Raith boss Robson preaches focus in play-off hunt

Former Aberdeen boss Barry Robson was appointed Raith Rovers manager in December 2024

Scottish Championship: Raith Rovers v Dunfermline Athletic

Venue: Stark's Park, Kirkcaldy Date: Friday, 14 March Kick-off: 19:45 GMT

Coverage: Watch on BBC Scotland & iPlayer, follow live text commentary on the BBC Sport website & app

Raith Rovers manager Barry Robson has urged his players to not be distracted by play-off ambitions before Friday's Fife derby against Dunfermline Athletic.

The match - live on BBC Scotland - has a couple of intriguing subplots with Dunfermline fighting to avoid relegation and Raith hoping for a late-season promotion push.

With third-placed Livingston on 54 points, there is only realistically one play-off place up for grabs, with Partick Thistle, Greenock Morton, Raith and Queen's Park all in the mix.

The Stark's Park outfit are seven points behind Thistle in fourth, but have a game in hand.

With nine matches of the regular season to play, Robson is not looking beyond the next outing.

"Of course we are trying to get as far up the league as we can, [but] for me I don't want anybody to get distracted by that," he said.

"What I want the players to be focused on is winning the next game. When you do that then you can get to the places we all want to get to.

"Keep the head down, keep focused, keep working, get the three points and then we'll see where that takes us."

Robson took over at Raith Rovers in late December after Neil Collins quit the club to return to the USA.

There have been notable highs – including victory over league leaders Falkirk in the Scottish Cup – but overall Rovers have struggled for consistency.

"I think player availability has been the most frustrating part," Robson added.

"We've not had Lewis Vaughan, Jack Hamilton, Callum Smith or Shaun Byrne. That's like your front three not available at all. Any club suffers a wee bit with that, although some of the players we have taken in to try and help get us by have been good.

"We need a lot of high energy at the top end of the pitch and we need to rest players and freshen up and we've not been able to do that so Jamie Gullan and Finlay Pollock and Aiden Marsh have had to take it all on themselves."

'Let shackles off and be free in our minds'

Chris Kane's hat-trick earned Dunfermline a 3-1 win when the sides last met on 1 February

Dunfermline manager Michael Tidser wants his players to approach the derby in the right mindset with the club fighting relegation.

The Pars sit a point below Hamilton Academical, and are seven points clear of bottom side Airdrieonians.

"It's important that you let the shackles off but be prepared for a physical game," Tidser told the club's official website.

"At the end of the day it's a derby and I want to win it, it's as simple as that. I'm sure Barry Robson will say the same thing so it makes for an entertaining game, but I want us to go and try and be free in our minds and be creative in the final third and try and hurt them."

Dunfermline beat Raith at East End Park in February 3-1, and have won two of the derby matches so far this season.

Like his opposite number, Robson expects a stern battle in front of the cameras.

"They invested heavy in the transfer window there," he said. "Probably one of the teams that invested the most, so I'm sure they will be looking for a return on the players that they brought in.

"It will be a difficult game for us. We just have to make sure we are focused and concentrate on ourselves."