THE fall-out from last week's landmark voting will continue to envelope the Scottish game this week but, for one afternoon at least, we all got to kid on football had reverted to some form of normality.
A match originally proffered as a testimonial to mark 10 years of loyal service from Laurie Ellis may not grab the attention quite as readily as the destination of Sevco Scotland but it still offered some much needed light relief. Amid the posturing, voting, bickering and voting, football came to act as a necessary distraction.
There were a few lapses, of course. A chant among Raith Rovers fans to herald the efforts of Ellis gave way to a show of support for Turnbull Hutton, their forthright chairman who found himself at the forefront of the debate surrounding Rangers newco. For the most part, though, the Fife club seized on the pomp rather than the wider circumstance; the whole affair concluding with former Raith manager Craig Levein striding on to the field to furnish Ellis with a large commemorative vase. It was the defender's big day but he was made to share the spotlight. The arrival of Hearts also necessitated an immediate return for John McGlynn, who decamped to Tynecastle last month. The manager addressed Raith supporters afterwards; although his side had been far less gracious. The nature of the match left it lacking in enmity early on and any sense of competition was ended before half-time. Callum Paterson marked his Hearts debut with a goal, while John Sutton reminded everyone he was still there with another before the break. A third followed after the interval from David Templeton.
It was an encouraging, if unassuming, start for McGlynn and a couple of assured performances from among the clutch of youngsters the Hearts manager brought along will have mitigated any lingering concerns among supporters about the strength of the squad. "I've seen his work first-hand over the last four years and now he has got the job at Hearts," said Ellis, who McGlynn brought back to Stark's Park in 2008 and is a childhood Hearts fan. "It is a challenge like every managerial job and I have no doubts he will do well and will have success there."
He will need another striker; McGlynn having been left with only Sutton as a recognised forward, full-back Ryan McGowan was asked to add further physicality in a supporting role.
"You have to try these things," said McGlynn. "We are kind of short of strikers and with John Sutton up there we have to get someone in touch with him and I'm glad [McGowan] picked up on that.
"We're trying [to sign players]. It is actually getting more difficult. The striking department is somewhere we are short, so that's our priority."
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