YOGI: DEFENCE CAME UP WITH A SOLUTION

JOHN Hughes has revealed he charged his Raith Rovers players with coming up with t he defensive solution that helped hold Championship leaders Hibs to a draw at the weekend.

The new Stark’s Park manager was left with a headache for his dugout debut after learning that left-back Kevin McHattie was suspended for the visit of his old club.

With the versatile Iain Davidson, who has filled in at right-back and centrehalf t his season, also banned, Hughes decided to give his four fit defenders — skipper Jason Thomson, Kyle Benedictus, Craig Barr and Jean-Yves M’voto — the responsibility for shaping the back four.

He explained:“I told them ‘ We ’v e o n ly g o t four defenders, sort it out’. They came up with the decision. Jason said he would go to left-back and Benny (Benedictus) said he would play right-back.

“That’s what I’m after, guys standing up and taking responsibility. It was them that came up with what we were going to do and we were thankful for it.”

Hughes is eager for his players to now build on an encouraging first performance of his reign.

He added: “Football starts with a mindset.

“If you’re not excited and you’re not ready to play and you’re not ready to go, then you shouldn’t pull the strip on. I need to keep these guys boiling over with competition for places.

“What we’ve done is set a benchmark and made a good start, let’s try to build on it.”