Dunipace Match Report

Gerry McDonagh was the four-goal hero as Cove eased through to the Fourth Round of this season’s Scottish Cup. Substitutes Leighton McIntosh and Jamie Masson were also on target, either side of a close range Fraser Fyvie finish, as the team disposed comfortably of their East of Scotland League visitors.

Having dominated the opening stages, the opening goal came in the seventeenth minute.

Yule and Logan linked-up well, Longstaff then fed in a pass to the byeline, which Blair fired low towards the near post. Goalkeeper Kane got to it first, but fumbled, and from inches out, Gerry McDonagh scrambled the ball into the net.

Fyvie, Yule and Gilmour were seeing plenty of the ball, and Longstaff and Logan were constant threats, and it was the full-back who provided the ammunition for the second goal. He found Megginson, whose shot looked like going in, but struck the inside of the post and rebounded back out off the keeper. Mitch reacted quickly and stabbed the ball goalwards again, and Gerry McDonagh slid in to make sure, nudging it over the line.

Within two minutes of the restart, it was 3-0.

Cove Rangers

(4-4-2)

McKenzie; Logan, Ross, Reynolds (Neill 56), Towler; Longstaff (Dunne 63), Yule (Masson 63), Gilmour, Fyvie; Megginson (c) (McIntosh 63), McDonagh (Scully 53)

Substitutes

Gourlay, Vigurs, Leitch

Goalscorers

McDonagh (17, 38, 47, 49), McIntosh (82), Fyvie (84), Masson (87)

Booked

Reynolds (28)

Dunipace

(4-1-4-1)

D. Kane (Gilchrist 87); R. Kane, A. Grant, McCroary, Whitelaw; McNeil (Nash 61); Wright (c) (France 61), Morrison, Herron, Colley (Fleming 69); D. Grant (McGuckin 69)

Substitutes

Stevenson, McArthur

Referee

Matthew MacDermid

Attendance

540

The team won a free-kick twenty-five yards out. Shay Logan had to put a finger on the ball to prevent it from being blown away, Longstaff delivered it into the box, and with a glancing header, Gerry McDonagh steered it past the visiting keeper to complete his hat-trick.

The fourth goal came in short order. Longstaff was brought down just outside the box near the bye-line, and when the delivery came in, Gerry McDonagh had the freedom of the area to angle his header back across Kane and inside the far post for a superb finish.

“The players eventually made their superiority count with three more goals…”

Fraser Fyvie caught the Dunipace defence out with a delightful, chipped pass, and Leighton McIntosh raced clear, beating the keeper with a perfectly-judged lob from twenty yards.

“…a perfectlyjudged lob…”

Leighton was at the heart of the sixth goal shortly after. Picking the ball up in midfield, he showed great skill and close control to dance away from three or four challenges, before playing in Masson. Jamie’s shot took a deflection and fell for Fraser Fyvie, who was alert enough to skip past the keeper and roll the ball into the empty net. There was no let-up in the intensity of our play, and within three minutes, it was 7-0. Connor Scully switched the focus of the attack, Logan and Fyvie got involved on the right, and when Fraser delivered, Jamie Masson climbed highest to head home his third goal of the season.

FRASER FYVIE

Throughout the last couple of decades, Cove Rangers have made a habit of surprising onlookers with big name signings.

In the Highland League days, three of Aberdeen’s ‘Gothenburg Greats’ – Neil Simpson, John Hewitt and Doug Rougvie – all had spells at Allan Park; former Dundee and Nancy striker, Ray Stephen, joined for a brief spell in the 1990s; and more recently, trophywinners and internationalists have also put pen to paper, with the likes of Shay Logan and Mark Reynolds in the current squad.

High on any such list of high-profile captures would have to be Fraser Fyvie.