Appearances & Goals To Date

Andy Reid (GK)		14 apps	-
Craig McKeown		65 apps	13 goals
Johnny Crawford		15 apps	1 goal
Stuart Smith		82 apps	5 goals
Stuart Anderson		68 apps	12 goals
Neil McVitie		66 apps	14 goals
Graeme Rodger		15 apps	5 goals
Paul Lawson		14 apps	4 goals
Jamie Masson		3 apps	-
Scott Barbour		15 apps	6 goals
Garry Wood		15 apps	11 goals
Jamie Michie (sub)		7 apps	-
Callum Bagshaw (sub)		59 apps	8 goals
Neil Gauld (sub)		11 apps	2 goals

Starting Lineup

Matchday Squad

First Team Debuts

Milestones

The outcome of this crucial game is that Cove Rangers extend their lead at the top of the league to 5 points as well as holding a game in hand over all their serious rivals. A third of league games have been played and they have yet to falter. Formartine must rely on their doing so but that is not an unrealistic aspiration even if it leaves United with little room for error between now and April.
There is much that is positive that Formartine can take from a game where they matched Cove in most aspects, exceeded them in some but crucially lacked the street wise qualities that the older Cove players had in abundance. It was that sort of nous that was the difference between winning and losing this high stakes encounter. A back four of Redford, Walker, Yule and Watson managed, sometimes by hook and often by crook to negate all that Formartine could throw at them and was ultimately the platform on which their victory was built.

Cove started at full throttle in an attempt to steamroller their hosts from the outset as a swift move spearheaded by Scully invaded the left side of United territory. With Smith and Nicol tracking the break in more central areas, the thumping tackle that Stuart Smith made to dispossess the forward not only averted danger but also gave a clear “don’t mess wi’ me laddie” message. A minute later Dan Park managed an accurate albeit rather tamely struck effort that made its way through a crowd at the edge of the box to be collected with ease by Reid. If there was a pattern to discern this early on, it was that Cove were able to push and squeeze Formartine back into their own territory while United made more but briefer breakaway incursions into Cove territory. Lawson in particular was instrumental in turning defence into attack with a number of perfectly directed and weighted passes towards Wood and Barbour. Masson too caused Cove some problems particularly in the area about thirty yards out from their goal. A lightning Formartine break down the right flank begun almost inevitably by McVitie found Rodger who timed his threaded pass to Barbour to perfection before from near the right corner of the box, the chunky wee forward unloaded a venomous diagonal drive that took out defenders and keeper alike. The seemingly goal bound effort struck the inside of the far post but somehow rebounded to the pitch side rather than into the net and was hastily hacked away by Watson.

Had that 8th minute effort borne fruit, it is likely that the course of the game would have taken a significantly different course because as the dust settled, the Cove game plan became increasingly apparent. It looked like they have mastered a strategy of occupying opponents in the area in front of their back four and very patiently setting up a platform for lightning fast breaks whenever the opposition look to have over invested in pushing players forward. This resulted in Formartine increasingly occupying Cove territory and in the view of manager Kris Hunter managing “70% of possession”.

A Cove break, through the middle with Scully at the forefront after a late run left him with only McVitie between him and the keeper about 18 yards out. A brave full stretch saving tackle by the defender left him in agony and stretchered off with a groin injury that is likely to sideline him until around Christmas. Jamie Michie came on as a direct, very capable replacement and slotted in well.
There was no doubt that Formartine were giving at least as good as they got and were asking a number of questions. That said, Cove seemed to want to play it that way even if the strategy was not without its dangers. For all that Formartine held territory and possession and however slick Cove were in building from the back, neither keeper was overly occupied. With defences dominating it became a midfield encounter albeit one played nearer the Cove end than the home one. Cove defenders were masters in the art of the wee fouls – not those that generally yielded free kicks but more the kinds of tugs, shoves and elbow dunts that do just enough to interfere with momentum. Barbour in particular was subjected to this. Wood too got some of this but he is such a powerful creature that the effects were negligible.

A 28th minute free kick by Kelly from just beyond the left corner of the box was tipped over the top by Reid for an unrewarded corner. At the other end a free flowing move involving Anderson, Lawson and Rodger got the ball to Barbour’s feet at the edge of the box but his shot on the turn was blocked by Yule and smuggled away to relative safety by Redford.

The rest of the first half passed with Formartine pressing the area between the half way line and the edge of the Cove box but finding the imposition of a chastity belt at the entrance to the inner sanctum of the danger area nearer to goal a very frustrating guard.

The second half began much as the first had finished: Cove had a wee opening flurry but got little cuttance and by the 50th minute looked to have gone back to their playing it deep mode. Although the dangers of playing deep like this are obvious – a mistake could cost dear – it has its advantages particularly with a squad as experienced as Cove’s and it is that it gives the opportunity to strike on their terms and to do so viciously when the time looks right. That’s how they won the game. It was a simple but stunningly executed breakaway goal. A move out of defence saw Scully and Nicol off down the right for the former to flick on a driven through ball to the latter. NICOL, still 25 yards out – just beyond the right corner of the box took the ball on the volley and dropping his left shoulder launched a ferocious dipping drive that crashed into the net at the base of the far upright. This 54th minute goal was all that it took to win the most crucial league game this season to date.

This was a real problem for Formartine because they had already been committed to attack and could do little to change the pattern to increase pressure on Cove who after persisting for another ten minutes or so with a line up that contained two forwards elected to replace Smith with the more defensively orientated Duff. Formartine tried and tried but with Cove in all out defensive mode, they simply lacked the means of unpicking the defensive lock that the toonsers had now imposed. Gauld came on for Anderson and Bagshaw was introduced later but it was more a case of hoping fresh legs might get something out of older tiring ones than of changing the pattern. Cove simply kept 7 or 8 behind the ball and protected the final third jealously enough to close out the game.

Kris Hunter said “There’s still a long way to go and there’s difficult games for us and Cove coming up. --- today was a disappointment especially with the quality of players we have here but overall I’m proud of what our players have achieved – we’re three months into a project here and it’s not going to happen overnight but we’ll be in the hunt come April”.

Match report by Colin Keenan



Photography by Ian Rennie

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