AUGUST

The league season started with a hard fought 1-1 at home to St Mirren, with on loan Ritchie Brittain getting the Rovers goal.  Not the best of starts, but it could have been worse.  Next to visit San Starko were Third Division Stranraer on Bells Cup Duty.  After a nervy 60 or so minutes, Antonio Calderon put the Rovers in front with a fine half volley, and John Sutton made sure ten minutes from time with a close range header. Rovers then travelled away to Brechin, expecting a hard game.  The reality could not have been more different.  Raith won 3-0 with John Sutton scoring a hat trick.  Things were looking very promising indeed for the season.  Rovers next three games were at home, with Ayr the first visitors. The game ended 1 - 1 , with Shaun Dennis heading home to cancel out Fergusons first half goal. Next up were St Mirren on challenge cup duty.  Rovers won 3-2 to progress to the semis, in a game which will be rembered for the sending off of mascot Roary Rover. The final visitors to San Starko in this three game period were Falkirk.  A dodgy John O Neil pen was all that could seperate the side in an action packed game.  So, at the end of August, Rovers were near the top of the table, with a SLIM chance of glory.  Oh how that would change in September!!!

SEPTEMBER

The Rovers visited Gayfield at the start of the month, to play Abroath on CIS cup duty.  In a scrappy game, Abroath ran out 1-0 winners wiht John Cusik netting a late pen. Raith soon made up for it, with a 2-0 win away to part-time Queen of The South, with John Sutton netting two.  Rovers reward for beating St Mirren in the Bells Cup quater final, was a semi-final at home to Inverness.  Rovers started the game brightly, with a goal being chopped of for offside.  Several mistakes let Inverness go in at half time 3-0 up.  Barry Wilson made it four near the end, but by that time the Aberdeen Rovers were halfway up the road home!!!.  Again though, Rovers made up for a poor midweek result with a fine 1-0 victory away to title chasing St Johnstone.  Player Boss Antonio Calderon netted the only goal from outside the box.  Then, the following week, came the worst result of the season.  Raith lost 7-1 at home to Ross County with David Bingham netting a hat trick. What WAS a top of the table clash, had turned into a white-wash. What a bleak month september was!!

OCTOBER

Rovers highland hoodoo continued the week after, as they lost 2-1 away to Inverness.  And yet again, Rovers got beat by Clyde 1-0 in a pretty crap game.  Basement boys Brechin  visited Starks Park the following week, and Raith ran out 2-1 winners, Hawley and Sutton with the goals.  Onto November now, where Raith lost EVERY game!!

NOVEMBER

The first loss for the Rovers, was a highly disputed 2-1 loss away to St Mirren. Saints winner came from a throw in , where Rovers had put the ball out of play for an injury.  Queen of the South came to Starks next, and ran out 1-0 winners in an unevenetful game.  We were starting to wonder if it was worth makin the 200 mile round trip to see this tripe!!!.  Raith travelled to Falkirks temporary home Ochilview, where the Bairns ran out 3-2 winners. And the scoreline was repeated again the following week away to Ross County. Better than 7-1, but still tripe!! A truly awful month was completed with a 4-1 defeat to St Johnstone. Total Points for November = 0

DECEMBER.

Fifes Finest only had three games in December, and only managed one point.  This came from a 0-0 draw away to League leaders Clyde. Inverness and Ayr both took maximum points form us, with 3-1 and 1-0 wins respectively.  So on to a new year, and we hoped this would bring a new lease of life!!

JANUARY.

Raith started January in the best possible manner, beating Falkirk 2-0 at home to end a run of nine or so games without a win.  Next up was the Scottish Cup third round.  While the Aberdeen Rovers prayed for home tie against Aberdeen, all we got was a home game against Kilmarnock. Although for us, it was another away game.  Raith held their own untill the half hour mark, when yet more mistakes allowed Killie to go in at the break, 3-0 up.  Vincent Talio gave us some hope on the hour, but the killie back line held out strong.  Dumfries was the next stop as Raith drew 1-1 with Queen of the South.  Just as things were looking up, Rovers got trounced 5-2 away to St Johnstone, and it was back to square one!! And we lost top scorer John Sutton to Millwall at the end of the month.

FEBUARY

Febuary started with a 0-0 draw with Ross County, in which Ramon Pereira (what bugger to spell!!) made his home debut. Two 3-0 defeats to Clyde and Inverness ended ANOTHER dismal month. So Rovers were staring relegation in the face, with no obvious way out!!

MARCH

March commenced brilliantly with A 2-0 win against St Mirren at San Starko.  The Aberdeen Rovers were watching the Dons take on Livvi, so we had to phone Starks Park for the result.  The biggest cheer was when we found out the full time score!!! Raith then had to travel to a much improved Brechin midweek. Thankfully, Rovers secured a point after being under pressure for much of the second half.  Antonio Calderons curling free kick put the Rovers in front, before Ally Mitchell equalied for City. Then for the first time this season, Rovers won two consecutive league games.  The first win was over fellow relegation candidates Ayr. A Ramon Pereria    double cancelled out an early Lee Hardy Strike.  Then we bet Queen of the South 3-1 at Home, with Ramon scoring again, aswell as Paquito and an own goal.  A good month for Raith was ended with a defeat away to Falkirk. I cant remember who scored!!! So Raith had managed to open a 7 point gap between themselves and Ayr and hoped to confirm division one status in April.

APRIL

A 1-1 draw away to bogey team Ross County got the ball rolling, with another vital Ramon goal. Then a draw with St Johnstone kept a healthy gap between ourselves and Ayr, although this ended Saints title hopes. The top two ICT and Clyde both took maximum points off Rovers, winning 1-0 and 4-1 respectivley.

MAY

A hard fought 1-1 draw away to St Mirren seemed to keep Raith in the league, but Ayr's point against Clyde meant we had to sweat it out for another week.  FINALLY, our division one status was secured, albeit after a 1-1 draw with bottom place Brechin. Fellow 16 year old Craig O Reilly cancelled out Brechins early opener. Raith ended the season with a 1-0 defeat away to Ayr, although the game meant nothing.

OVERVIEW

The goal at the start if the season was to stay up. Although this was achieved, when you look at the start of season form, you cant help but wonder what things would have been like if that form continued.