A Happy Hunting Ground

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Friday, 04 April 2014 08:30

A Happy Hunting Ground

Written by Andrew Dickson

 

 

NICKY LAW hopes his unbeaten record at Easter Road stands him in good stead as he returns there on Sunday looking to win the Ramsdens Cup with Rangers.

 

The Light Blues midfielder is optimistic he’ll be fit for the clash with Raith Rovers at Hibernian’s home ground in Leith after training earlier this week.

 

Manager Ally McCoist is equally keen to have the Englishman involved and that desire will probably be enhanced if he looks at the 26-year-old’s record there.

 

Law played in Leith three times with Motherwell in his two seasons at Fir Park and played his part in two hard-earned away wins.

 

In another game the Steelmen could only take a point from the contest but it was the former Sheffield United star who got them it with a leveller nine minutes from the end in a 1-1 draw.

 

There are some concerns about the pitch at the stadium after a long season, with a lot of surfaces around Scotland bumpy at this stage of the campaign.

 

Otherwise, Law is excited about going back to a venue where has done well in the past as he bids to add to the League One trophy with Gers.

 

He said: “It’s a ground I’ve always enjoyed playing at and in my Motherwell days we never lost there so hopefully that continues.

 

“Sometimes you get grounds where you do well at them and Easter Road has been good to me. I’ve managed to score a goal there as well.

 

“It’s one of the better stadiums in Scotland and while it doesn’t have the biggest capacity, there will still be 20,000 people there.

 

“Our fans will generate a great atmosphere. They always do that and it will be no different on Sunday in a tough game for us.

 

“The supporters know they can be our 12th man and hopefully they will be again for us at the weekend.”

 

Rangers are seeking to win the Ramsdens Cup for the first time following their failure to do so last season, when they went out in the quarter-finals to Queen of the South.

 

And Law admits he has noticed an extra edge in training over the last few days as McCoist’s players compete with each other for starting slots.

 

He added: “Everyone’s fired up for the game. This two-week period really defines our season and we’ve a couple of huge games with the Dundee United match in the Scottish Cup too.

 

“The lads are really looking forward to them and they’re really up for them. You can see that in training.

 

“There has been an extra bite in our sessions this week which you’d expect with the matches we have coming up.

 

“There is a real excitement in the group and it’s a different atmosphere at the moment. We have been plodding along a bit in the league but there’s real determination there now.

 

“Looking at their league form, Raith have been a bit up and down but they’ve delivered in some big games and they went to Easter Road in the Scottish Cup and won.

 

“I’m sure they’ll take confidence from that. I saw quite a bit of their game with St Johnstone and although they lost, I thought they played really well that day too.

 

“It could have gone either way in difficult conditions. We know it’ll be a hard game against a full-time team, something we’ve not encountered too much this season.

 

“We need to have everybody right up for the game and it’ll be as tough a match as we’ve had this season but we’re ready for that.”

 

http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/6681-a-happy-hunting-ground