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TWO goals from skipper Mitch Megginson and a Mark Reynolds header ensured we ended our cinch League One campaign in style, but we did it the hard way against the already relegated Fifers at the Locality Hub Bayview Stadium.

East Fife were the last side to beat us in the league, way back in October, and looked to be on the way to doing it again when they led 2-0 early in the first half, thanks to goals from Danny Denholm and Kyle Connell.

The first came from a totally uncharacteristic error by keeper Stuart McKenzie … but the big fella more than made amends with vital saves – including a real wonder one right at the death – that made sure we were able to sign off with a win as well as make it an astonishing 26 league games without defeat.

The large and noisy band of Cove Rangers fans inside the stadium had certainly come in the party mood, with many in fancy dress.

The players seemed amused to be greeted by a mixture of super heroes, a dinosaur, Napoleon, a Mexican, the Blues Brothers and even one dressed as Tina Turner as they emerged from the sporting guard of honour afforded to them by their opponents as they took to the pitch.

It was as well those fans had come to enjoy their day out, because there was little for them to cheer in the first half.

Things might have been different had Jamie Masson’s shot from the edge of the East Fife area gone in rather than clipped the top of the crossbar in the fifth minute.

But it was the home side who went ahead in the 11th minute, thanks to a rare error from McKenzie, which wrecked his hopes of claiming a 20th shut-out of the campaign.

There looked to be little danger when the big keeper came to collect the ball just inside his area, but McKenzie somehow allowed it to slip from his grasp and DENHOLM happily accepted the invitation to roll the ball into the empty net.

The Fifers went two up in the 19th minute when CONNELL was afforded far too much space to turn after latching on to the ball, wide on the left.

That allowed him to switch the ball from one foot to the other before curling an impressive shot from the edge of the area just inside McKenzie’s left post.

We huffed and puffed after that, but looked to be going nowhere until a penalty, awarded in the 37th minute when Leighton McIntosh was tripped as he broke into the East Fife area from the right, gave us a lifeline back into the game.

MEGGINSON slotted the spot-kick away to claim his 23rd goal of the campaign, but it was clear there would need to be massive improvement in the team performance if we wanted to avoid another defeat in Methil.

We had McKenzie’s heroics in the second period to thank for us being able to do just that.

He prevented East Fife restoring their two goal lead when he made an excellent blocking save at the feet of Denholm three minutes after the restart.

The Fifers then missed a glorious opportunity when Finlay Pollock sent the ball in from the right and Ryan Blair failed to hit the target with a free header from six yards.

We made the best of that break by equalising in the 55th minute.

Masson sent a corner over from the right and when Morgyn Neill nodded the ball goalwards MEGGINSON pounced to score with a shot that keeper Jude Smith could only deflect on to the underside of the crossbar as it went in.

It was the club captain’s 18th in the league – which means he is now out in the clear as the top scorer in all four SPFL divisions, with only those in the Premiership still having games to play.

McKenzie excelled again when he dived full length to his left to push a powerful 20-yard shot from Connell wide in the 59th minute.

The value of that save was underlined when we took the lead three minutes later.

Another Masson corner from the right reached Harry Milne at the back post and when keeper Smith could only parry his header, REYNOLDS nodded the rebound home from the edge of the six yard box.

Milne then poked an 18-yard shot wide as went in search of the clincher.

Masson also saw his 20-yard shot saved by Smith, with the home keeper also holding another 18-yard effort from Milne, who looked eager to mark his last game in a Cove shirt with a goal.

Despite our domination of the second period it took an outstanding save by McKenzie in the final minute to ensure we ended the campaign on a winning note.

Denholm’s acrobatic volley, from around eight yards, was going in until the keeper dived to his right to divert the effort wide and ensure our championship season ended in a fitting manner.

When the final whistle sounded, the players made a point of going across to thank the Cove Rangers fans for their backing throughout what ended up being a season when we recorded our greatest triumph yet, in our centenary year too.

Partick Thistle-bound Milne was given a special ovation to thank him for his seven years of great service to the club before the Tina, the dinosaur and all the rest headed for the buses waiting to take them back up the road to continue the extended title party in the fan zone at Balmoral Stadium, which had been opened especially for their benefit.

EAST FIFE: Smith, Higgins, Pollock(Cunningham 75), Denholm, Slatterly (Semple 62), Mercer, Miller, Steele, Newton, Blair, Connell (Walls 75).

Subs: Campbell, Dow,  Healy, MacKenzie.

COVE RANGERS: McKenzie, Neill, Milne, Scully, Ross, Yule, Megginson, Leitch (Fotheringham 64), Masson, Reynolds, McIntosh (Adeyemo 77).

Subs: Gourlay.

Referee: Duncan Williams.

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