Cove Rangers FC Match Programme — vs. Morton 19.11.22

MATCH REPORT

The players put on a five star show for the BBC Scotland cameras to secure three valuable Championship points, with Connor Scully once again the two-goal hero.

The midfielder was on hand to convert Luis Longridge’s cross early on, and slid home his eighth of the season with fourteen minutes remaining from a pinpoint Blair Yule pass.

Jim McIntyre had made one change to the starting line-up, Stuart McKenzie returning for his first league appearance in place of Kyle Gourlay, following last week’s 4-4 draw at Hamilton.

Injury victims Scott Ross and Kyle McClelland were still out, and they were joined on the sidelines by Evan Towler, but Leighton McIntosh was back from suspension, and there was a welcome return for Fraser Fyvie, who took his place on the bench after a sevengame absence.

Cove Rangers

(4-4-2) McKenzie; Johnston, Sanders, Reynolds, Logan; Longstaff, Yule, Gilmour, Scully; Megginson (C), McDonagh (Fyvie 80)

Substitutes

Gourlay, Neill, Masson, McIntosh, Vigurs, Leitch, Dunne Goalscorers Scully (3,76) Booked Megginson (45), Reynolds (57)

Queen’s Park (4-1-4-1) Ferrie; Bannon, Eze (Davidson 62), Kilday, Robson (D. Boateng 72); M. Boateng; Savoury, Thomson, Jarrett (Williamson 66), McPake; Murray Substitutes Herraghty, Naismith, Fox, Longridge, Kenny, Bruce Booked D. Boateng (84), McPake (90)

Referee Grant Irvine Attendance 605

Report MATCH REPORT

Arbroath 1 Cove Rangers 1

cinch Championship Sat 12th November Gayfield Park

The wait for our first away win of the season in the cinch Championship goes on, but Blair Yule’s strike earned the side a richly deserved point from a game they largely dominated after Michael McKenna’s early header had given Arbroath the lead.

The match saw a welcome return to the starting line-up for Fraser Fyvie, and we were denied at least two stonewall penalty claims, but Blair came to the rescue late on to preserve our five-point lead over the home side.

Arbroath (4-2-3-1)

Gaston; Oakley (Fosu 71), Little, O’Brien (c), Hamilton; Gold, Jacobs (Tait 71); McKenna, Allan (Hilson 64), Linn (Corfe 58); Shanks (Hoti 64)

Substitutes

Gill, Hancock, Isiaka Goalscorers McKenna (5)

Booked O’Brien (34), Gold (37), Little (39), Hilson (88)

Cove Rangers (4-4-2)

McKenzie; Johnston, Sanders, Reynolds, Logan; Fyvie (Masson 71), Yule, Gilmour, Scully (Dunne 76); Megginson (c) (Vigurs 90), McDonagh (McIntosh 56)

Substitutes Gourlay, Towler, Ross, Neill, Leitch Goalscorers Yule (90)

The goal came in the final minute of the game. Shay Logan crossed from the left, Leighton McIntosh challenged, but was beaten by Little, and the ball broke towards the six yard box. Mitch Megginson cleverly diverted it back out, and Yule composed himself, before firing low across Gaston into the bottom corner.

It was the least the team deserved on what could prove to be a pivotal afternoon, and extended the unbeaten run to four matches.

Booked McDonagh (45)

Referee Chris Graham Attendance 1,706

“

Blair Yule’s strike earned the side a richly deserved point from a game they largely dominated...”

MITCH MEGGINSON

Mitch Megginson has long since confirmed his status as a genuine Cove Rangers legend.

He has become one of the most important players in the club’s first century, and has led his team from the Highland League into the upper echelons of the SPFL.

Along the way, his goals have been invaluable, and it was fitting that he netted against Dumbarton last season to clinch the League One title. His family were there that day to see history made, among the crowd, his mum Lorna, and his dad Mike, himself a club great.

They have followed his career every step of the way, taken pride in his achievements, and there was another chance to do so a couple of weeks ago when Mitch became just the second player ever to score two hundred goals for the club.

— Mitch Megginson

As Mike reflects on that, there is a broad smile on his face:

“It makes you really proud as parents. To see your son playing for a club like Cove, the level they’ve got to now; it makes you even prouder. His mum and I were chuffed for him.

“Without doubt, as parents, you get so much more from watching your kids achieve things. It’s nice to have my own memories from my time with the club, but when you see your boy, or girl, enjoying success, it’s indescribable.”

And Mike has plenty of those memories; during his Cove years, he scored 165 times. So, how did he feel when his boy moved past him in the all-time rankings: “I was willing him on, I had no issues with that, and I’ll be even happier when he gets to 300!”

Mike was a coach at Pittodrie when the young Mitch embarked on his professional career full of dreams and ambition. It didn’t quite work out for the teenager at Aberdeen.

He had loan spells with Arbroath, Brechin City and Alloa, and later played for Raith Rovers and Dumbarton, and he scored goals wherever he went, but perhaps there was an inevitability that one day he would follow in his father’s footsteps:

“Mitch became just the second player ever to score two hundred goals for the club.”

“It was a strange one. Mitch was playing Championship level at the time, and he did wonder, at twenty-three, if he really wanted to drop down three tiers to the Highland League.

“What swayed it was a bit of homesickness, and the powers of persuasion of Keith Moorhouse and John Sheran. They were ambitious, and they sold the move to him.

“His first year, he only scored twentynine,” laughs Mike, “but that was almost like a settling-in period, and it helped that he was playing with his mates, boys he had grown up with.

“I knew them all too from my time with the Dons, great boys like Blair Yule, Connor Scully, Fraser Fyvie, Scott Ross and Jamie Masson. So, I’ve also taken pride in watching those guys grow up, and develop as players.

“As Cove went from the Highland League up through the divisions, it’s been good that the spine was essentially an Aberdeen team. That’s changed a bit, it was always going to be harder this year. The higher you go, you need to attract better players to the club, that’s inevitable, you need a wider catchment area.”

Mike signed for the club at the start of the 1988-89 season, just after they had embarked on their Highland League journey. The club won the Aberdeenshire Shield and Scottish Qualifying Cup (North) in 1990, but it was over a decade before they were crowned champions

“It was a long wait to win the league, you did wonder at times if it was ever going to happen, but after that they were

serial winners, they got stronger, and they dominated. When I was playing you had Inverness Caley, Thistle, Ross County, Peterhead, Elgin, so it was a very tough league. Youngers fans won’t be aware of that given where all those clubs are these days.

“Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I’d see the club up at Championship level. It was almost like an invitation system then, wasn’t it? I think they were looking to get in, but the real ambition came later, when it was all opened up, and you could actually target a place in the SPFL.”

Having seen the club realise their dream of climbing the Scottish football pyramid, Mike is under no illusions as to what the goal should be for the current campaign:

“This season is all about staying in the league. You can see how tough it is. Most of the games have been competitive, so they’ve proved they’re deserving of their place, and I hope they go on to secure it in the months ahead.”

Mike and Lorna are regulars at Balmoral, they will be following the team all the way, and, of course, keeping a special eye on the number nine as he tries to hunt down the 318 total of Cove’s record alltime goalscorer, Mike Beattie.

It might seem a distant target right now, but having just turned thirty in the summer, and with time on his side, you can be guaranteed Mitch Megginson will have it firmly in his sights.

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JIM MCINTYRE

While we were not at our best last weekend at Gayfield, the boys once again showed incredible resilience, and the point we gained late on could yet prove to be a crucial one in the months ahead.

It was great to see Blair Yule on the scoresheet, with his ability I am looking for him to do that more often, and he has played a massive part since returning from his long term ankle injury. He has had to have a couple of injections, but has done that willingly, and his energy is so important to us in the middle of the park, particularly given how we’ve shaped up in recent weeks.

Another plus was getting Fraser Fyvie back out there. He made a cameo appearance in the win over Queen’s Park and was raring to go, so with Luis Longstaff suffering a knock, he was the ideal replacement. Fraser is top quality, and he will have a big contribution to make throughout the season.

We have been missing a couple of players at training this week, but for a very good reason, and I would like to pass on my congratulations to Max Johnston and Evan Towler for their callups to the Scotland Under-21 and Under-19 squads respectively.

Illness has restricted Evan’s appearances a little, but Max has been an ever-present for us over the past couple of months, and his recognition in particular shows the value of the loan system.

Max has benefitted from playing regularly in a highly competitive league, and he has been excellent, a fact that will not have gone unnoticed by his parent club, Motherwell. For as long as we have him, he will be a big part of my plans, and I hope that sends out the signal that Cove is a good place for youngsters to develop.

I will inevitably be tapping into the loan market in January; hopefully clubs will look at the chance Max has been given, and also the performances of fellow loanees Charlie Gilmour and Jack Sanders, and realise the all-round benefits.

There is a full fixture list in the Championship this afternoon, and with the sides below us – Hamilton and Arbroath – both on their travels, we will be looking to build on what has been a decent record here at Balmoral Stadium.

I have to congratulate Dougie Imrie on what he has done with Morton since we last met on the second Saturday of the league season.

That afternoon, we had chances to seal the game by half-time, but they caught us with a late sucker punch, and have gone on to put together a very fine record, having not lost since the start of October.

They are up there challenging for the title right now, and other than the 5-1 defeat at Firhill, have been strong defensively.

We will miss the leadership qualities of the suspended Mitch Megginson this afternoon, but we have shown we have goals in the team, and I will be looking for the boys to prove that again.

It will be another demanding ninety minutes, but we are unbeaten in four now, and will be going all out to extend that run.

Enjoy the game!

Jim McIntyre

“We are unbeaten in four now, and will be going all out to extend that run.”

OFFICIAL SQUAD

12.07.22 Albion Rovers PSC A 1 - 2 16.07.22 Livingston PSC H 1 - 2 19.07.22 Kelty Hearts PSC H 2 - 3 23.07.22 Inverness CT PSC A 1 - 1 30.07.22 Raith Rovers SPFL Champ H 2 - 0 06.08.22 Morton SPFL Champ A 1 - 0 13.08.22 Inverness CT SPFL Champ A 4 - 1 20.08.22 Ayr SPFL Champ H 1 - 2 27.08.22 Queen’s Park SPFL Champ A 2 - 1 03.09.22 Hamilton SPFL Champ H 2 - 2 17.09.22 Partick Thistle SPFL Champ A 2 - 2 24.09.22 Raith Rovers SPFL Trust Trophy H 0 - 1 01.10.22 Arbroath SPFL Champ H 2 - 0 04.10.22 Dundee SPFL Champ H 3 - 1 08.10.22 Raith Rovers SPFL Champ A 3 - 0 15.10.22 Inverness CT SPFL Champ H 0 - 1 22.10.22 Ayr SPFL Champ A 2 - 2 29.10.22 Hamilton SPFL Champ A 4 - 4 05.11.22 Queen’s Park SPFL Champ H 2 - 0 12.11.22 Arbroath SPFL Champ A 1 - 1 19.11.22 Morton SPFL Champ H

Date Fixture Competition

26.11.22 Dunipace Scottish Cup H 03.12.22 Partick Thistle SPFL Champ H 17.12.22 Dundee SPFL Champ A 23.12.22 Hamilton SPFL Champ H 02.01.23 Inverness CT SPFL Champ A 07.01.23 Queen’s Park SPFL Champ A 14.01.23 Raith Rovers SPFL Champ H 28.01.23 Ayr SPFL Champ H 04.02.23 Partick Thistle SPFL Champ A 18.02.23 Arbroath SPFL Champ H 25.02.23 Morton SPFL Champ A 04.03.23 Dundee SPFL Champ H 11.03.23 Queen’s Park SPFL Champ H 18.03.23 Raith Rovers SPFL Champ A 25.03.23 Ayr SPFL Champ A 01.04.23 Partick Thistle SPFL Champ H 08.04.23 Hamilton SPFL Champ A 15.04.23 Inverness CT SPFL Champ H 22.04.23 Arbroath SPFL Champ A 29.04.23 Dundee SPFL Champ A 05.05.23 Morton SPFL Champ H

— Goal of the Month

GOAL OF THE MONTH

Long-serving midfielder Connor Scully is enjoying the season of his dreams, and his remarkable run of form has been recognised with the award of the cinch SPFL goal of the month for September/October.

It will come as no surprise to anyone who saw it that his sensational overhead kick against Dundee was the strike that landed Connor the honour.

It was his fourth goal in four days, his double in that one coming hard on the heels of a brace against Arbroath, and he has since added three more; a sequence of seven in as many matches.

Only Dipo Akinyemi of Ayr United has a bigger haul in the Championship at this stage of the campaign.

The award-winning goal is one Connor will never forget:

“My confidence was obviously high after the goals against Arbroath, and having already scored that night, when the ball sat up so nicely, I just decided to go for it.

“It was brilliant to see it hit the net, and when I ran over to celebrate, I saw my whole family there in the stand. That made it even more special.”

With eight already in the bag – he also scored a spectacular effort against Albion Rovers in the League Cup – Connor aims to keep adding to his tally in the coming months:

“The manager has encouraged me to get forward more, and I’m loving that responsibility. I’ll work hard to get into the right positions, and hopefully the goals will keep coming.”

“The manager has encouraged me to get forward more, and I’m loving that responsibility.”

CAPTAIN’S VIEW

The team were disappointed not to come away from last weekend’s match against Arbroath with three points, however, in the context of the game, to get a goal in the last few minutes to rescue a point was pleasing, especially to keep the gap between ourselves and Arbroath at five points, and to extend our unbeaten run to four matches.

Gayfield is a very difficult place to go. Usually, it is the wind causing teams problems. For us, however, it was the low sun in the first half which made things difficult, especially when challenging for the ball in the air. What made it even harder was going 1-0 down within the first five minutes.

We are a team that doesn’t want to lose games. We work hard during the week at training with Tam Ritchie, our fitness coach, to ensure our levels are kept as high as possible. That has been important for us, particularly this season, where in numerous games we have been able to score late goals.

That was evident again on Saturday. It was the 90th minute and we were still pressing and fighting to get a goal, which thankfully we got in the end.

It was brilliant to see Blair score! The boys give him a bit of stick for his shooting, as it is perhaps the only part of his game that he can improve on. He took his goal well as the ball was going away from him, and he was able to hit a controlled shot low and hard across the goal away from the keeper, which is a finish you are more likely to see from a striker. It was a tremendous effort, and it was even better to see that it was Blair scoring it. It’s a reward for all the hard work he puts in, and I’m sure he would have been delighted it was against Arbroath as well!

Unfortunately, I am suspended for this afternoon’s game against Greenock Morton. It will be frustrating having to watch from the stands, but I am confident the boys can get a result.

“

Testament to Morton, they have managed to put in a good run which has catapulted them up into second in the league.

They beat us earlier in the season down at Cappielow, but we didn’t think it was justified, we thought we were the better team on the day, so the boys are determined to prove that today.

We always fancy ourselves at home to get three points, but we will have to be at our best, because I have no doubt they will be coming up here full of confidence.

Finally, on behalf of all the boys in the changing room, I would like to congratulate Evan Towler on his call up to the Scotland Under-19s and Max Johnston on his call up to the Scotland Under-21s.

They are two young, excellent players, that have a bright future ahead of them if they keep their heads down. It will be an excellent experience for them to get away with the national team, and hopefully they will both have successful weeks.

Mitch Megginson

It was a tremendous effort, and it was even better to see that it was

Blair scoring it. It’s a reward for all the hard work he puts in...”

COYCR!

DIFFERENT LEAGUE

Scottish League 1

Winners

‘21-’22

Highland League Winners ‘00-’01, ‘07-’08, ‘08-’09, ‘12-’13, ‘15-’16, ‘17-’18, ‘18-’19

Runners-up ‘89-’90, ‘92-’93, ‘94-’95, ‘95-’96, ‘09-’10, ‘11-’12, ‘16-’17

Highland League Cup Winners

‘94-’95, ‘99-’00, ‘04-’05, ‘14-1’5, ‘16-17, ‘18-’19 Runners-up ‘90-’91, ‘92-’93, ‘95-’96, ‘97-’98, ‘05-’06, ‘07-’08, ‘11-’12

Aberdeenshire Shield Winners ‘90-’91, ‘00-’01, ‘08-’09, ‘17-’18.

Runners-up ‘94-’95, ‘12-’13, ‘15-’16

Aberdeenshire Centenary Cup Runners-up ‘86-’87

Scottish League 2 Winners ‘19-’20

Scottish Qualifying Cup (North) Winners ‘90-’91, ‘00-’01 Runners-up ‘88-’89, ‘91-’92, ‘01-’02, ‘03-’04

Aberdeenshire Cup Winners

‘01-’02, ‘10-’11, ‘18-’19 Runners-up ‘92-’93, ‘94-’95, ‘16-’17, ‘17-’18

Aberdeenshire & District League Winners ‘00-’01, ‘08-’09, ‘10-’11, ‘11-’12, ‘12-’13, ‘14-’15 Runners-up ‘06-’07

Inter-League Trophy Winners ‘01-’02

Cove Rangers

Manager - Jim McIntyre

1 Stuart McKenzie 2 Shay Logan 3 Evan Towler 4 Connor Scully 5 Scott Ross 6 Morgyn Neill 7 Gerry McDonagh 8 Blair Yule 9 Mitchel Megginson (C) 10 Jamie Masson 11 Leighton McIntosh 14 Charlie Gilmour 15 Kyle McClelland 16 Iain Vigurs 17 Luis Longstaff 18 Jack Sanders 19 Rhys Thomas 20 Robbie Leitch 21 Balint Demus 22 Cieran Dunne 23 Kyle Gourlay 24 Fraser Fyvie 26 Mark Reynolds 27 Max Johnston

Morton

Manager - Dougie Imrie

1 Brian Schwake 2 Carlo Pignatiello 3 Lewis Strapp 4 Darragh O’Connor 5 Jack Baird 7 Jaze Kabia 8 Cameron Blues 9 Robbie Muirhead 10 Jai Quitongo 12 Efe Ambrose 14 Robbie Crawford 16 Darren Hynes 17 Lewis McGrattan 20 Lawton Green 21 Grant Gillespie 23 Liam Grimshaw 24 Lewis McGregor 25 Alexander King

Today’s referee - Peter Stuart

Today’s assistant referees - John McCrossan & Elliott Husband Powton

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