Time to stand up and be counted, says Thomson

QUEEN OF THE SOUTH 2 RAITH ROVERS 1

Jason Thomson wants an end-ofseason flourish for Raith to begin at Ayr United tomorrow night.

The Rovers skipper reflected on a 16th game without a victory after first-half goals from John Rankin and Derek Lyle kept Queen of the South’s top-four hopes alive.

Defender Jean Yves M’voto struck for the Fifers after the break, but it wasn’t enough and they travel to the west coast just four points above their next opponents in ninth.

New boss John Hughes reckons that he has a squad which will rise to the challenge and Thomson insists they must turn things around after failing to record a win in the space of four months.

“We need to stand up and be counted,” the 29-year-old full-back said.

“We go down to Ayr now which is another massive game.

“We can’t start feeling sorry for ourselves, and the manager certainly won’t allow us to.

“Whether it is luck or a bit of brilliance, I’ll take anything that can get us a win.

“It’s probably not going to be pretty on the eye. But we will go there aiming to get a win and we’re capable of winning.

“It’s something we need to get in our heads that if we do win we go seven points clear of them.”

Raith left themselves with far too much to do at Palmerston after exDundee United midfielder Rankin’s seventh-minute opener was added to by a Lyle tap-in before the break.

M’voto nodded home on the hour mark, but Queens stiffened to leave boss Hughes winless after two games since taking over in the Raith dugout from Gary Locke.

Hughes said: “I can see why we are where we are and it’s my job to galvanise the players and get them back to winning ways.”

I can see why we are where we are.

JOHN HUGHES