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COVE RANGERS 2-4 ARBROATH

The team fell to a painful defeat with a lacklustre performance, defensive errors again costing us dear. The visitors surged into a two-goal lead, but despite failing to create much, we had pegged them back by the interval through Blair Yule and Liam Parker. Instead of kicking-on, we conceded again immediately after the break, and Arbroath secured the win with seventeen minutes remaining.

Paul Hartley had made one change from last week’s strong showing in Inverness. With Nick Suman out injured, Balint Demus took over between the sticks, while Fraser Fyvie returned to the bench and was joined there by new loan signing Dylan Lobban from Aberdeen.

Declan Glass was the only other player on the casualty list.

The match started evenly enough, both sides enjoying spells of possession without offering a goal threat, and it was not until the eighteenth minute that either keeper was called into action. That came from a quick Arbroath counter, Stewart running clear on the right, but his powerful shot was well saved by Demus.

Cove hit back, and Parker sent a long ball forward which Mitch Megginson gathered and laid off. Blair Yule ran on to it, his well-struck low left-foot drive whistling just wide of the post. We had the visitors under pressure at that point, but they held out, and snatched the lead with another rapid break. Ryan Dow ran at our back line and cut the ball inside for Scott STEWART to finish with composure.

Megginson had an effort charged down as we attempted to level, but in their next attack Arbroath doubled their advantage. Innes MURRAY played the ball wide and when Stewart returned it to him the winger shot goalwards. Demus got a hand to the ball but could not keep the effort out.

We grabbed a lifeline soon after. From a corner on the right, Liam Parker won a header, sending the ball back across the box and Blair YULE was first to react, forcing the ball home after McAdams kept out his first attempt.

Megginson then ran on to a through ball, beating the offside trap, the keeper saving at his near post at the expense of a corner. Emslie swung his delivery in, the ball skidding off the head of O’Brien, and Liam PARKER showed determination, shrugging off a challenge to net with a powerful header.

That should have lifted us for the second half, but it was the visitors who regained the advantage. Substitute Taylor, who was to be a thorn in our side throughout, found space on the left, and from his cross Alasdair SPALDING scored with a first-time shot.

The sub might have made it four, weaving his way through, but Demus got a touch on his shot and Gillingham hacked clear.

Marshall dragged a shot wide, and Scully saw his effort charged down as we attempted to restore parity, but Arbroath caught us out again, Taylor’s free-kick from wide on the right met perfectly by Jack WILKIE who powered his header beyond Demus.

Findlay Marshall came agonisingly close to scoring soon after, his low drive just marginally wide of the left post, but that was to be our last threat, and Arbroath saw out the game comfortably.

It was a result with which we could have no complaints.

COVE RANGERS (4-2-3-1): Demus; Doyle, Gillingham, Parker, Harrington (Fyvie 63); Darge, Scully; Yule (c), Marshall (McAllister 78), Emslie (McGrath 78); Megginson

Substitutes: Robertson, Murray, Lobban, Gaffney

Goalscorers: Yule (39), Parker (42)

Booked: Darge (77), Doyle (90)

ARBROATH (4-2-3-1): McAdams; Sinclair, Bisland, O’Brien (c), Wilkie; Spalding, Flynn; Stewart, Dow, Murray; Reilly

Substitutes: McConnell, Slater, Gold, Callaghan, Gallagher, Taylor, Watson, Coulson, Richardson

Goalscorers: Stewart (31), Murray (38), Spalding (47), Wilkie (73)

Booked: Murray (52)

Referee: Greg Soutar

Attendance: 645

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