The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
In-form Zanatta gunning for promotion rivals
RAITH ROVERS 2 FORFAR 1
Rovers’ on-loan winger Dario Zanatta is hoping to take his good form into next week’s top-of-the-table clash against Ayr United.
Zanatta was the star man for the second game running as Raith moved back to the top of League One by overcoming bottom club Forfar at Stark’s Park.
The Canadian youth international has become a key player in recent weeks after initially struggling to break into the side following his season-long loan move from Hearts.
“It’s good to get a run in the team, and I feel as if I’m starting to find my feet and really starting to help the team,” he said.
“The first few months didn’t go as planned. It was tough to get into the team, and when I was in the team I didn’t perform well enough, but now I’m playing more on the left and I’m trying to show the fans and the club what I’m capable of.
“Next week is an exciting game and it’s the big games where players need to show what they are all about and I hope I can do that next week.”
Zanatta is hoping his time at Raith can help him break into the Hearts first team next season.
“I hope that Hearts have had people come see me because my goal is to get back into the Hearts team,” he said. “But I know that for myself it’s all about playing well for Raith at the moment and time will tell.”
Forfar struggled to handle Zanatta’s pace and skill all afternoon but it took an own goal from the visitors’ trialist leftback to overcome the basement battlers.
“It was a killer for us because there wasn’t any danger,” boss Jim Weir said.
“The boys put a lot into the first half, and we had some decent chances, but Raith were the better team in the second half and had a lot of possession.
“The injuries we sustained in the second half certainly didn’t help us finish the game as strongly as we hoped.”
Raith took the lead on 12 minutes when Ross Matthew crossed for Greig Spence to sweep home from six yards for his sixth goal in seven games.
Forfar levelled on 21 minutes when neat footwork from David Cox saw him deliver a cross for Josh Peters to fire past Graeme Smith from 12 yards.
Rovers regained the lead just three minutes later as Zanatta crossed to the back post and the young trialist defender, under no pressure, turned the ball into his own net.
Raith dominated the second half but were unable to add to their tally with Zanatta and Ross Matthews both denied by good saves from Marc McCallum.
Ayr’s home defeat to ten-man Arbroath meant the three points took Raith back to the top of the table for the first time since October ahead of the visit of the Honest Men next Saturday.