Football Season Guide

East Fife suffered a late-season collapse last term that prevented them from taking a spot in the playoffs that really should have been theirs, and over the course of the forthcoming campaign they will be eager to prove themselves as a top-half club once more. Manager Darren Young has managed to retain the core of the squad that was successful last term, although he has suffered a significant blow in losing Daryll Meggatt. The former Alloa man was, however, rather injury prone, so his influence may not be that evident. Equally, fellow defenders Mark Docherty, Scott Linton and Chris Kane have departed, along with striker Jonny Court. These men were little more than makeweights in the squad. Given the volume of defensive players to depart, it is somewhat surprising that they have not reinforced more significantly in that area. Instead, they have opted for quality over quantity, with Stewart Murdoch and Chris Higgins arriving from Championship high-fliers Dundee United and Ayr respectively. They have added impressively to their forward line. Chris Duggan rarely featured for Raith last season but is a fine target man, while Ryan Wallace is another to return to the club after an unsuccessful spell with Arbroath. Wallace, surely, is guaranteed goals at this level. Also joining from Arbroath is Danny Denholm, who should help to bring more creativity to the midfield sector along, where Scott Agnew will be the key figure. Liam Watt is also a capable creative player, so there is plenty of strength in depth in that area. Equally, Young will hope that Lewis Hunter’s arrival from Stirling Uni has a similar impact to that of Anton Dowds in attack last season. Young typically fields squads that are well balanced and difficult to score against, and his team look in good shape ahead of the start of the new campaign. It has been reflected in their League Cup victories over Stenhousemuir and Dundee United, though they will see the 2-0 loss to Cowdenbeath as a major disappointment. Injuries badly hampered the Fifers last season along with a fixture backlog that stretched their small squad. They will hope for better luck on both fronts this time around.