— Upcoming fixtures
A Sat 7th Aug, 2021 Queen’s Park v Cove Rangers cinch League One
H Sat 14th Aug, 2021 Cove Rangers v East Fife cinch League One
A Sat 21st Aug, 2021 Dumbarton v Cove Rangers cinch League One
A Sat 28th Aug, 2021 Clyde v Cove Rangers cinch League One
— League table
cinch League One
Cove Rangers FC
Balmoral Stadium
Wellington Circle, Altens
Aberdeen, AB12 3JG
Honorary President
Alan McRae
Directors
Keith Moorhouse - Chairman
Graeme Reid - Vice Chairman/Financial Controller
Duncan Little - Secretary/Stadium Manager
John Sheran - Director of Football
Darren Anderson
Grant Moorhouse
Safety Officers
John Morgan & Bill Ogilvie
Committee
Michael Coull, Mike Pirie, Richard Forbes & Gordon Taylor
Football Manager - Paul Hartley
Assistant Manager - Gordon Young
Fitness Coach - Tam Ritchie
Goalkeeping Coach - Derek Soutar
Head of Youth Development - Gary Hake
Performance Analyst - Ryan Docherty
Physios - Donal Gallacher & Eilidh McGregor
Kit Manager - Adrian Thomson
Club Doctor - David Fowler
Commercial Manager - Angela Bruce
Media Officer - Charlie Allan
Child Wellbeing and Protection Officer - Kate Dean
Club Chaplain - Dougie Simpson
Club Photographers - Dave Cowe, Richard Forbes
Premier Sports Cup
Tuesday July 20th @ Balmoral Stadium
cove display fine feast of football
We kept the best for last as far as this Premier Sports League Cup campaign goes with a thrilling victory over Championship side Inverness Caledonian Thistle at Balmoral Stadium.
The 506 fans inside the stadium to see our final Group A encounter were served up a feast of fine football – and outstanding first half strikes from Leighton McIntosh and skipper Mitch Megginson.
— Inverness CT Match Report
Blair Yule capped things off by making it 3-0 five minutes from time, with Dutch striker Manny Duku notching a late consolation for the Highlanders from the penalty spot.
Our lads were outstanding, despite the fact we were again forced to go with a makeshift side – with the selection problems highlighted by manager Paul Hartley only being able to include two outfield players on the bench.
The players overcame any concerns about that by digging deep to record an impressive and thoroughly deserved victory as we move ever closer to a return to League One action.
We set a high pace right from the off and had a strong penalty claim denied after just 90 seconds, when Robbie Leitch appeared to be pushed by Wallace Duffy as he broke into the Inverness area.
Referee Chris Graham saw nothing wrong and waved play on. Harry Milne then sent a fine cross over from wide on the left for Fraser Fyvie to direct a header wide of the far post.
Inverness had a great chance to score in the 10th minute, after Duku managed to pinch the ball off Ross Draper.
The Dutch striker side-stepped advancing keeper Kyle Gourlay, but then saw his shot cleared away from the line by Morgyn Neill.
We were soon on the attack again and a fine passing moved ended with Fyvie, who seemed to be at the heart of everything, crossing from the left and McIntosh was unlucky not to connect with his header at the edge of the six yard box.
Keeper Ridgers rescued Inverness in the 20th minute when he dived full length to push Neil’s effort, from an Iain Vigurs corner, wide of his right post.
Vigurs took that corner as well and when the ball dropped to Milne his shot inside the area was blocked to safety by an Inverness defender.
Duku was just onside when he broke clear in the 22nd minute, but the striker fired his 14-yard shot wide of Gourlay’s left post. We replied with McIntosh meeting a cross from Milne to test Ridgers from 16-yards.
The opening goal we deserved came in the 38th minute. Fyvie played a perfect pass through from midfield to McINTOSH and he rifled a shot into the top corner from just inside the Inverness area.
Within a minute, Yule made a fantastic run down the right then crossed to McIntosh, who saw his 12-yard header go wide.
We went two up in the 38th minute when Leitch picked out Megginson with a top class through pass and the skipper steered the ball into the bottom corner from inside the Inverness area.
It was almost 3-0 three minutes later when Yule made a fantastic run down the right then picked out Megginson with his cross, but the striker could only fire his first time shot narrowly wide of the front post.
Inverness scorned a couple of decent chances just before the interval. Shane Sutherland blasted over from a tight angle on the left when it might been wiser to square the ball to the waiting Duku.
The Dutchman then saw his close range shot brilliantly beaten away by Gourlay to ensure we went in two up.
It was more of the same in the second period, with our lads dominating play and possession for lengthy spells.
We had a second penalty claim turned down, in the 54th minute, when a Vigurs corner from the right appeared to be handled by an Inverness defender before the ball was cleared.
Ridgers denied us a third with a top class save in the 56th minute.
Fyvie played yet another top quality pass forward, this time to Connor Scully, and the midfielder’s powerful shot from just outside the area was going in until Ridgers made an acrobatic stop to deflect the ball over his crossbar.
The Inverness keeper also held a 20-yard effort from Megginson as we maintained the pressure.
Yule broke forward again to feed Megginson for another effort at goal, but his 18-yard drive went wide of the target.
Harry Milne was our hero in the 80th minute with an astonishing goal-line clearance from Duku’s 14-yard shot. The left-back’s efforts were rewarded when we increased our lead five minutes later.
— Inverness CT Match Report
Substitute Rory McAllister rampaged down the left before knocking the ball over to Watson and when his shot was blocked Yule pounced on the rebound to claim a rare goal.
Inverness got a consolation goal in the second minute of injury-time when Duku netted from the penalty spot, after substitute Roddy McGregor had been fouled in the box, but that was never going to take the shine off what was an outstanding performance from our lads.
Cove Rangers: Gourlay, Neill, Milne, Scully, Yule, Megginson, McIntosh (McAllister 72), Draper, Vigurs, Leitch (Watson 46), Fyvie.
Subs: McKenzie.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle: Rodgers, Duffy, Harper, Deas, Gardyne (McGregor 60),Doran, Sutherland, Broadfoot, Allardice (Walsh 60), Duku, McAlear.
Subs: Mackay, Devine, Nicolson, Fyffe, Hennem, Cairns.
Referee: Chris Graham Attendance: 506
Paul Hartley spoke to the media after our 3-1 victory over Inverness Caledonian Thistle in our final Premier Sports Cup Group A clash at Balmoral Stadium.
Paul said: “That was much more like us, I thought we were very good.
We scored some good goals and the work rate was excellent. We are slowly getting our fitness levels where we want them to be, it was good preparation for us.
We still have injuries so are looking to bring in a couple of players, hopefully before the league opener against Falkirk.
We only had two outfield players on the bench, because of the COVID situation and injuries, which didn’t help us.
Hopefully we are past the worst of it and we can concentrate on preparing for the league campaign.
All credit to the players though, they worked really hard and earned the win.
Robbie Leitch had to go off at half-time but it was more because he was tired, he hasn’t been able to play a lot so far because he wasn’t well. He was great, his combination play with (Mitch) Megginson and (Fraser) Fyvie was excellent.
Iain Vigurs was outstanding in the middle of the pitch too and (Ross) Draper was a good calming influence at the back. It was a pleasing and deserved win.”
joe harper
Former Aberdeen and Scotland striker Joe Harper was among the guests of sponsors Ace at the 3-1 victory over Inverness Caledonian Thistle in our final Premier Sports Cup Group A game.
We asked Joe - the club record scorer for the Dons with 205 goals and who also played for Morton, Huddersfield Town, Everton and Hibs - to give you his verdict on the match.
—
“
I was very impressed with how Cove played. I had obviously heard everything about the problems they’ve had in pre-season and how they were a bit behind as far as preparation goes. But I have to say I was highly impressed by their fitness levels, which is a testament to how well the coaching staff have used what little time they have had to work with the players.
They totally out-classed Inverness, who are a full-time club and have been able to prepare better over the last few weeks. It all augers well for Cove as they get ready to play their second season at League One level. If they can maintain the high standards shown against Inverness then there is no doubt they will be right up there pushing for promotion again.
I must also add that watching Cove these last couple of seasons has always been a very enjoyable experience. They play passing football and are always looking to win, which isn’t always the case at SPFL level, where survival is the priority for a lot of clubs.
I was also impressed by some of the individual Cove displays in the win over Inverness.
Fraser Fyvie was involved everything good for Cove and again backed up my belief that he is still more than capable of playing at a higher level.
Their recent signings, Iain Vigurs and Ross Draper, also stood out and you could see already how their experience is going to be a real asset to Cove.
“I must also add that watching Cove these last couple of seasons has always been a very enjoyable experience.”
“Mitch is one of the strong-men of Cove, one who can be relied on to deliver when the going gets tough.”
I must also praise young goalkeeper Kyle Gourlay. He didn’t have all that much to do, but still made a couple of crucial saves and I was impressed by what he was shouting at the men in front of him and the way he was always looking to play the ball out quickly to get attacks going.
If Cove are to continue progressing they will need competition for Stuart McKenzie, who is also an excellent keeper, and they look to have found that in young Gourlay.
As a former striker, I always pay particular attention to how strong a side is up front, and on that front what I’ve seen at Cove really excites me.
Leighton McIntosh’s finish for the first goal against Inverness was a touch of class and he is a real threat because of his pace.
Rory McAllister has been arguably the best striker in the lower leagues in Scotland for the last decade, yet he didn’t even get a start against Inverness.
That’s because they also have Mitch Megginson, who I’ve always said never got the opportunity he deserved to see if he could become a regular when he was at Aberdeen.
Mitch seems to be happy where he is now though and that’s good for Cove because he’s a natural striker. He’s always sniffing for the ball and the quality of his finish against Inverness was top drawer.
Mitch is one of the strong-men of Cove, one who can be relied on to deliver when the going gets tough.
They have a a few of them at the back too and an abundance of them in midfield, which is why I’m sure Cove are going to be right in the mix again when it comes to pushing for promotion up to the Championship.”
Joe Harper
START PLAYING.
Rip-roaring power. Spellbinding control. Jaw-dropping accuracy. The new Mitre Delta Max SPFL. Prepare to mesmerise.
PAUL HARTLEY
Welcome to the start of what we all hope is going to be an exciting second season for us playing in League One.
It’s particularly pleasing to have supporters here at Balmoral Stadium to watch our opening fixture against Falkirk.
The backing we receive at home will be crucial in what we know is a highly competitive division. I’m sure you will make your voices heard.
All 36 of the scheduled league games will present a tough challenge to us, but that is something we are happy to take on.
As always, it will be a case of taking it each game at a time.
HARTLEY
— View from the dugout
It would dangerous to do anything else in a division where every team will start out aiming to be among those competing at the top end.
Everyone at the club have taken encouragement from the new signings we were able to make over the summer. It means we have intense competition for places in every area of the squad and I want to thank the chairman and the rest of the board for the support given to achieve that.
It is good to have more strength in depth because, as we discovered last season, every single player will be called on to do their bit.
The players who were already with us have the benefit of the experiences from the previous campaign to help them deal with what lies ahead of us. They know they will need to maintain high standards if we are to fulfil our ambitions.
Stay safe and enjoy the game.
Paul Hartley
“It is good to have more strength in depth because, as we discovered last season, every single player will be called on to do their bit.”
GOALKEEPERS
DEFENDERS
SPONSORSHIP
Stuart McKenzie
Paul Hartley
Gordon Young
Harry Milne Ryan Strachan
Daniel Higgins Morgyn Neill
Kyle Gourlay
Scott Ross Tam Ritchie
FORWARDS
SPONSORSHIP AVAILABLE
CRFC offer excellent advertising opportunities to organisations who are looking to share marketing messages, or to build their brand via one or more of our channels. Get in touch with our commercial team for further information.
To register Interest for sponsorship, contact: Angela Bruce - abruce@coverangersfc.com
Blair Yule
Broque Watson
Jamie Masson
Fraser Fyvie
Iain Vigurs
Ross Draper Robbie Leitch
Connor Scully
Rory McAllister
Mitchel Megginson Leighton McIntosh
— Season 2021/22 statistics
CAPTAIN’S WEIV
“WE COULDN’T HAVE ASKED FOR A MORE EXCITING - OR CHALLENGING - START TO OUR SECOND
LEAGUE ONE CAMPAIGN THAN A CLASH WITH FALKIRK.”
As one of three full-time sides in our division, the Bairns will be among the favourites to gain promotion, so only our best will do if we are to get the result we want.
Knowing our fans are here today backing us will help. Having played a huge part in our journey from the Highland League up into the SPFL, it was a real shame our loyal band of supporters were then denied the opportunity to see the latter stages of our League Two campaign and the whole of last season’s fixtures too.
My big wish is that this season will at least remain interrupted, it’s the least our fans deserve for the way they still backed the club, whether that was by paying to watch games on Cove Rangers TV or simply sending us messages of support on social media.
Our hope is to improve on last season, when we made it to the Championship play-offs before falling just short of earning what would have been an astonishing third promotion in a row. That won’t be easy because, as was shown last season, this is arguably the most competitive of the four SPFL divisions.
Our chances have obviously been enhanced by the quality of the signings made over the summer.
— Captain’s view
>>> I’m sure our fans were as excited as I was to learn Shay Logan, who enjoyed an outstanding seven years with my former club Aberdeen, was the latest to agree to join us.
It was also great to see him accompanied by Jevan Anderson, another ex-Don, who has impressed all of us in training so far. As ever, we will be looking no further ahead than this afternoon’s game. It’s an approach that has served our club well over the years and will never change.
We would obviously have preferred to have gone into this match having also secured a place on the next round of the Premier Sports Cup.
Unfortunately, our hopes of progressing were hindered due to the well documented problems we had with players being unavailable. It meant the Premier Cup campaign effectively became our preseason build-up, although the upside is we at least got some good minutes into our legs against some top class opposition.
We also ended on a high by beating Inverness Caledonian Thistle in our final group game, to ensure we approached our first league fixture in a positive frame of mind.
CYCR!
Mitch Megginson
Scottish League 2 Winners: 2019-20
Highland League Winners: 2000-01, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2012-13, 201516, 2017-18, 2018-19
Runners-up: 1989-90, 1992-93, 1994-95, 1995-96, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2016-17
Scottish Qualifying Cup (North) Winners: 1990-91, 2000-01
Runners-up: 1988-89, 1991-92, 2001-02, 2003-04
Highland League Cup Winners: 1994-95, 1999-2000, 2004-05, 2014-15, 2016-17, 2018-19
Runners-up: 1990-91, 1992-93, 1995-96, 1997-98, 2005-06, 2007-08, 2011-12
Aberdeenshire Cup Winners: 2001-02, 2010-11, 2018-19
Runners-up: 1992-93, 1994-95, 2016-17, 2017-18
Aberdeenshire Shield Winners: 1990-91, 2000-01, 2008-09, 2017-18
Runners-up: 1994-95, 2012-13, 2015-16
Aberdeenshire & District League Winners: 2000-01, 2008-09, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2014-15
Runners-up: 2006-07
Aberdeenshire Centenery Cup Runners-up: 1986-87
Inter-League Trophy Winners: 2001-02
—
Cove Rangers FC
Manager - Paul Hartley
1. Stuart McKenzie
2. Morgyn Neill
3. Harry Milne 4. Connor Scully 5. Scott Ross
6. Ryan Strachan
7. Broque Watson
8. Blair Yule
9. Mitchel Megginson (C)
10. Jamie Masson
11. Leighton McIntosh
12. Daniel Higgins
13. Rory McAllister
14. Ross Draper 15. Jevan Anderson 16. Iain Vigurs
19. Rhys Thomas 20. Robbie Leitch
21. Balint Demus 23. Kyle Gourlay 24. Fraser Fyvie
25. Shay Logan
Falkirk FC Head Coach - Paul Sheerin
1. Robbie Mutch 2. Ryan Williamson 3. Paul Dixon 4. Ben Hall 6. Gary Miller 7. Callumn Morrison 8. Steven Heatherington 10. Aidan Nesbitt 11. Craig McGuffie 12. Patrick Martin 13. Luke Holt 14. Jamie Wilson 15. Leon McCann
16. Seb Ross
17. Aidan Keena
19. Anton Dowds
20. Blair Sneddon
21. Charlie Telfer
22. Brad McKay
23. Ben Weekes
24. Cameron Williamson
25. Mackenzie Lemon
Today’s referee - Alan Newlands
Today’s assistant referees - George King, Andy Gamble