Dylan Easton insists Raith Rovers are ‘buying into’ Barry Robson’s reign – after initially being shocked by their new manager’s methods.

The Stark’s Park side finished the season with a run of ten games undefeated but suffered final-day agony in their late bid to land a play-off place.

Easton, whose performances scooped the supporters’, players’ and fans’ player of the year awards, is optimistic the Kirkcaldy outfit can carry that momentum into next term.

And he is confident Robson, the former Aberdeen head coach, has proven he can get the best out of the Rovers squad.

“He sets really high standards,” Easton said of Robson, who replaced Neill Collins in December after Ian Murray was sacked in August.

Dylan Easton clutches multiple awards from Raith Rovers’ player of the year ball. Image: Ryan Fleming Photography / RRFC.

“It’s been an up and down season for us, in terms of three different managers, stop-start, different philosophies, different styles of play, different formations.

“And then managers like different players, so we’ve not had that consistent run.

“But since the manager’s come in, we went ten games unbeaten and we’ve had that consistency. It’s credit to him.

“In the first couple of weeks, we used to think, ‘Jesus, what are we in for here?’.

“Every training session, apart from the day before a game, was kind of like pre-season.

Easton: Robson deserves ‘big credit’

“It was tough, but we saw the rewards for it.

“Even stopping for a drink, he wants you jogging in and not walking. ‘Lazy teams walk,’ he says.

“And I think we’re buying into it now. We’ve shown that consistency in the last ten games and I think it’s big credit to him and the way he wants to play.”

With ten players out of contract this summer, there is an opportunity for Robson to put his stamp on his pool of players.

However, despite finishing fifth this season, Easton is convinced Raith already have the basis of a squad capable of challenging higher up the league next year.

Dylan Easton netted 17 times for Raith Rovers this season. Image: Ross Parker / SNS Group.

“In the last five, six weeks, he’s made it clear to us there won’t be big changes,” Easton added in a wide-ranging interview on PLZ’s ‘The Footballer’s Football Show’.

“He’s happy with what we’ve got, with boys like Lewis Vaughan coming back (from injury).

“We managed to keep that squad in the last ten games and we went unbeaten.

“So, hopefully we can keep that momentum going next season.

“I think there will be probably two or three coming in to help us. The manager has touched on that. But there won’t be many changes.”