Mcguffie checks in to get sharper for Raith’s run-in

Hotel life suiting on-loan Ayr winger as he cuts out travel misery for new club

Craig Mcguffie is ready to help get Raith Rovers’ promotion bid motoring again after cutting down on his travel misery.

The on-loan Ayr United winger was initially driving to and from Fife after joining the Stark’s Park men on loan for the rest of the season.

However, the 21-year-old, who still trains with Ayr on a Monday, is now staying in a Kirkcaldy hotel in the latter half of the week and admits the new arrangements can help get the best out of him.

He said: “I’m travelling up and down on a Tuesday and then I’m staying in a hotel on Thursday and Friday, which is a lot better.

“It means I’m not hitting all the traffic in Glasgow, which is terrible. Sitting in the car all the time is really hard, it’s killing my legs.

“So, you do feel a bit sharper not having to do that. It’s better coming up to a Saturday knowing that you’re just round the corner.

“I feel you can prepare better, not eating in the car and things like that.

“Tony Dingwall and I are staying in the same hotel, so we’re able to have a bite to eat together and stuff like that. But we’ve got our own room and we’re getting on well.”

Mcguffie made his first start for Raith in last weekend’s 2-2 draw at Stranraer and netted his second goal for the club to spark the second-half comeback.

After the league defeat to runaway leaders Arbroath, it was a third game without loss for the Kirkcaldy club, who nonetheless dropped to third in the table as Forfar leapfrogged over them.

However, Mcguffie is eager to accentuate the positives as the Stark’s Park men steel themselves for a tough encounter at home to Airdrie this afternoon.

He added: “You know what you’re going to get from Airdrie and we’re going to need to battle and earn the right to play.

“And then we can play, especially on our own surface, which suits us.

“We’ll just need to grind out the first 10 minutes and then see how we’re going to approach it.

“Maybe it suits teams if we’re trying to play football and they are just sitting in and trying to break on the counterattack.

“But I think we’ve tried to switch it up in the last few weeks and maybe catch teams off guard.

“I think that’s been working. We’re unbeaten in three games and you’ve got to look at it that way, I suppose.

“We’ve got nine games togo, aquarter of the season, so we can turn things around and go into the play-offs in good form.

“And then anything can happen. “You saw that last year with Alloa going up.”

Picture: SNS Group. Craig Mcguffie: Feels much sharper since moving to Kirkcaldy.