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A blistering start saw us storm into the semi-finals of the SPFL Trust Trophy with a thoroughly deserved victory over our youthful opponents at Balmoral Stadium.

It’s the first time in the club’s history that we have made it to the last four of a senior cup competition, which is a remarkable achievement just three years on from when we were still playing in the Highland League.

And we did it in style, by blowing away Rangers B with some brilliant attacking football, particularly in the first half.

Fraser Fyvie netted twice, with our other goals coming from Mitch Megginson, Jamie Masson and substitute Leighton McIntosh, the latter after we had been reduced to 10-men because Harry Milne had been shown a second yellow card.

We began the match like a runaway train.

We were two ahead inside the first five minutes, 4-1 up at the interval, and then managed the game perfectly after Milne went off.

The reward is a home semi against Morton or Queen of the South – who meet on Wednesday night – which is simply brilliant.

Illness and injuries had forced manager Paul Hartley to make changes and also meant we had only three outfield players on the bench.

But we just took all of that in our stride and went ahead after just two minutes.

Milne got forward to lash in a powerful 18-yard shot that Rangers B keeper Lewis Budinauckas – who had a busy and impressive night – did well to save.

Fortunately for us FYVIE was quickest to latch on to the rebound and lashed the ball high into the net for his fourth goal of the campaign.

It was 2-0 by the fifth minute, when were awarded a penalty after Charlie McCann had tripped Shay Logan, as he broke into the Rangers B area.

MEGGINSON did the usually effective job from the spot.

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In fairness to the Rangers youngsters, they were full of running and enthusiasm and pulled a goal back on the 10th minute.

It was extremely harsh on Logan, who had done magnificently to clear two efforts off the Cove line, the first from Tony Weston.

But the right-back could do nothing when Robbie FRASER latched on to the third rebound to hammer the ball home from six yards.

Within three minutes, we had restored our two goal advantage.

Fyvie played a great pass through to Blair Yule and when he crossed from the right MASSON was on hand to ram the ball past Budinauckas from 14-yards.

The young Rangers keeper pulled off a series of fine saves after that to keep the scoreline respectable.

The first came in the 21st minute, when Iain Vigurs fed then ball through to Connor Scully and his 25-yard shot was going in until Budinauckas stretched to tip the ball over his crossbar.

Within a minute, Vigurs had picked out Milne with another excellent pass and his 18-yard shot went inches wide of Budinauckas’ right post.

Milne then set up Yule for a shot that the keeper beat to safety with his legs as the waves of Cove attacks continued.

Fyvie sent Milne clear in the 34th minute and Budinauckas made another brilliant save to push the ball wide of his right post.

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Harry Milne during the SPFL Trust Trophy game between Cove Rangers FC and Rangers B FC at Balmoral Stadium, Aberdeen, Scotland, on Tuesday 30th November 2021 ( Photo by Dave Cowe )

The constant pressure was rewarded when we made it 4-1 in the 35th minute and it was a cracker.

Milne played the ball up to Masson and when he laid it off perfectly into the path of FYVIE he hammered an unstoppable low shot beyond the reach of Budinauckas.

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We were unlucky not to get a fifth just before the interval, when a swift passing move up the park ended with Megginson seeing his 18-yard shot roll just wide of the target.

The siege continued after the restart, with Milne’s low 18-yard shot well saved by Budinauckas.

Rangers B got forward in the 49th minute, but keeper Kyle Gourlay was well placed to save Adam Devine’s powerful shot.

Gourlay created our next chance with a long ball that sent Fyvie dancing clear from half-way, but he was denied his hat-trick by yet another excellent save from Budinauckas.

Milne was booked in the 51st minute, for using a hand to push a Masson cross into the Rangers B net.

Vigurs tested Budinauckas again with a spectacular 25-yard shot before we were reduced to 10 men on the hour.

Milne seemed to be harshly treated when he was yellow carded, after tackling Rangers B sub Kane Ritchie-Hosler, but the referee felt it was enough to merit a second caution so off he went.

In fairness to our lads, they remained calm and organised to ensure being reduced in numbers wasn’t too much of a problem.

Any lingering hope of the visitors making a comeback was killed off when we went 5-1 up in the 66th minute.

That goal came from some brilliant midfield play by Vigurs.

He picked the ball up at the edge of our box, wriggled past a couple of challenges then played an absolutely astounding pass through for McINTOSH to race clear, on the left.

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Leighton McIntosh scores his team’s 5th goal during the SPFL Trust Trophy game between Cove Rangers FC and Rangers B FC at Balmoral Stadium, Aberdeen, Scotland, on Tuesday 30th November 2021 ( Photo by Dave Cowe )

The Cove substitute, who had only been on the pitch for a minute, then kept his cool as he advanced on Budinauckas to lash a well placed shot under the keeper.

It was game over, although we still had to defend strongly to ensure Rangers B didn’t threaten our goal, with the calmness shown at the back by Logan particularly impressive in the latter stages.

COVE RANGERS: Gourlay, Neill, Milne, Scully, Ross (Strachan 69), Yule, Megginson (Adeyemo 71), Masson (McIntosh 65), Vigurs, Fyvie, Logan.

Sub: McKenzie.

RANGERS B: Budinauckas, Devine, Fraser, King (Ritchie-Hosler 46), MacKinnon (McClelland 25), Kelly, Lowry, McKinnon, Weston (McKee 86), McCann, McCausland (Alegria 46).

Subs: Hogarth, Miller, Lindsay, Lyall, Strachan.

Referee: Mike Roncone.

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