Cove Rangers FC Match Programme — vs. Hamilton Academical 23.12.22

A heartbreaking end at Balmoral cost us two points, with goalkeeper Jamie Sneddon the improbable Partick hero as he headed home from a corner in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

We had led from early on, Mitch Megginson finishing off an impressive move, but spurned golden chances to extend our advantage, and were made to pay in the dying seconds.

The opening goal came in the sixth minute.

Mark Reynolds began the move deep inside his own half, pinging an accurate ball forward to McDonagh. Gerry controlled it in the centre circle, turned, and passed wide to Longstaff, who immediately set up Max Johnston. The full back raced to the line and crossed, and when the ball fell for Mitch Megginson, the captain did not hesitate, hammering a ten-yard strike which Sneddon got a hand to, but was beaten by the ferocity of the shot.

“

Cove Rangers

(4-4-2)

McKenzie; Johnston, Sanders, Reynolds, Logan (Fyvie 23); Longstaff (Ross 69), Yule, Gilmour, Scully; Megginson (c), McDonagh (McIntosh 72)

Substitutes

Gourlay, Towler, Neill, Masson, Vigurs, Dunne

Goalscorers Megginson (6) Booked Fyvie (75) Partick Thistle (4-3-3) Sneddon; McMillan (Fitzpatrick 81), Brownlie, Muirhead (c), Milne; Turner, Hodson, McKinnon (Weston 74); Lawless (Bannigan 46), Graham, Smith (Mullen 46)

Substitutes McCready, Akinola, Stanway, Lyon Goalscorers Sneddon (90) Booked Bannigan (77)

Referee Steven McLean Attendance 1,128

…two big chances for the side to kill off the game in the second half.””

There were two big chances for the side to kill off the game in the second half.

In the first, following a mistake near the halfway line, Gerry McDonagh raced away clear in behind the Thistle defence. As keeper Sneddon left his line, the big striker had a decision to make, and decided to try to round the keeper, but the Partick man got a hand to it, and the ball was booted clear.

Then, as the game ticked into stoppage time, there was another glaring opportunity for us to secure the victory.

In a quick counter, Megginson gathered inside the Thistle half and split their back line with a pass for McIntosh to run on to, but Leighton failed to make the most of the one-on-one, and between them, Sneddon and Muirhead held him up, then cleared the danger.

With referee Steven MacLean inexplicably allowing the game to roll into a fifth minute of additional time, the visitors won a corner on the right.

Bannigan sent in an inviting delivery and keeper Sneddon, having raced eighty yards up the pitch, rose to direct the ball into the net with a welljudged glancing header to break home hearts.

It was the most dramatic of finishes to a game we should have long since sewn-up, and another reminder of just how tough and demanding the Championship is.

THE SEASON SO FAR

After the jubilation of winning the League One title and clinching a place in the Championship for this season, a summer of upheaval ensued.

Out of the blue, double title-winning manager, Paul Hartley, was off to Hartlepool with Jim McIntyre the man earmarked as his replacement.

As Jim began to assemble the squad he wanted, the Premier Sports Cup campaign kicked-off with a win over Albion Rovers, Connor Scully scoring a spectacular winner. It wouldn’t be his last eye-catching moment of the season. Defeats to Livingston and Kelty Hearts ended hopes of qualifying from the group, but a draw in Inverness was a satisfactory way to end.

The League One flag was unfurled before the Championship opener, a 2-0 victory over Raith Rovers in which Mitch Megginson netted a double, but operating at the second tier of Scottish football was always going to be a challenge, and so it was to prove over the next month with four successive defeats.

Jamie Masson scored with a magnificent strike and Leighton McIntosh was also on target as we twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with Hamilton, and there was an even more notable comeback the following Saturday when Mark Reynolds struck twice late on to secure another 2-2, against Partick Thistle in Glasgow.

We fell at the first hurdle in the SPFL Trust Trophy, but maintained the league run with two outstanding wins in the space of four days. Scully scored a double to see off Arbroath, then repeated the feat in memorable fashion against Dundee, his acrobatic overhead kick clinching the SPFL Goal of the Month award. Mitch was also on target against the Dens Parkers, the team shrugging off the loss of the first goal to notch up a convincing 3-1 success.

“…maintained the league run with two outstanding wins in the space of four days. ”

Losses to Raith and Caley Thistle followed, then another comeback 2-2 draw in which Scully and Gerry McDonagh claimed equalisers against Ayr United. We seemed set for our first away win the next week, but let a 4-1 lead slip at Hamilton in a match in which Mitch Megginson scored his 200th goal for the club.

It was Scully at the double again at the start of November, as the team beat Queen’s Park 2-0 in our first ever live televised TV match, and we backed that up by snatching what could prove to be a crucial point, Blair Yule netting in the last minute against Arbroath at Gayfield.

A defeat against promotion chasing Morton was a disappointment, but the players shrugged that off by cruising through to the Fourth Round of the Scottish Cup, McDonagh helping himself to four goals as Dunipace were swept aside 7-0.

What should have been our penultimate game in the first half of the league campaign was at home to Partick Thistle, and it was one which ended in heartbreak. With the side holding on for what would have been a massive win, the away goalkeeper, Jamie Sneddon, headed an equaliser in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

With the postponement of the return against Dundee, tonight’s encounter with Hamilton sees us reach the midway stage, and if the first half of the season is anything to go by, it certainly won’t be boring as 2022/23 draws to what is likely to be a dramatic conclusion.

SCULLY NEW CONTRACT

“It’s a great club, and to be honest, I couldn’t imagine playing anywhere else. As soon as they said they wanted me to sign on for another couple of years I was dying to get it done. It was an easy decision in the end.”

Currently sitting as top scorer, Connor has had plenty to celebrate, the new deal following the announcement of his Testimonial, and him being awarded SPFL goal of the month for his spectacular overhead kick against Dundee in October:

The season of Connor Scully’s dreams has got even better, with the midfielder agreeing a new contract which will keep him at Balmoral Stadium until at least the summer of 2025.

Having already spent half his life with Cove Rangers, Connor quickly agreed terms with Director of Football, John Sheran, and says he is absolutely delighted to have extended his stay with the club he loves:

“Another two years to add on to the many I’ve already been here, I’m pleased to get it over the line, and I can’t wait.

“I just want to keep it going. I’d set myself a target of ten goals, but now that I’m already on eight, I’m looking at fifteen or twenty. I’m just delighted with the way it’s all been going. I try to stay consistent, to keep the levels up, and I’ll be doing that again tonight against Hamilton.”

With at least two and a half years to go now, how long does Connor believe he can keep going with Cove?

“I’m thirty now, so we’ll see how long I’ve got left, but I live just across the road, and as long as they need me, I’ll be here. That’s what the club means to me.”

Principal Club Partner Principal Stadium Partner

Official Club Partners

Club Partners

JIM MCINTYRE

It has been a frustrating time since our last game against Partick Thistle. I think the best way to describe it is bitty, because we’ve had disrupted training sessions and the cancellation of the Dundee game, and we’re going to have a period of nine days between this one and the Caley Thistle match at the start of January.

It has been great getting the boys back going again, having a normal week’s training, and now having the game to look forward to tonight.

What we will then do is add in an extra session next week, on the Saturday morning, given that we’re in Inverness on the Monday afternoon.

Most of the lads will have a bit of time off from their day jobs, so that will help, and it will be good to get back into a routine and have a bit of continuity.

There have been times this season when the games have been coming thick and fast, and we’ve had a catalogue of injuries, so it has been really intense. In some ways, after a three week break, it’s almost like starting all over again.

It is just a case of pressing the reset button, and let’s go again.

We’re coming into a really important period, this will see us complete the second quarter of the campaign, and we all know the importance of the match against Hamilton.

The last time we played them, I had COVID, so missed it, but that was a real, real sore one. It was clearly a game we should have tied up, and we cannot afford to let things slip as we did that day.

Both sets of players are fully aware of how vital tonight could be. It’s a chance for us to open up a really healthy lead over them, but they’ll be looking at it as an opportunity to pull us back closer. We’re at home, we’re generally strong here at Balmoral Stadium, and we’ll be looking to build on the good results we’ve enjoyed here so far.

This halfway point of the season is probably a good time to reflect, and having been away from the game for a few years, I can tell you nothing has really changed in the Championship, it’s as ruthless as it was the last time I worked in it, and I genuinely think that’s the big difference between this division, and say, League One. In the Championship, you get punished.

There’s a lot of good players in the league, and I’ve enjoyed it. I work with a really good group of lads, honest boys who are all together, and if you’re to have any sort of success at all, you cannot overestimate the importance of that.

The boys we have added, along with our loan signings, have all made a contribution, and we look forward to the second half of the season.

Your support is so important to us, I would like to thank you for your backing, and to wish all Cove Rangers fans a merry Christmas and a happy and successful 2023.

Enjoy the game!

Jim McIntyre

“Both sets of players are fully aware of how vital tonight could be...”

CENTENARY BOOK

As the club’s centenary year draws to a close, the first official history of Cove Rangers FC is now available to buy.

The book, ‘100 YEARS COVE RANGERS FC: A history of the club’s rise through the ranks of Scottish Football’ has been written by local journalist, Charlie Allan.

It is a fascinating and revealing journey across the decades which notes the existence of a team in Cove in the late 19th century, but explains why the club, as we know it, has been celebrating a significant milestone in 2022.

Drawing on press reports and club records, the narrative weaves through many challenging spells – including one season when Cove Rangers went ‘defunct’ – and tells how those in charge did everything they could to keep pushing forward.

There are in-depth chapters highlighting the key figures whose determination and ambition ultimately helped to bring success to Allan Park and Balmoral Stadium, interviews with players and staff past and present, and a chance to view previously unseen pictures from the Cove archives.

Four of the main driving forces behind the progression of the club – Honorary President Alan McRae, Chairman Keith Moorhouse, Director of Football John

Sheran and Secretary Duncan Little – were on hand for the launch earlier this week, along with ex-players, Eric Watson and Graeme Park, midfielder Fraser Fyvie, and Terry Cobban of club sponsor ACE.

The book, which costs just £15, can be bought online at the Cove Rangers FC website, or from the club shop on matchdays.

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 1 - 2

Date Fixture Competition

H/A

CHRISTMAS LUNCH

The club held our final official Centenary event at P&J Live on Friday, December 9th, the always popular annual Cove Rangers FC Christmas lunch.

Chairman Keith Moorhouse would like to extend his thanks to Principal Event Partner, R Davidson (Banchory) Ltd and VIP Reception partner, MGS Logistics, and all our loyal supporters who bought tables and auction items, and who made generous donations.

The success of the day depends on the backing we receive, and everyone at the club appreciates the support we get from across the community.

The former Crystal Palace owner, Simon Jordan, now a popular broadcaster with TalkSPORT, engaged in a highly entertaining Q&A as he shared tales from his life in football; Alex Fleming conducted two lively auction sessions; and John Gahagan brought the house down with his unique, and hilarious, performance.

With almost four hundred people in attendance, it was another hugely enjoyable afternoon.

Merry Christmas everyone!

CAPTAIN’S VIEW

I must admit, I cannot wait to get back out on the pitch this evening after what has been a strange period. When you go from playing week-in, weekout, to suddenly having time off in the middle of the season, it takes a bit of adjustment.

If there has been a plus, it has maybe allowed a few of the boys who were carrying knocks to shake them off, and now we’re refreshed and ready to go again.

With the weather we’ve had, training has been disrupted too. There have been times when we’ve been waiting to hear whether or not we could train, a couple of sessions had to be cancelled, and that’s not ideal.

By this stage, you’ve got your core fitness, so missing one or two here or there is not necessarily a bad thing, you’re not going to lose that in such a short space of time. At this point, halfway through the campaign, it’s more about just keeping things ticking over. That said, I wouldn’t like to be going into a game without having had a kick of a football; that’s probably the biggest thing of all for me.

It is a difficult league, but we knew that coming into it, that we’d likely have ups and downs, and it definitely took us a wee while to adjust to it, and to find a formation that would work for us.

In this quarter, our performances generally have been good, albeit we should have had more wins. But I think we have to take the positives from that, and believe that if we keep playing that way, we will start to pick up more points.

We have to look at ourselves in some of those matches, but I also think luck has gone against us on occasion. Every team gets the rub of the green at some point in the season, we’ve not had ours yet, so I hope that’s still to come.

It’s important not to look too far into the future, so for now we have to concentrate on tonight’s game against Hamilton, and we all know how important it is likely to be. Last time, we threw away a three-goal lead, so that will be in the back of our minds and will definitely drive us on, and getting the three points would set us up nicely for the new year.

we’ve all been inspired by watching the World Cup

After the short break, we’ve definitely got the hunger, and I think we’ve all been inspired by watching the World Cup, and what the likes of Mbappe and Messi got up to.

I think the whole tournament was brilliant in terms of football and the quality of games, the upsets, and the pinnacle was seeing Lionel Messi lifting the cup after what was one of the best football games I’ve ever watched.

Moments like that are why we love the game, why we play the game, and on a different level, we’ve had plenty of them in recent years. Everyone at Cove will be working hard to try to make sure there are more such days ahead for us in the future.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, and we look forward to seeing you back at Balmoral Stadium during 2023.

COYCR! Mitch Megginson

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

Hamilton Academical

Manager - John Rankin

1 Ryan Fulton 2 Michael Doyle 3 Matthew Shiels 4 Daniel O’Reilly 5 Brian Easton 6 Jamie Hamilton 7 Lewis Spence 8 Scott Martin 9 Andrew Ryan 10 Dario Zanatta 11 Lewis Smith 14 Marley Redfern 16 Miko Virtanen 17 Jean-Pierre Tiehi 18 Reegan Mimnaugh 19 Andrew Winter 20 Jonny Ngandu 21 Regan Thomson 22 Ellis Brown 24 Steve Lawson 25 Fergus Owens 31 Jamie Smith 36 Myles Gaffney 37 Chrissy McGinn 41 Ryan One 42 Cian Newbury

Tonight’s referee - Euan Anderson

Tonight’s assistant referees - Ross Macleod & Paul McAvinue