Dundee have beaten Raith Rovers twice already this season.

They hope to clobber the title ambitions of both Hamilton Academical and Falkirk to boot when the Fife side arrive at Dens Park on league duty tonight.

The home side lead the SPFL Championship on goal difference at the moment and are determined to open up a three-point gap over persistent title rivals Hamilton. They have proven themselves strong enough to do that, too, since Dundee have four clean sheets in five matches under Paul Hartley, while Raith have wion just once in 12 matches.

Such a statistic speaks of the disparity between the two sides - albeit Raith have Ross Callachan and Calum Elliot available again - and the challenge facing the visitors is perhaps best understood by John Baird. The striker played for Dundee in the top flight last season and will tonight do his best to disrupt his old club's attempts to go back up this term.

"Raith are the ones that employ me and I'm doing everything I can for Raith Rovers but I had a good time at Dundee, even though we were relegated from the Premier League," said Baird, who has scored three times since moving to Kirkcaldy from Partick Thistle in January. "It will be good to go back to Dens Park.

"Even though I was only there for a year I made some good friends at the club and it will be strange to go back, but hopefully I can show people there that I am still a good player."