On-form Buchanan calls for consistency at Raith

Liam Buchanan has urged Raith Rovers to discover consistency and build momentum over the coming weeks to give themselves the best chance of a return to the Championship.

With Arbroath 16 points ahead at the summit, the striker admits Rovers’ focus has turned to securing a play-off berth and grasping that second chance of promotion.

The Stark’s Park men shrugged off a run of four games without a win to brush aside Montrose 4-1 at the weekend, and Buchanan admits they need more of the same away to Dumbarton tonight.

The former Partick Thistle, Dunfermline and Livingston marksman, who scored Raith’s third on Saturday, said: “You can never see a team blowing a lead like Arbroath have got at the moment.

“That’s not giving up on it, that’s just being realistic because they’re so far ahead.

“We just need to concentrate on ourselves now and try to hit some kind of form in the run up to the play-offs.

“We’re a good side, but we just need to turn the performances into more wins.

“If you can take form into the play-offs, and you’re winning games, then the better your chances of success.

“In the play-offs, we’re going to be up against a team from our own league or somebody from the bottom of the Championship, who maybe won’t have been winning games.”

Dumbarton scored four goals of their own at the weekend in a 4-3 triumph over East Fife.

And the Sons have themselves come through a sticky spell, with back-to-back wins arresting a run of eight games without a victory.

But Buchanan, who was thrilled to return to John McGlynn’s starting line-up for the first time in six matches, is optimistic Raith have found a winning formula.

The 33-year-old joked: “I’m back in the team and we won a game, it’s no coincidence!

“It’s frustrating being out the team but it was great to be back in at the weekend and to get a victory and a goal.”

Picture: SNS. Liam Buchanan.