Cove Rangers

Less than six months away from their Centurion season, Cove Rangers arrive at Tynecastle this evening looking to kick-start a season which they hope will end with promotion to the second tier of Scottish football.

The League One side came all so close to securing a spot in the Championship play-off final last season, losing out to Airdrieonians after a dramatic tie that took them to extra-time.

Ahead of the new campaign, however, the Aberdeen side are once again expected to challenge at the top end of the table as they continue to strive towards new heights. They’ve wasted little time in strengthening their squad ahead of the new campaign, with experienced duo Ross Draper and Iain Vigurs joining from Ross County to add further steel to the midfield.

Both players join the League One side having played Premiership football last season and Cove fans will be hoping their experience and quality can help give them that extra push required to break into the Championship.

In normal times one would expect there to be a warm embrace between the two opposing managers prior to kick-off tonight. Instead, it’ll be fist bump between two Hearts Scottish Cup winners as Robbie Neilson takes on Cove boss Paul Hartley. As one of the most popular Hearts players in recent decades, Sir Paul can also expect a warm Tynecastle welcome from the 2000 Jambos in attendance.

FOUNDED: 1922 HOME GROUND: BALMORAL STADIUM, ABERDEEN CAPACITY: 2,322 MANAGER: PAUL HARTLEY DIVISION: LEAGUE ONE TWITTER: @COVERANGERSFC

OPPOSITION REPORT

COVE RANGERS

A brief History

Although formed in 1922, Cove didn’t enter the Highland League until the mid-80s. Since the turn of the millennium, they found themselves as one of the most dominant teams in the league – racking up seven league titles and six Highland League Cups in the process.

Having moved to their new Balmoral Stadium in 2018, they secured entry to the Scottish League system in 2019 and have been on the rise ever since.

21/22 HOME KIT ON SALE NOW

PREVIOUSLY VS COVE

The Match

The one previous meeting between the two sides took place in the group stages of this very competition three years ago when Craig Levein’s Hearts journeyed north on a fine summer’s night on July 18th 2018.

Olly Lee’s first-half opener was complimented by Steven MacLean’s close range strike near the hour mark, but a tense finish was set up when Paul McManus pulled one back for the hosts late on.

Craig Levein handed competitive debuts to seven of his summer signings; Zdenek Zlamal, Peter Haring, Bobby Burns, Jake Mulraney, Oliver Bozanic, Lee and MacLean.

The Jambos made the breakthrough after 11 minutes. Haring picked up possession and knocked it forward for Lee to play a neat one-two with Lafferty, before the Englishman drilled low from 18-yards and into Stuart McKenzie’s bottom right corner.

The Jambos were dominant for large periods and doubled their advantage on 57 minutes. Bozanic’s curling corner was headed goalwards by Haring and MacLean lunged into the six-yard box to stab the ball into the back of the net.

Cove pulled one back in the 75th minute. Park was afforded space down the left to get into the box before cutting back for the unmarked McManus to tap into an empty net. That ensured a tense finish but the Jambos saw it out to take all three points and get the competitive campaign off to a successful start.

What we Said

Christophe Berra: “It was overall a comfortable game, they got a goal that was sloppy on our behalf, basic stuff. “We had the majority of possession, some great chances, great movement around the box and combinations, and on another day there’d have been more goals. “Seven new players, Cove have given Inverness a tough game, they’re on the up and have some good players, but if we’d won 4-1 or 5-1, I don’t think anyone could have said anything against it.”

How we lined up

Zlamal, Souttar, Haring, Berra, Morrison, Lee (Irving ’65), Burns, Bozanic, Mulraney (Ikpeazu ’80), Lafferty, MacLean (Smith ’65). Subs not used: Silva, Hughes, Edwards, Keena.

How they lined up

McKenzie, Milne (Redford ’76), Kelly, Strachan, Milne, Park, Yule, Scully, Masson (Smith ’80), McManus, Megginson. Subs not used: Watson, Gray, Emmett, McCafferty.