermline have obviously started very well, top of the table, undefeated, so there are a lot of incentives for us at the weekend.

“We want to win every game obviously, but there's a wee bit extra in that if we win the game we could leapfrog them and inflict their first league defeat of the season.

“It's one we're all looking forward to - players and fans alike.”as well as getting one over their neighbours, the Stark’s Park No.1 says the team want to continue their impressive start to the season.

He said: “I think going into the new league the confidence from the boys who were here last year was still high from winning League One.

“I think if you'd offered us 10 points from the first five games at the beginning of the season, we'd have bitten your hand off for it.

“We're at the top end of the table and it's something to build on. Hopefully we can.”

MacDonald says he’s also been impressed with his team mates’ adaptability in going from game to game.

"Being new to the team, I realised straight away that it's an attacking team that wants to play good football and in some games our play has been outstanding, but what I'm happy about is that the team does have that wee bit of grit and determination as well.

If you go back to the first game of the season against Arbroath, the first 20 minutes we didn't start well but we hung on in there and went on to dominate the game.

"It's getting the balance between playing good football, but also having that bit of steel to hang on in a game and stay in it.”