Armstrong wants no regrets

DAN Armstrong has urged Raith Rovers to ensure they have no regrets in their promotion bid after ruing the slip-ups that cost them second place in the Championship.

The Stark’s Park side travel to Fife rivals Dunfermline tonight for the first leg of their Premiership play-off quarter-final.

It was a tie the Kirkcaldy men did not want to play, but defeats to Dundee and Hearts in their final two games meant they could not hold on to the runners-up. Armstrong said: “It was disappointing not to get second. We were up there the majority of the season and I think we deserved it, but we let it slip away from us.

“We had opportunities in a lot of games to solidify second but we never ended up doing it. But if anyone had said at the start of the season we would finish third and we would have a chance in the play-offs, we would have bitten their hand off.”

Raith grabbed the bragging rights against Dunfermline the last time they met with a stunning 5-1 thumping of their neighbours five weeks ago.

That gained some revenge for a 4-1 hammering at East End Park back in February.

And, with the opening derby of the campaign finishing level at 2-2, Armstrong admits Rovers are fully aware they cannot read too much into the league results. He added: “Against Dunfermline earlier this season, we were 2-0 up and that’s another game where we let it out of our hands.

“Then, they got a good result against us and we got a great result against them. So, I think we can look forward to it. But it’s going to be tough. Dunfermline are a good side and I’m sure they’ll be up for it just as much as we are.”