Raith Rovers boss Ian Murray thrilled as he and striker Lewis Vaughan win respective Glen's Manager and Player of the Month Awards for December

A fantastic December saw the current league leaders enjoy four Championship wins (2-1 at Inverness Caledonian Thistle, 4-3 at home to Partick Thistle, 2-1 at Arbroath and 1-0 at Dundee United) as well as drawing at home to Ayr United (4-4) and Arbroath (2-2), during which time Vaughan netted on four occasions including a hat-trick against Ayr.

“Awards are always nice and you’re always very receptive to getting them, being acknowledged and stuff,” Murray, 42, told RaithTV.

"But the bottom line is that it’s an acknowledgement of the players and the staff together, the whole football club.

"It’s a sign that we’re moving in the right direction, it shows that we’ve had a good period over the last few months or few weeks, whatever it is.

"So I’m really, really happy, delighted. But again it’s a collective effort. I don’t go out there and put the ball in the back of the net, I don’t go out there and block the shots.

"All I can do is try and be organised, put an organised team on the park and try and give them little tips and hints on maybe how we can be better and try and be better.

"But it’s as much for the supporters and the players and the other staff as it is for me.”

On Vaughan, 28, landing the Glen’s December Player of the Month gong, Murray added: "I’m delighted for Lewis. Without harping on about it, Lewis’s journey has been unusual but it’s huge testament to the guy again.

"He’s top goalscorer in the league I think still at the moment (Vaughan’s tally of 10 goals is joint best along with Ruari Paton of Queen’s Park and Brian Graham of Partick Thistle).

"He’s looking really, really fit. He’s come back from a cruciate ligament injury and managed to pick up an award inside just about a year which is a remarkable achievement.

"Again, I’ll go on the collective, it’s not just Lewis, it’s the players round about him.

"So all the other players deserve a huge amount of credit and respect for what myself and Lewis have been awarded.

"He really, really works hard. He’s one of those infectious characters on the football pitch that, when they get the ball in and around the box, you expect something to happen.

"It’s also his work-rate, his work-rate’s really, really high which is really important. And it’s a side of the game that Lewis acknowledges.”