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FALKIRK REACTION
Manager Paul Hartley and forward Leighton McIntosh share their reaction to our 2-2 League One draw with Falkirk last week at the Falkirk Stadium.
Paul said: “We had a dressing room of very disappointed players at the end because we drew the game. That shows the standards we have set at our club.
Our lads were fantastic, they gave everything in what we knew would be a very tough game - against full-time opponents.
We controlled the game, played some really good stuff and scored two excellent goals, so it was hard to concede the equaliser in the dying minutes. We also had loads of chances, the missed penalty and we hit the post twice.
We have shown we are a match for anybody in this league, so it’s just a case of focussing on the next game and going again.”
Leighton McIntosh is delighted to have finally got back on the goal trail in our 2-2 League One draw with Falkirk at the Falkirk Stadium. Leighton netted with a first half header for his second goal for the club, the first having come in our 3-1 home victory over East Fife in October. Leighton, who also saw a second half penalty saved by Falkirk goalkeeper Robbie Mutch, said:
“It’s been a strange season for me. The last time I was playing in League One in Scotland (with Airdrie in 2018-19) I finished the campaign with 17 goals. It hasn’t quite worked out the way I wanted with Cove on that front, although in my own defence I have been playing a lot wider on occasion than I did with Airdrie.
I was more through the middle this time though and it was pleasing that paid off with the goal. I should have scored a second, it was actually the first time I have failed to score with a penalty in my career. I did as I always do, I made up my mind on what side I was going to put the ball before I even stepped up and was confident I would score.
I should have put my laces through the ball a bit more, but you also have to give the keeper credit for making the save. You learn from those sort of things and it certainly won’t make me any less willing to take more penalties in the future.
We should have won the game anyway, it was really harsh that Falkirk managed to get their equaliser late on. We need to focus on the positives though, it’s a point away from home against full-time opponents - ones who were expected to be well ahead of us at this stage when people were making predictions at the start of the season.
I’m also hoping the goal will be the first of many between now and the end of the season. It’s a confidence thing with strikers, so it was good to be back in the team and to score.
I’ve found in the past that once I have got back to scoring after a barren spell I get into a rhythm and others follow.
I certainly felt a lot better about myself after the Falkirk game and I’m desperate to kick on now because I know this is a crucial week for the club.”
Next up, of course, is this evening’s meeting with table leaders Partick Thistle here at Balmoral Stadium. It will be the second of a run of four tough matches for is inside the space of a week, but Leighton is relishing that challenge.
“It’s been strange going for weeks when we weren’t even able to train together to having to play so many matches close together,” he said. “But we are the type of team who thrive on playing in actual matches as opposed to training.
We are also a passing side, we are all comfortable on the ball, so when we do play it tends to be less of a physical challenge than it might have been if we played in a different manner. We also have a strong squad and the manager will rotate things to ensure we have the best chance to get the results that we want.
It’s accepted we are all going to have to pull our weight and support each other as best we can.”
We had taken the lead at Falkirk through an outstanding individual effort from skipper Mitch Megginson, only to see our opponents salvage a point when veteran striker Connor Sammon netted five minutes from time.
Defender Daniel Higgins, who returned to the starting line-up while Ryan Strachan served a one match suspension, also felt we were unfortunate not to come away with what would have been our first victory at the Falkirk Stadium.
derek carr
Derek Carr is a name the majority of Cove Rangers fans will be unfamiliar with, but he has played a key role behind the scenes since we made the step up to the SPFL. The 62-yearold Dundonian is manager Paul Hartley’s eyes in the stands at matches played by all of our opponents.
One of the most respected match analysts in the Scottish game, Derek coached for more than 21 years, mainly with Dundee Junior sides Lochee United and Tayport, before joining East Fife - for four years - then enjoying a second spell at Tayport and also a period with Linlithgow Rose.
Around eight years ago, then Brechin City manager Ray McKinnon asked Derek - whose full-time job is as a facilities officer with Dundee City Council - if he wanted to come on board as their match analyst.
McKinnon took Derek with him when he became team boss at Raith Rovers and also when he was appointed manager of Dundee United. Derek also worked under Csaba Laszlo and Robbie Neilson at Tannadice before finally agreeing to come to Cove Rangers just before the start of last last season.
>>> How did your move to Cove Rangers come about?
Cove fitness coach Tam Ritchie and I have a mutual friend, Davie Westwood, who was the goalkeeping coach at Dunfermline. Tam spoke to Davie and said Cove were looking to secure a match analyst and asked for my number.
When I got the call from Tam I told him right away that it was something I would be really interested in taking on. Paul Hartley then phoned me, we had a meeting and things were agreed almost immediately.
That was at the start of last season, I was delighted to have been asked to play a part in the club’s first campaign competing at SPFL level.
So what exactly is it that you do?
My main responsibility is to analyse the sides Cove are due to come up against. I have template that I have used for most of the time I’ve being doing this type of job. It will include team selections for the side I’m watching, any changes made and things like any formation changes made during the game.
I also record - which includes taking photographs - how the teams set up at things like corners and free-kicks, in attack and when they are defending. I will also video any penalties so that our goalkeeper at least has an idea of where the taker prefers to put them if they happen to also get one against us.
It’s about pinpointing the strengths and weaknesses of the sides I’m watching in the hope that it will help Cove when we play them.
Our performance analyst Ryan Docherty includes any information the manager feels is relevant in the presentation to the players ahead of every game. Ryan is the one who deals with the more technical stuff using the loads of computer data and programmes that are available nowadays.
I see myself as an addition to that, trusting my own eyes and gut instincts to seek out ways to give us an advantage in games. Things can get over complicated at times and I’m a great believer in having someone there first hand actually witnessing what the other teams are getting up to. It’s my job to notice things that maybe won’t be picked up from footage or basic reports on games.
It’s not always simple and I don’t always get things right, nobody ever does, no matter what job they do. I might see a player on an off day and he then ends up being man-of-the-match against us, there are loads of things like that which can’t be legislated for. But I will give my honest opinion every time and do the very best that I can.
Do you get a lot of job satisfaction from what you do?
Absolutely, 100%. Things have changed a lot from when I first started out as a football coach. I’ve had to learn new things almost every year, but I really enjoy that challenge. I’ve also seen some fantastic games - since I started eight seasons ago I think I’ve only been at one 0-0 draw.
I’ve also visited every ground in Scotland during that period, which was something I had always hoped to do. But the most enjoyable part is when you see something you have suggested to the manager paying off for Cove in a match.
The great thing about Paul is he values the opinions of the others on his coaching staff. The final decisions, of course, are always down to him. But it’s really encouraging when Paul pinpoints something we have spoken about and uses it to team’s advantage on a match day.
It makes all the travelling - and hours spent at home most Sunday’s drawing up when I’ve seen so that it can be sent to Paul - worthwhile.
We have won League Two and made it into the top half of league one since you joined us, is that also a source of satisfaction?
All the credit for that has to go to the management team and the players. But you do feel pleased to have supported them as best you can.
I’ve been at some games when all I’ve heard is opposing directors speaking about Cove Rangers and clearly more concerned about our result than how their own team is doing. That’s a sign of just how much of an impact Cove have made in their short time as an SPFL club.
I’m proud to be playing a small part at a club that is ambitious and determined to keep improving. Dare I mention that the club I have been with have always done well? Raith Rovers and Brechin City made it to the promotion play-offs and Dundee United won the Championship.
When I was part of the coaching team at Tayport we won the Scottish Junior Cup three times and made it to six finals. So it was pleasing to see Cove win League Two and also get to where they are in League One now. I joke that I’ve proved to be a bit of a lucky charm to the clubs I’ve been with and I’m obviously hoping that continues.
So we can keep moving forward and get back together again.
