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As 2024 kicks-off with the weekend encounter against Kelty Hearts, one Cove Rangers player in particular is hoping the new year brings him better luck.

Just when he was bedding in after signing a two-year deal, Josh Kerr suffered a broken ankle against Queen of the South in August which was to sideline him for ten matches. Having undergone intensive rehabilitation, Josh returned to the side in mid-November, but in just his third comeback game, was sent-off at Galabank.

That incurred a two match suspension, meaning he missed the pre-Christmas encounters with Alloa and Edinburgh City, before returning for the final game of 2023 against Montrose at Links Park.

“It’s been really frustrating in a number of ways. Firstly, I had the injury which kept me out for almost three months, then when I got back fit and got a few outings under my belt, I had the sending-off at Annan.

“I watched it back, and it was a red, but there was no intent there, and that made it harder to accept. The good thing is, I’m fit again, but it wasn’t much fun training all week then not being involved on the Saturday. Hopefully that’s all behind me now.”

As one of the new faces, Josh had to settle into his new environment along with the rest of the summer captures, but he says it did not take him long to realise he had made the correct decision signing on at Balmoral Stadium:

“It’s been really good. Obviously, there were a few boys here from last year, but in the main it’s a new group and that did take time to gel. We had a bad start, but then had that eleven match unbeaten run which showed how quickly things can change once you get used to each other.

“It’s not just about getting used to the gaffer and the coaches, and what they want you to do, or only about what happens on the pitch, it’s also about getting to know each other as people, and once you’ve done that, and struck up a few relationships, that can be a massive help.

“There are different personalities in our dressing room, just like every other one in the country. You’ve got the louder ones like Doyley (Michael Doyle), he has certainly added something to the changing room, and you’ve got the likes of Sena and Rumarn, who are more chilled out, a bit quieter, but you need that mix, and it really is a good group of boys.”

Following the massive upheaval last summer, and the introduction of full-time football, it took a little time for the training schedule to be refined, Paul Hartley eventually settling on two evening sessions during which the whole squad could work together. Josh believes that paid an instant dividend:

“That made a big difference, the manager was obviously feeling his way with the new hybrid set-up, but since that was changed, the results have improved, and it has helped us as a group.

“I know the league well, and you just can’t expect to have an off-day, turn up, and get the win, it doesn’t work like that. You can be the nicest, prettiest football team, but if you don’t battle hard and have that hunger, teams can hang on then hit you late, as we saw with the Alloa game last month. It’s a division where you have to be fully focused and determined for every single match.

“We will just continue to tick off the games and hopefully pick up the three points. We can’t affect what Falkirk and Hamilton are doing, or the likes of Montrose and Kelty, who are in and around where we are in the table.

“We want to be in the play-offs as a bare minimum; that would have been the objective at the start of the season. What we have to do is try to get as many points as we can from the games against our nearest rivals, get into the top four, then we’ll take our chances from there.”

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