Raith Rovers hoping to get third time lucky against Ayr United after back-to-back defeats

Their last game, in March, saw the South Ayrshire side run out 4-0 winners at Kirkcaldy’s Stark’s Park, thanks to goals from James Maxwell at the double, Tomi Adeloye and Sam Ashford.

That was twice United’s winning margin of 2-0 the game before, away at Somerset Park on Boxing Day last year, Adeloye and Mark McKenzie getting on the scoresheet that time round.

The sides’ other two meetings during the last Scottish Championship season went the Fifers’ way, however, by 2-1 at home last October and 2-0 away the month before.

Ethan Ross and Dario Zanatta netted for Raith at Stark’s Park, with Jack Baird replying, and Ethon Varian and Zanatta got the goals out west during a match ending with only 19 players on the pitch, Aaron Muirhead and Jonathan Afolabi seeing red for the hosts and Blaise Riley-Snow for their visitors.

That equal share of points last term reflects how things have played out over the teams’ last dozen meetings, all in the championship – Raith and Ayr winning four each and drawing the other four.

The season before’s three meetings were all draws – 1-1 away in March 2021 and goalless at home earlier that month and away in December 2020, the only goals in those games being put away by Kyle Benedictus for Rovers and Muirhead for Ayr.

The 2017/18 season saw United notch up two 3-0 home victories and one of the teams’ two games in Fife going Rovers’ way by 2-1 and the other ending tied at 1-1.

Lawrence Shankland, Jamie Adams and Michael Moffat scored for Ayr during their win in March 2018 and Scotland striker Shankland was also on the scoresheet in November 2017, along with Robbie Crawford and Craig Moore.

Shankland, now at Heart of Midlothian, found the back of the net at Stark’s Park in January 2018 too, as did the hosts’ Greig Spence, and he also scored there in September 2017, with Lewis Vaughan and Jason Thomson netting for the hosts.

Raith recorded two wins during the 2016/17 season, by 2-1 at home and 2-0 away, with Ayr winning one game 1-0 at home. The sides’ other meeting that time round was a 1-1 draw.

Rovers’ scorers in Fife in May 2017 were Jonny Court and Declan McManus, with Ross Docherty replying, and in Ayr in August 2016 they were Ross Callachan and Ross Matthews.

On the scoresheet for the Fifers in November 2016’s 1-1 home draw was Joel Coustrain, with Gary Harkins replying and two players going off, Benedictus for the hosts and Paul Cairney for their visitors.

Netting for Ayr during their February 2017 home win was Farid El Alagui.