(11-30-2011, 10:35 PM)Wicky Wrote: This thread is surprisingly quiet. Are we all getting complacent that we will beat the Rovers just by turning up? Will Brittains absence (is that confirmed?) really make no difference to our steamroller? Have Rovers new recruits from Hearts shot their bolt with last week's performance?
We should be wary, as Del says.
(North Star)
Adams wary of Jambos' young guns
DEREK Adams reckons Hearts starlets on loan at Raith Rovers will be out to prove a point when the sides meeting in Dingwall in Irn Bru Division One on Saturday.
The Ross County boss is determined to help guide the league pace-setters to their 10th straight win as the form is making Scotland sit up and notice their relentless title charge.
Rovers have added midfielders Jason Holt (18) and Jamie Walker (18) as well as striker David Smith (18), who join another on-loan Jambo, 19-year-old German midfielder Denis Prychynenko on short-term deals at Kirkcaldy.
Holt, Prychynenko and Smith all netted in Rovers' 3-2 victory against Hamilton on Saturday - halting their four-game losing run.
Adams told the North Star: "These players have done very well for Raith. They have used the loan system for a period of time and it was a very good result for them against Hamilton. We know how difficult it will be against Raith - it always is. They are usually tight affairs.
"These players will be looking to put on a good performance and will be out to show the Hearts manager what they are capable of at this level. I just hope that we show again how good a tram we can be.
"We won 1-0 at Starks Park in September and it was a game we should have won by a bigger margin. It was great to win and, with home advantage, we'll look to win this one also."
The Victoria Park manager warned, however, that Staggies fans should not EXPECT County to simply turn up and win against eighth-placed Rovers.
He stressed: "Raith have come off a fantastic result against Hamilton and they are always a team who are stuffy opponents."
Rovers will be looking to their loan starlets to provide the vital spark again, but they'll face a County side who have been fantastic at shutting out rivals, conceding a mere two goals in their last NINE games.
The manager said: "It's not just about the back five, it's a team effort. The midfielders and the strikers work hard to close teams down. Everyone is also contributing in the goalscoring front. Everyone is combining to make it work, which is great.
"We're nine points clear, with 31 points, which is a terrific tally, but we have 22 games to go. What we've achieved so far has exceeded expectations. I always knew we had the core of good players already at the club from last season. We added to that with players over the summer and they have helped improve us further."
County will be aiming to build on stretching their winning run to an incredible 10 games following last weekend's 3-0 win at Livingston.
Colin McMenamin stunned his old club with a double and in-form Michael Gardyne bagged his seventh goal of the season.
The Livi camp were enraged that referee Mike Tumilty decided to send off Rory Boulding for a challenge on County midfielder Paul Lawson. The claimed Lawson went down too easily, leading to the ref flashing the red card.
However, Adam hit back, saying: "I've seen the incident on Livingston TV and it's a straight red card. Keaghan Jacobs was speaking out of turn in the press on Monday and he really should have been talking about his own team-mate because it was a horrendous tackle. In today's game, you can't jump in when two feet are off ther ground, with one leading and one behind.
"If the young boy had been at a referees' meeting, he would understand that it was a clear sending off.
"Things were blown out of proportion. The lad is only 20 and I think he just got involved in something he didn't need to get involved in."
The game at Almondvale, which passed a morning pitch inspection over fears that the surface was waterlogged, smashed the Lions' proud home record.
Adams added: "It was great that we were able to go and win at Livingston, where they had performed so well for more than 18 months, spanning 30 games. To win 3-0 was a terrific result for us.
"We had created a few chances before the red card. When they went down to 10 men, we used the area well and we passed the ball well and scored two goals with movement of 10 or more passes, so from that point of view it was a good way to finish the game."
The Staggies face the Rovers on Saturday at full strength, except for Sam Morrow, who misses is out with an Achilles injury.
