St Andrews United: Boss Robbie Raeside eyeing ninth consecutive league win this Saturday

Robbie Raeside’s visitors go into the fixture after a blank weekend as their scheduled King Cup third round fixture at Camelon last Saturday was postponed due to a frozen pitch.

Looking ahead to the trip to 14th-placed Edinburgh, gaffer Raeside told the Herald and Citizen: “I think that any away game in this league is difficult. They will be fighting for their lives so we will give them the utmost respect.

"We have got two or three injuries but obviously we are looking to take all three points.”

Second-placed Saints, who have 52 points from 22 matches, have an impressive record of 60 goals for and only 18 against in the league this term.

Raeside added: “I think the basis of our success probably has been being hard to score against.

"The back four and the goalie have been playing well, but I also think we’ve been making demands on players higher up the park, we’ve been defending as a team and that’s been essential for us.”

With the top three clubs being promoted at the end of the season, the strong position United are in has them currently enjoying a six-point buffer over the two sides directly below them – Arniston Rangers and Dalkeith Thistle – having played two fewer matches.

As a player, Raeside had experience of winning what is now the Scottish Championship with former clubs Raith Rovers (twice) and Dundee, as well as achieving promotions with Alloa Athletic, Peterhead and Arbroath, where he was player/assistant manager under John McGlashan.

With this vast experience, he is taking nothing for granted about Saints’ prospects of going up this season .

He said: “I’ve won enough leagues and promotions in my time to know what’s required and the hardest bit is always the last bit.

"We still have 11 league games to go so there’s a third of the season still to play.

"My message to the players will be to keep their feet on the ground and keep taking one game at a time.”