The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Back to the bread and butter for Davidson
Game against Ayr might not be ‘glamorous’, but it is important
After the glamour of the English Premier League on Sunday, it will be back to the bread and butter of the Scottish Championship for Raith’s Iain Davidson tonight.
“Davo” travelled down to take in the Middlesbrough v Chelsea game at the weekend and watch a former Sunderland team-mate.
There were 32,704 inside the Riverside Stadium, and while the 32-year-old acknowledged there would be a few less than that at Stark’s Park tonight, the game against Ayr is just as important.
Davidson, who is filling in at right-back for Rovers, is looking for three points after Saturday’s disappointing draw at Dumbarton.
He said: “I was at Middlesbrough-Chelsea on Sunday. A good friend of mine has a little lad who is a big Chelsea fan.
“I got tickets through Grant Leadbitter who I played with at Sunderland as a youth player and in the reserves. He’s the Middlesbrough captain now.
“It was good to see him get on the pitch and it was a great day out.”
He continued: “You might see fewer people in the crowd on Tuesday night, but hopefully we get a decent crowd to help us get the three points.”
Davidson added: “Right-back’s completely new to me but since I moved there, defensively we’ve been all right.
“So, I can’t argue with that. We’re not conceding goals, which is a good sign.
“I’m not going to be the most attacking full-back in the world but defensively I’m always going to be pretty sound and back up the right midfielder and let them do their thing.”
There will be a familiar face for Davidson in the Ayr line-up tonight – his former Dundee team-mate Gary Harkins.
The Raith stalwart admitted he was surprised his friend had moved to a parttime club after he left the Dark Blues.
He said: “Gary is someone I know very well. He’s a good lad and on his day he’s a very, very good player.
“He has great ability and if you give him time, he’ll create and make things happen.
“He’s obviously got a goal in his locker as well. He’s a guy I know very well and someone we’ll need to keep an eye on.
“From 40 yards in he can create something out of nothing.
“He’s a flair player and we’ll need to keep an eye on him and maybe need to give him a bit of extra attention.
“It’s going to be a tough game but the emphasis is on us to try to win and to be positive. Hopefully we can get the result.
“I still keep in touch and he actually messaged me for a game of golf at Gleneagles. But I had a better offer – I was at Kingsbarns.
“I keep in touch with him. He’s one of the good guys, one of the characters and he’s never changed – Gary will always be Gary.
“No disrespect to Ayr United but being in the Championship and a part-time club I was a bit surprised he went there.
“Gary has always played most of his career in the Premier League and at Dundee, who are a big club.
“I was very surprised he went to Ayr United but maybe at that time it suited him to make that decision.”
Raith will be without long-term injury victims Jason Thomson, Scott Robertson, Bobby Barr and Craig Barr.
Gary (Harkins) has great ability and if you give him time, he’ll create and make things happen. IAIN DAVIDSON