Cove Rangers FC Matchday Programme – vs. Montrose 09.09.23

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MATCH REPORT

A frustrating ninety minutes ended in a narrow defeat, with Queens scoring at the start and end of the first half, then holding up against Cove pressure to clinch the win. Tyler Mykyta finally broke through deep into stoppage time, but it was too little, too late, and our wait for a first home league victory of the year goes on.

We kicked-off and dominated the early possession, but it was Queens who took the lead with their first attack. A swift counter saw the ball played towards the pacy Harvey WALKER and he raced beyond Sena to guide a low angled shot beyond Demus.

We suffered another blow soon after when influential midfielder Josh Kerr crumpled to the pitch holding his ankle. It quickly became clear he would be unable to continue, and Josh limped off to be replaced by Mark Gallagher.

The game might have been levelled up in the thirteenth minute when Connor

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Balmoral Stadium

Scully played in Burrell, who surged into the box. Rumarn’s first effort was blocked by McClelland and his second, a volley, flew over the bar.

McGowan then set up Sena. His effort was charged down and Burrell could not get enough purchase on the rebound, his shot saved easily by Botterill.

Cove were enjoying almost complete dominance in terms of possession, but unable to penetrate the visiting defence. Scully was next to have a go, his thirty yard shot flying just wide of the keeper’s left post.

Burrell almost pounced on a bouncing ball at the back post, and when it ran to Paul McGowan, the midfielder’s shot was diverted just wide.

After all that pressure, we were to fall further behind in first half stoppage time.

The Dumfries side were awarded a freekick twenty-eight yards out and Reegan MIMNAUGH curled his left-foot effort over and around the wall, and just inside Demus’ right post.

Upon the restart, the pattern remained the same, Cove seeing plenty of the ball but failing to show the incisive front play which had brought such dividends last Saturday. A succession of corners and crosses were cleared by the Queens’ defence who were coping fairly comfortably.

Just before the hour mark, Paul Hartley threw on Kyle Connell to supplement the attack, Jones coming off and Scully dropping to left back.

Connor then headed wide from a Gallagher free-kick, and in the next attack the visitors were reduced to ten men. After a skirmish in the box, keeper Gordon Botterill spat at Mitch Megginson and referee Grieve immediately flashed the red card. Substitute goalkeeper Cowie came on, as did McKay, as Marvin Bartley reverted to a back three.

The pressure continued with Mitch’s flick being deflected for a corner by Logan, McGowan had a shot blocked and Scully’s volley was also charged down.

Megginson saw his half-volley fly just over the bar and his header soon after from a Burrell flick suffered a similar fate.

the way through, and Mykyta’s corner flashed across the six yard box, but evaded everyone.

From the next corner, Will Gillingham was adjudged to have taken a dive and was given his marching orders following a second yellow card.

Gallagher and Williamson then linkedup, Scott’s shot taking a deflection on

In the seventh minute of stoppage time, Mark Gallagher was scythed down twenty-three yards out and the referee awarded Cove a free-kick.

Tyler MYKYTA stepped up and curled an unstoppable drive around the wall and inside the far post; his first goal for the club.

“After a skirmish in the box, keeper Gordon Botterill spat at Mitch Megginson and referee Grieve immediately flashed the red card...”

Cove Rangers (4-3-1-2)

Demus; Sena (Mykyta 76), Stewart, Gillingham, Jones (Connell 59); McGowan, Kerr (Gallagher 8), Scully; Megginson (c); Williamson, Burrell

Substitutes

Suman, Darge, Golding, Reynolds, Davidson-Phipps

Goalscorers

Mykyta (90)

Booked

Gillingham (45), Scully (49), Gillingham (90)

Sent off Gillingham (45), Scully (49), Gillingham (90)

QOTS (4-1-4-1)

Botterill; Logan, McClelland, Ambrose, MacIntyre (Gibson 83); Mimnaugh; McKechnie (McKay 70), Todd, Cochrane (Ferguson 44), Walker (Cowie 70); Reilly (Doherty 83)

Substitutes

Houston, Connelly, McGuffie, Irving

Goalscorers

Walker (3), Mimnaugh (45)

Booked

McClelland (30), McKechnie (49)

Sent Off McClelland (30), McKechnie (49)

Referee

Alastair Grieve

The team fell to a third defeat in five matches as a Conor Sammon goal proved enough to earn all three points for Alloa in a fixture lacking in quality and excitement.

With a number of players unavailable through injury and suspension, the manager made four changes from last week’s home defeat to Queen of the South. Nick Suman was given the nod in goal ahead of Balint Demus, Mark Reynolds replaced the suspended Will Gillingham and there were also starts for Arron Darge and Tyler Mykyta.

On a hot, sticky afternoon in Clackmannanshire, the home side were the first to threaten, Steven winning a free-kick wide left after going down when challenged by Cameron Stewart. The Alloa striker swung in a dangerous delivery which Taggart got on the end of in the six yard box, but the central defender could only divert the ball wide.

Our first decent move came in the fourteenth minute. McGowan chipped the ball forward for Burrell to run on to, Rumarn played a 1-2 with Megginson, and the captain wriggled free of two

defenders to shoot goalwards. Morrison was however able to beat away his effort.

That sparked Alloa into life and the overlapping Deveney sent in an inviting cross which Sammon got a touch to, bringing a fine save out of Suman who dived full-length to his left to push the ball to safety.

Cove should have taken the lead in the twenty-first minute. Arron Darge won a crunching tackle before threading an excellent pass down the right. Williamson got to it and skipped past Neill, raced into the box, then squared for Mitch Megginson ten yards out, but the striker took a touch rather than shoot first time, and Debayo was able to close him down.

The home side made the breakthrough in the thirty-third minute. A corner on the left was swung high outside the box, Neill headed it into the area, and after the ball took a deflection, Conor Sammon was standing unmarked six yards out and had the easiest of tasks to nudge it past Suman.

“...the manager made four changes from last week’s home defeat to Queen of the South.”

We were offering little in the way of an attacking threat, causing few, if any, problems for the Alloa rearguard, our forays forward ending generally in a misplaced or overhit pass. There was some hope in the final minute of the half when Megginson gathered the ball and switched play to Scully. Connor teed it up for Mykyta and the youngster controlled before firing in a decent shot which had PJ Morrison scrambling across his line to gather.

There was an equally positive start upon the resumption. Scully found Mykyta who sent in an inviting delivery. Scott Williamson nodded it down and McGowan attempted a hook shot which Morrison saved. There were loud appeals for a penalty, the midfielder having been caught late when shooting, but referee White waved them away.

Alloa countered quickly and Steven rolled the ball back to the edge of the box from where Scougall left fly. Suman dived low to his right to make a decent save. There followed a period of sustained Cove pressure, but the team was unable to make any serious breakthrough, the ball being played back and fore in front of the resolute Alloa defence.

Connell and Burrell did link up well, finding a way into the penalty area in the sixty-seventh minute, but Kyle was closed down before he could get a shot away, then Darge played the ball in from the right, but Megginson’s first time effort was blocked by Devine.

Soon after, McGowan, Scully and Gallagher combined on the left, the latter feeding the ball infield for Megginson. Mitch gathered and shot from twenty-three yards, but his effort bounced wide of the keeper’s right post.

Deep into stoppage time, Gallagher curled in a cross from the left but Williamson only just failed to connect and the ball ran through safely to Morrison. Connell then probed down the left, crossing for Burrell, but the striker’s header cleared the bar in what was the final action of another desperately disappointing afternoon.

“We were offering little in the way of an attacking threat, causing few, if any, problems for the Alloa rearguard.”

ALLOA ATHLETIC (3-5-2)

Morrison; Taggart (c), Neill, Debayo (Devine 29); Cawley, Roberts, Hetherington, Scougall (Coulson 76), Deveney (O’Donnell 66); Steven (Donnelly 66), Sammon (Cannon 76)

Substitutes

Ogayi, Graham, Robertson, Buchanan

Goalscorers

Sammon (33)

Booked

Cawley (49), Scougall (73), Cannon (80)

Cove Rangers (4-3-1-2)

Suman; Darge, Stewart (Gallagher 84), Reynolds, Scully; McGowan, Sena, Mykyta (Connell 55); Megginson (c); Burrell, Williamson

Substitutes

Demus, Ochmanski

Booked

Megginson (82)

Referee Colin White

Attendance

544

Management Sponsors

Player Sponsors

Paul Hartley Gordon Young Tam Ritchie

1. Nick Suman

2. Jacob Jones

10. Rumarn Burrell

11. Kyle Connell

14. Luke Strachan

4. Connor Scully

5. Mouhamed Niang

8. Blair Yule

9. Mitch Megginson

7. Paul McGowan

15. Arron Darge

6. Will Gillingham

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16. Iain Vigurs

21. Balint Demus

27. Cameron Stewart

17. Josh Kerr

22. Mark Gallagher

28. Rio Davidson-Phipps

29. Scott Williamson

18. Tyler Mykyta

24. Fraser Fyvie

26. Mark Reynolds

20. Myles Gaffney

19. Dayshonne Golding

This afternoon’s game against Montrose is an opportunity for us to get back to the levels we showed when we last met just three weeks ago.

We’ve not reached those in the two games since, despite having plenty of the ball. We’ve missed chances and conceded sloppy goals, and that’s led to the back-to-back defeats.

It has been really frustrating, certainly against Alloa we must have had by far the better of the possession stats, but we just couldn’t make the most of that.

We are still a work in progress, that’s inevitable after all the changes there have been, and it does take a while to get that understanding, but we don’t have a lot of time; it needs to click pretty quickly.

There’s still a bit of rawness in terms of the different parts of the team linking-up, but we’ve been trying to get that right in training, and we’ve got to stay as positive as possible and keep working hard.

You need only look at the last Montrose game to see we have what it takes, there is the firepower there that’s for sure, and we just need to perform as a team, rather than as individuals which has probably been the case in the last couple of games.

There’s no doubt we have the quality in the changing room, and when we perform as a unit, we can beat anyone on our day.

Today gives us a chance to focus on something else, we’re away from the pressure of the league, and this is a cup competition we want to do well in. A couple of seasons ago we got to the semi-finals, and the aim has to be to go that one step further.

It’s a competition I’ve enjoyed personally, I’ve scored a few goals in it down the years, and we’ve had some pretty impressive results along the way. The deeper you go into it, you get the chance to play some of the Championship teams as well, and we’re owe them from last year, so that’s something we would relish.

I think back to some of the teams we’ve beaten, there was even a trip down to Wales, although I’m not sure I would want a repeat of that! But it does offer us a chance to make more history for our club and we are all desperate to do well in it.

That time we lost in the semis, it was hugely disappointing. We deserved to win that night, and we had a strong team back then; we would have fancied our chances in the Final.

This is the first step towards emulating that side, and we have to be fully focused on the ninety minutes this afternoon. If we get through, then we can start looking further ahead, but for now all our attention is on trying to beat Montrose.

Mitch COYC!

“

...for now all our attention is on trying to beat Montrose.”

SPFL TRUST TROPHY HISTORY

This afternoon’s tie against Montrose sees the club kick-off what will be just our seventh campaign in the Challenge Cup, the tournament now known as the SPFL Trust Trophy.

The side’s debut came in August 2016 when we were still in the Highland League with a first round encounter against Dundee under-20s. Future Cove keeper Kyle Gourlay was in the opposition line-up and they grabbed an early lead, but the boys fought back, and Connor Scully snatched a late winner.

Next up were Brechin City, then in the SPFL, and although Harry Milne gave us an early advantage, the League One side took control and secured a 4-1 victory.

The following season saw us start with a trip to Stenhousemuir and we were never in trouble in the match, Mitch Megginson adding to an early own goal to clinch a 2-0 success.

We were also on the road in the second round, taking on Hamilton’s youngsters, and the team were three ahead within half an hour thanks to Jamie Masson and a Megginson double. The adventure ended the following month, in October 2017, when Crusaders strolled to a 3-0 win at Balmoral Stadium, our cause not helped by the sending-off of Scott Ross.

The 2018-19 campaign was short lived when today’s opposition won a dramatic penalty shoot-out. Montrose had gone in front, but Paul McManus scored twice to nudge Cove ahead. The visitors levelled with twenty minutes to go and emerged victorious 4-3 on penalties.

The following year began with another convincing win over one of the Premiership under-20 sides. St Johnstone scored early, but the team was rampant thereafter, and Jordon Brown, Daniel Park, Mitch Megginson and Martin Scott all found the net in a 4-1 success. We followed that with a narrow win away to Brora, again coming from behind, with Scully and John Robertson grabbing late goals in the 2-1 victory. That set up a long trip to Wales, but it was to end in disappointment as Connah’s Quay Nomads edged us out with a single goal.

The tournament was not played in 2020-21 due to the pandemic, but when it resumed the following season, Cove were to enjoy our longest run to date.

It began with a demanding ninety minutes and a goalless stalemate against Stenhousemuir at Balmoral.

The boys held their nerve though, Stuart McKenzie saving from Bernard Coll and Ross Forbes hitting the post, allowing Megginson to net the decisive penalty in a 4-2 shoot-out win.

The next round was more straightforward, Mitch again on target, as were Masson and Rory McAllister, who netted a double, as Albion Rovers were brushed aside by four goals to one. There was an even more impressive victory to follow. Rangers under-20s arrived at Balmoral Stadium only to find themselves three down within fourteen minutes. Fraser Fyvie got two, Masson, Megginson and Leighton McIntosh also on target as we cruised to the semifinals with a 5-1 success.

There was however to be no happy ending. Despite dominating the game and making countless chances, it was Queen of the South who made it through to the Final thanks to a second minute strike from Aidan Fitzpatrick.

The 2022-23 campaign was a brief one, Raith Rovers eliminating us with a 1-0 win last September.

“The tournament was not played in 2020-21 due to the pandemic, but when it resumed the following season, Cove were to enjoy our longest run to date.”

COVE RANGERS IN THE SPFL TRUST TROPHY

PAUL HARTLEY

I know plenty people dismiss this competition, but I don’t see it that way, and I have treated this game with the same importance as I have applied to all our other matches.

The Challenge Cup has been a fixture in Scotland for a few decades now and is an opportunity for the lower league clubs to enjoy some success. The likes of Stranraer, Stenhousemuir and Alloa Athletic have won it in the past, and given their fans a day out to remember, and that’s what I would like to do here at Cove.

We had a good run a couple of years ago, getting all the way to the semi-finals, and we were very unlucky to lose that night to Queen of the South.

I want to win every game my teams play, and this tournament is just as important to me as any of the others.

It is also nice to get a little break from the league.

Having played well against the title favourites Falkirk, and being denied all three points deep into stoppage time, the boys then put in a great performance against today’s opponents down at Links Park.

I had hoped that would be the springboard for the campaign to take off, but I have to admit the performances since have been disappointing.

Welcome to Balmoral Stadium for this afternoon’s cup-tie against Montrose.

There is no point in trying to sugar coat it, in the last couple of weeks we have dipped below the levels I expect, and I know we can be so much better.

We have had plenty possession in both those matches, but we have not made that count. It’s all very well having plenty of the ball, but unless you damage the opposition, make those incisive passes, then it is pointless.

We need to get back to what we did against Montrose last time out. That day, we created plenty openings and gave the forwards good chances, and as a result all three were on target. We’ve got good options at that end of the pitch, but if they are to get us the goals we want, they do need the right kind of service.

That is something we have been emphasising and working on in training this week, and I hope to see that bear fruit this afternoon.

Will Gillingham will be back from suspension, and I am hopeful Blair Yule will see some action too. He has been a big miss, and it will be a real boost for all of us to see him pull on a Cove shirt again. Fraser Fyvie suffered a setback, but he should also be back before too long, and that will strengthen us for the challenges that lie ahead.

The first of those is to make progress in this tournament, and that’s exactly what we’ll be trying to do this afternoon.

Enjoy the game!

Paul Hartley

“We have had plenty possession in both those matches, but we have not made that count. ...”

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Montrose

- Stewart Petrie

Today’s referee - Alastair Grieve

Today’s assistant referees - Douglas Ross & Scott Anderson