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COVE RANGERS 2-2 FALKIRK

Cove were denied a first league win of the season in sickening fashion when the promotion favourites snatched an equaliser in the sixth minute of stoppage time.

Josh Kerr had given us the lead from the penalty spot early in the second half only for Will Gillingham to divert a cross beyond Balint Demus five minutes later. Rumarn Burrell restored our advantage with a fine finish, and it seemed we would hang on for the three points until Jordan Allan found space to net from close range.

Without injured quartet Blair Yule, Luke Strachan, Mitch Megginson and Fraser Fyvie, and the suspended Paul McGowan, manager Paul Hartley made three changes from last week’s opening day loss at Hamilton.

Rio Davidson-Phipps and Scott Williamson – who signed on loan from Queen’s Park yesterday – were both handed debuts, and there was a first start for central defender Cameron Stewart. Mykyta and Gallagher dropped to the bench and Sena and Kerr stepped forward into midfield. Connor Scully captained the side.

Falkirk were unchanged from their 3-0 victory over Annan Athletic on matchday one.

We kicked-off on what was a sunny but blustery afternoon and looked to have taken the lead with less than a minute on the clock. Williamson freed Golding down the right and from the resultant cross, Connor Scully powered a header goalwards at the back post. Goalkeeper Sam Long desperately clawed the ball out, but it appeared clearly to have crossed the line. Assistant David Alexander however kept his flag down and the referee had no option but to play on.

Falkirk’s first attack saw Donaldson heading over from a Miller corner, and soon after, Agyeman cut in from the right, his low angled shot held comfortably by Demus.

Jones and Scully then linked-up well down our left, but Golding was unable to get a shot away before Connor again threatened, Donaldson forced to concede a corner which came to nothing.

Scully, who would later be named man of the match, was at the heart of the next move too, being upended by Yeats who collected the game’s first booking.

We were continuing to threaten and in the twenty-eighth minute, Burrell controlled a long ball from Gillingham on his chest, turned, and fired in a long range volley which Long gathered at the second attempt.

With a strong wind at their backs, Falkirk then forced a series of corners one of which resulted in Donaldson shooting from just outside the box, Demus diving to his left to make a fine save.

We finished the half on the front foot though, Burrell being brought down thirty yards out. Josh Kerr stepped up to blast goalwards, but the Falkirk wall did its job and the danger was cleared.

The visitors might have nudged ahead seconds after the restart when Miller sent in a curling shot from just outside the area, but Demus was alert and dived to his right to push the ball to safety.

The keeper then set up a Cove attack, his long ball over the top chased down by Scott Williamson who pressurised Tom Lang into conceding a corner. Scully whipped his delivery in towards the near post where Golding and Burrell both challenged, the referee deciding that a Falkirk defender had blocked the effort with his hand.

The visitors’ complaints were extended and delayed the taking of the resultant penalty, but Josh KERR maintained his composure and placed the ball beyond the keeper high inside the right post.

Morrison might have levelled almost immediately, his close range effort deflected into the side netting, but they enjoyed a huge stroke of good fortune minutes later. Morrison sent in a dangerous cross which Will GILLINGHAM felt he had to deal with, but could only divert the ball into his own net, the second own goal we have conceded in successive matches.

Falkirk took confidence from that and twice came close to going ahead. First, Agyeman headed wide from ten yards out then Morrison, having raced in behind Jones, fired low and hard just beyond the far post.

The manager then withdrew Golding and Davidson-Phipps and introduced Kyle Connell and Mark Gallagher with Sena dropping into the right back role.

That helped us to regain a foothold in the game and soon after we were back in front. A long ball forward saw Williamson challenging the Falkirk defence and when it bounced up invitingly, Rumarn BURRELL lashed it home with an unstoppable volley from fifteen yards.

Arron Darge then replaced Jacob Jones, Scully moving to left back, and minutes later Kerr dropped into a three-man central defence. That was as a result of Falkirk causing more problems, Demus scrambling clear Morrison’s free-kick before Ross MacIver came agonisingly close, his glancing header rebounding off the inside of the post and back into the keeper’s welcoming hands.

Kerr then had to limp off, Jason Naismith his replacement, and we might have tied things up in the closing stages when Scott Williamson got in behind Lang and controlled a pass over the top, but he was unable to lift it over Long, and the keeper managed to make what would be a vital save.

MacIver was then denied again, his powerful point blank header crashing down off the underside of the bar.

With time running out, Falkirk finally grabbed the leveller when a cross from the left evaded our back line and the unmarked Jordan ALLAN stole in to steer the ball beyond Demus.

In what was a much improved performance by the team, it was a desperately disappointing conclusion, but they did at least secure our first point of the campaign ahead of next week’s short trip to Montrose.

COVE RANGERS (4-2-3-1): Demus; Davidson-Phipps (Gallagher 63), Stewart, Gillingham, Jones (Darge 72); Golding (Connell 63), Kerr (Naismith 84), Sena, Scully (c); Williamson, Burrell

Substitutes: Suman, Ochmanski, Mykyta, Gaffney, Reynolds

Goalscorers: Kerr (pen 51), Burrell (72)

Booked: Gillingham (32), Jones (65), Gallagher (89)

FALKIRK (4-2-3-1): Long; Yeats, Donaldson (c) (McKay 67), Lang, McCann; Henderson, Spencer; Morrison, Miller (Nesbitt 72), Agyeman (Allan 79); MacIver

Substitutes: Hogarth, Lawal, Carroll, Honeyman, Walker, Sinclair

Goalscorers: Gillingham (OG 56), Allan (90)

Booked: Yeats (12), Henderson (49), McKay (76)

Referee: Steven Kirkland

Attendance: 1,007

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