Raith Rovers hoping to extend ten-match winning streak against Queen’s Park

The Kirkcaldy side have won their last ten matches in a row against the itinerant Glaswegians, currently based at Stenhousemuir’s Ochilview Park, only conceding two goals, and they haven’t lost to them for over 14 years.

The Spiders were in League 2 as recently as last year but back-to-back promotions see them in the same division as Rovers for the first time since the end of the 2017/18 season.

They’ve met in the Scottish Cup once since, though, the Fifers winning 3-0 at Glasgow’s Hampden Stadium, home to Queen’s Park, on and off and in differing locations, from 1873 until March last year, in November 2018. On target for the visitors, managed by current Falkirk gaffer John McGlynn at the time, were Kevin Nisbet on 13 minutes, Liam Buchanan on 24 and Nathan Flanagan on 57.

Their last season together in League 1 yielded two 2-0 home victories, in April 2018 and November 2017, for Raith and wins by 3-1 and 5-0 away, in February 2018 and September the year before respectively.

Their scorers at Stark’s Park were Bobby Barr and Dario Zanatta last time round and Zanatta and Greig Spence the time before.

On target for them away were Euan Murray, Willis Furtado and Buchanan last time, with Aidan Keena replying, and Buchanan, Lewis Vaughan, Zanatta, Barr and Jason Thomson on the previous occasion.

Their last meeting prior to that season in the third tier was a 6-0 home win for Raith in the league cup in August 2013 against a visiting side reduced to ten men by the 62nd-minute sending-off of Giuseppe Capuano. Netting for the hosts were Gordon Smith, Joe Cardle, Calum Elliot twice, Spence and Vaughan.

Their preceding season as league rivals, in the old Scottish second division in 2008/9 saw a clean sweep of four victories for the Fifers, by 1-0 and 2-0 at home and 1-0 and 2-1 away.

Graham Weir put away the sole goals in their 1-0 wins at Hampden in May 2009 and Stark’s Park in March of that year; Kevin Smith got both Rovers’ goals at their 2-1 win at Hampden in December 2008, with Stevie Nicholas replying for the hosts; and Smith and Allan Walker scored for Raith in Kirkcaldy in August 2008, a game also featuring a sending-off for each side, Paul Cairney for the visitors 18 minutes in and Andrew Cook for their hosts 12 minutes from time.

The match before that one, in March 2008, was Queen’s Park’s most recent win against Rovers, reduced to ten men by Ryan Borris being red-carded just ahead of the final whistle. On target for the visitors was Mark Ferry.