Cove Rangers FC Matchday Programme – vs. Montrose 31.08.24 by coverangersfc

MONTROSE

Saturday 31st Aug ‘24 • 15:00 KO

02 UPCOMING FIXTURES & LEAGUE TABLE

The team were denied a first league win of the season in sickening fashion when the visitors equalised deep into stoppage time to snatch a point.

Adam EMSLIE had given us a deserved lead in the 65th minute, scrambling the ball home from close range to net for the second successive week, but Dumbarton levelled late on when Mark DURNAN was left unmarked from a corner and headed past Suman.

Cove Rangers (4-2-3-1)

Suman; Darge, Doyle (c), Gillingham, Harrington; Marshall, Yule; Emslie, Glass (Gaffney 86), Scully; McGrath (Fyvie 67)

Substitutes

Demus, Murray, Ochmanski, Donaldson, Milnes

Goalscorer

Emslie (65)

Booked

Scully (81), Emslie (89)

Sent off Megginson (90)

Dumbarton (4-3-3)

Long; Pignatiello, Durnan, Miller, Shiels; Gray (Lynas 73), Hilton (Wallace 77), Niang; McGuffie, Ruth, Orsi

Substitutes

O’Neil, Blair, Clark, Grivas, Shields, Wilson, Young

Goalscorer

The game should have been well out of sight by then, the team having played some excellent football and creating numerous chances, but those were spurned, and we were made to pay at the death.

To compound our misery, we also missed a first half penalty, awarded when Scully was hauled to the ground by Pignatiello. Declan Glass stepped up to take it but dragged his effort wide of the post.

Durnan (90)

Booked Orsi (81)

Referee

Colin Whyte

Attendance

462

MATCH REPORT

Goals either side of half-time saw Stenhousemuir snatch the initiative and turn the game round, consigning us to a third defeat in four games to kickoff the League One campaign. Findlay Marshall had given Cove the lead, but the home side netted three times after that, rendering Grady McGrath’s late strike nothing more than a consolation.

League One Sat 24th Aug ‘24

Ochilview Park

It was a 100th league start for captain Fyvie, while Connor Scully hit two major milestones; his 150th league start and 200th appearance overall in the SPFL era.

The home side were first to threaten, Meechan driving in a cross from the right, but Marshall got a touch, and Suman was able to gather. Taylor then had an

opening in the box, his effort blocked for a corner which came to nothing. Stenhousemuir continued to press, and when O’Reilly delivered from the left, O’Donnell shot wide of the near post.

As the team settled, Marshall and Fyvie were seeing plenty of the ball, and when Fraser clipped a pass into Scully, Connor laid it off for McGrath to score. The referee however whistled for handball to quickly halt any celebrations.

Adam Emslie fired in a dangerous delivery which Buchanan did well to clear, but we kept the move going and looked to have taken the lead. Fyvie crossed from the right and Grady McGrath reacted quickly at the near post to net, only to be denied by the assistant flagging for offside.

Taylor was then cautioned for a reckless challenge on Nick Suman. With the ball already out, the midfielder barged into him from behind, forcing the big keeper to crash into the perimeter wall. Thankfully, Nick was able to resume after treatment.

We deservedly went in front in our next attack.

Declan Glass fed an accurate pass into the area, and Findlay MARSHALL took

“... we kept the move going and looked to have taken the lead.”

a touch beyond Wedderburn before lashing in a twelve yard shot which Jamieson got a hand to but could not keep out.

Fyvie then drove down the right and after exchanging passes with Emslie, fired in an inviting delivery, but Scully, straining to make contact, nodded wide from ten yards.

The home side equalised on the stroke of half-time. Taylor got in behind on the left, and when he crossed, Corey O’DONNELL converted from close range despite Suman’s best efforts.

It was a scrappy start to the second half, but the goal which gave Stenhousemuir the lead was of the highest quality. Buchanan sent a long pass forward which Michael ANDERSON controlled before cutting infield. Having found a yard of space, he curled an outstanding twenty yard effort beyond Suman and inside the far post.

The game was now being played in a torrential downpour as Cove attempted to level. Marshall and Glass linked-up nicely to force a corner, but Declan’s eventual delivery was overhit. He then played in a cross from the right as we kept up the pressure, but Jamieson gathered with McGrath lurking.

Stenhousemuir were more clinical and increased their advantage in the fiftyeighth minute. From a needlessly given away corner, Taylor found the head of the unmarked Nat WEDDERBURN and

“the ball...was driven home from eight yards by Grady McGRATH, the striker’s first goal for the club.”

the diving midfielder beat Suman with ease from six yards.

Paul Hartley made a triple substitution with twenty-five minutes remaining. Gillingham, Marshall and Emslie left the pitch to be replaced by debutants Liam Parker and Reuben McAllister, and Myles Gaffney.

The changes produced little in the way of scoring opportunities, and the home side came closer to adding to their tally, Bilham shooting powerfully from the edge of the box and bringing out a fine save from Nick Suman.

We snatched a lifeline in stoppage time when from McAllister’s corner, the ball rebounded off the near post, and after a scramble, was driven home from eight yards by Grady McGRATH, the striker’s first goal for the club.

It was to be the last action of the match and the home side held on for the three points.

Stenhousemuir (4-1-4-1)

Jamieson; Meechan, Buchanan (c), Banner, Bilham; Wedderburn; O’Reilly (Berry 76), Anderson (Brown 90), Alston (Aitken 76), Taylor (Jacobs 76); O’Donnell (Yates 88)

Substitutes

Lyle, Ewen, Allan

Goalscorers

O’Donnell (45), Anderson (48), Wedderburn (58)

Booked

Taylor (30), O’Donnell (61)

Cove Rangers (4-2-3-1)

Suman; Darge, Doyle, Gillingham (Parker 65), Harrington; Marshall (McAllister 65), Fyvie (c); Emslie (Gaffney 65), Glass, Scully; McGrath

Substitutes

Demus, Ochmanski, Donaldson, Milnes

Goalscorers

Marshall (33), McGrath (90)

Booked

Marshall (26)

Referee

Steven Kirkland

Attendance

561

It was a notable afternoon last Saturday for two experienced midfielders as the pair notched up impressive milestones in the game against Stenhousemuir.

Fraser Fyvie chalked up his 100th league start for Cove Rangers, while Connor Scully achieved two big highlights; his 150th league start and his 200th overall appearance for the club in the SPFL era.

Scully’s stats are particularly impressive. Since we kickedoff in a League Cup tie against Peterhead on July 13th 2019, Cove have played a total of 208 league and cup games as an SPFL club, and Connor has missed just eight.

The midfielder is also closing in on Stuart McKenzie’s record of 67 successive appearances. Having been an ever-present during our first couple of seasons in the SPFL, the big keeper started every game between that loss at Balmoor and a League Cup meeting with Stirling Albion two years later. Scully is currently on a run of 61 straight competitive matches.

TOP FIVE APPEARANCES IN THE SPFL ERA

200 150 STARTS (+ 5 SUBS) OVERALL LEAGUE

171 133 STARTS (+ 2 SUBS)

161 120 STARTS (+ 6 SUBS)

131 100 STARTS (+ 6 SUBS)

125 90 STARTS (+ 7 SUBS)

PARKER & MCALLISTER SIGNINGS

PARKER MCALLISTER SIGNINGS

Paul Hartley recently strengthened his squad with two new signings, young players he believes can make a real impact in the coming months.

First to be announced was commanding central defender Liam Parker, on loan from St Johnstone for the entire 202425 campaign, and soon after we were able to reveal the manager had also landed exciting midfield prospect Reuben McAllister from Hibernian until January.

Both players went straight into the squad and made their debuts as second half substitutes last week against Stenhousemuir.

Reuben says he is delighted with the move, having had a taste of League One out on loan to Kelty Hearts last season:

“I see this as a really positive step, coming in full-time, being in that first team environment. Kelty was good last year, but it was part-time; here, I can be around it on a daily basis.

“It’s a tough league, I know that, and I feel as if it’s got stronger this year, so it should be a good test.”

Liam was also given experience of the division earlier this year, spending the second half of the 23-24 campaign with Edinburgh City:

“I think this is going to be a really good challenge. I’m looking to kick-on and improve as a player, I do think last season at Edinburgh helped me mature, and it means I know League One and how difficult it is going to be.

“I know a few of the boys here, and I played with Findlay Marshall last year, so I think I’ll settle in fine, and all my focus will be on helping Cove try to get promotion. I played every match for Edinburgh after I went there, and I’m hoping to get as many games as I can here.”

“...both will have the opportunity to shine.”

The manager is delighted with his latest captures, having monitored both players for some time. He says he looks forward to working with them, and that both will have the opportunity to shine:

“They will be given a chance here, that’s why they come on loan, but it’s up to them now.

“You just have to look at Findlay Marshall and Adam Emslie, they’ve started really well, and I’ve been picking them. It’s the challenge that all the players face to keep the jersey, and I expect both Liam and Reuben to make a big contribution.”

1. Nick Suman

8. Blair Yule

2. Finlay Murray

6. Will Gillingham

3. Michael Doyle

9. Mitch Megginson

7. Ryan Harrington

10. Declan Glass

4. Connor Scully

Milosz Ochmanski

Grady McGrath

Arron Darge

Reuben McAllister

17. Findlay Marshall

21. Balint Demus

20. Myles Gaffney

22. Adam Emslie

32. Liam Parker

19. Cole Donaldson

24. Fraser Fyvie

23. Jack Robertson

25. Mikey Milnes

We go into this afternoon’s meeting with Dumbarton looking for our first points of the League One campaign, something I still find hard to believe after the performance the team put in last week down in Dumfries.

The manner of last week’s defeat at Stenhousemuir was hard to take, and it was disappointing for all of us after a couple of performances which had been good to watch, despite us picking up just a single point.

We played so much really good football against Queen of the South, and particularly Dumbarton, but missed countless chances, and that came back to bite us.

We know we have to improve on that front, to be more clinical in front of goal, and also to tighten up at the back. Two minutes of madness cost us against Queens, and defensive slackness was the reason why we lost a late equaliser last time out at Balmoral Stadium, and why we were beaten at Ochilview last weekend.

It is something we are working hard to sort out, I can assure you the players and the staff take it just as badly as the supporters, and if we can resolve that, I firmly believe there is reason to be optimistic about the season.

We have only just kicked-off, there is a long way to go, and every team will have demanding runs, it’s that kind of league. This is going to be a tough campaign, the division is a very balanced one, and we know the challenge that lies ahead.

I am happy with the squad I have assembled. Fans will already have seen what Adam Emslie and Findlay Marshall bring to the side, and I am confident that Liam Parker and Reuben McAllister will make an equally important contribution in the coming months.

It was good to see Grady McGrath get off the mark last week, every striker lives off confidence, and having found the net now, I would hope that he can build on that and get a run going.

Today’s opponents Montrose know League One inside out and are always among the group challenging for the play-offs, which is exactly where I hope we will be. This will be a test, but if we can show more solidity at the back, and take our chances, I know we can give them a difficult afternoon.

Enjoy the game,

Paul Hartley

“We have only just kicked-off, there is a long way to go, and every team will have demanding runs, it’s that kind of league.”

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