The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Raith hope for some of Ziggy’s stardust
John Mcglynn has urged Kieron Bowie to stay focused on helping shoot Raith Rovers to promotion before completing his glamour switch to Fulham in the summer.
The 17-year-old has penned a precontract with the London club that will see him move south in July, just a little over a year since leaving school to join Rovers full-time.
The teenage attacker has made a stunning impact at Stark’s Park, netting 10 times in 29 appearances in his breakthrough campaign.
And now that Fulham have beaten off competition from the likes of Hearts to sign the youngster, Mcglynn is hopeful ‘Ziggy’ will leave the perfect present behind in Fife when he heads for Craven Cottage ahead of next season.
He said: “It’s a great opportunity for Kieron to move to a great football club, with a great history, and it’s all about him moving on in the summer.
“But he’s got a job to do here between now and the first of July, when that happens.
“He has to do his utmost to continue to develop and to help us in our challenge to get to the Championship.
“It was always our wish, our desire, to keep Kieron for the whole season.
“We’re very grateful the two clubs could come to that agreement, that Kieron would stay here.
“It is the best place for him to continue his development, I don’t think there’s any doubt about that, and we’re very happy that Fulham also feel that way.
“He has five months to plan for going down there in the summer and to get his head round that, and to plan for the future.
“In the meantime, he’s got a big job, along with everyone here, to try to keep us on track and keep us challenging at the top to either win this league or go up through the play-offs.”
Raith, currently three points ahead at the top of League One, have the opportunity to strengthen their grip at the summit this afternoon, with nearest challengers Falkirk in Scottish Cup action.
Mcglynn insists that, after four straight draws in the league and a narrow defeat to Rangers at Ibrox in the Scottish Cup, opponents Stranraer will provide a stern test for Rovers.
However, it is one he is optimistic his side, who battled to a 1-0 victory over Airdrie last weekend, can negotiate successfully.
He added: “Stranraer will be a tough opponent this weekend, there’s no doubts about that. We saw that with Falkirk going down there last week and drawing.
“They were winning the game and Stranraer fought back to get a draw. They’ve had four draws, so for a team at the bottom of the table they’ve kind of steadied the ship and they’ll be looking to get a win.
“I think their last win at home was against Dunfermline in the Scottish Cup, but that shows you they are capable of winning these types of games against, perhaps, the bigger clubs.
“I don’t see Saturday being a spectacle. The pitch there isn’t great, the weather conditions for the weekend are not to be good, so it’s going to be just a matter of working our socks off and hoping we’ve got that little bit of quality that can get us the three points.
“With Falkirk not playing in the league this weekend we could extend our lead to six points, which would be fantastic.”