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Our Viaplay Cup fate will be decided over ninety minutes in Lanarkshire with the first of two successive trips to Hamilton.

The League One campaign kicks-off at New Douglas Park next Saturday, but this weekend the focus is on the cup competition, and the team heads south in the full knowledge that only a victory will keep our hopes alive.

Having started Group C with wins over Clyde and Brechin City, scoring eight goals in the process, we lost out to Livingston in midweek, but manager Paul Hartley says he has been satisfied with what he has seen so far from his new look squad:

“We’ve given ourselves a chance, and we would have to be very unlucky not to get through with nine points. It will be a tough one against Hamilton, but we have to approach it in a confident frame of mind.

“I thought the first half performance against Livi was very good and that on top of the two earlier matches means this is a game that matters. Importantly, everyone has got plenty minutes under their belts, and we have to go down there and be as strong as we can.

“It has really pleased me that we’ve been creating plenty chances and we look a goal threat. That will be important not just on Saturday, but in the season ahead.”

One man who has contributed on that front in the early stages of the campaign is striker Kyle Connell, who notched doubles against both Clyde and Brechin, and he says that has helped him settle into his new surroundings:

“That’s been great personally, and as a striker that’s what you want to do, but the most important thing is what it does for the team. It’s nice to have made the start I have, you don’t want to have to suffer through a drought when you’re at a new club, but it’s all about winning, and we’ve got some good strikers here who will all be desperate to get the starting places in the team.

“Overall, it’s been good, I feel as if the boys have gelled really well. We hardly knew each other at the start of the season, but I think it’s all clicked into place, we’re already a tight group, and that’s so important.

That competition for places is something that pleases the manager and he’s been delighted with how the new faces have slotted into place:

“We’ve tried different partnerships, different combinations. Kyle has made a good start, but I know we can get more from him. He’s a composed finisher and I would expect to see plenty more goals from him and the other forwards.”

Cove are still relative newcomers to this tournament – this is just the seventh time we have taken part – and we have yet to make it out of the group stage, but with six points already amassed, the players go into the final game knowing they can make history.

That is certainly Paul Hartley’s aim:

“Overall, we’ve struggled in this competition and the points tally is already the best we have achieved. That’s been great and the objective now is to go one step further and make it into the knockout rounds. We’ll definitely be giving it a go.”

Long term absentee Blair Yule and Luke Strachan will both be missing, while late decisions will be made on a couple of players who are carrying knocks, but that apart the manager will have a strong squad at his disposal.

Hamilton Away: Ticket Information

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