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STENHOUSEMUIR 0-4 COVE RANGERS

We recorded our biggest win of the season with a commanding performance at Ochilview, the victory featuring a ‘goal of the season’ contender from Fraser Fyvie. That was the icing on the cake late on after Declan Glass, Mitch Megginson and Findlay Marshall had carved out a three-nil half-time lead. The home side could have no complaints as we deservedly gained revenge for a couple of defeats earlier in the campaign.

Paul Hartley was able to name an unchanged line-up for the fourth successive match. Liam Parker and Will Gillingham remained sidelined, but Blair Yule returned to the bench after illness alongside new signing Quinn Coulson, giving the manager half a dozen substitutes to choose from.

It was a lively start to the game, the home side creating an opportunity almost immediately when the ball broke their way in midfield and Black ran in behind our back line. The striker raced into the box, but was forced a little wide, and Nick Suman was off his line smartly to make the save.

We hit straight back, Mitch Megginson weaving into the area, Adam Emslie inches from connecting with his cutback, and as the pressure was maintained, Ryan Harrington fired in an inviting delivery which was eventually scrambled clear.

Findlay Marshall then got the better of Bilham and made space before crossing from the right. Emslie met the ball first time, but his effort was pushed to safety by keeper Jamieson.

Declan Glass was next to probe, his clipped ball forward finding Connor Scully at full stretch, Jamieson diving to keep the midfielder’s effort out at his near post.

It had been a strong start by Cove, we were enjoying the majority of the possession and limiting Stenhousemuir, but there was a scare in the twenty-first minute when Taylor broke free on his left to flash in a dangerous low cross. Thankfully, there were no takers in the middle.

We made the breakthrough just before the half hour mark with a quality goal. Mikey Doyle looked up and sent a perfect long ball over the top for Emslie to run on to. Adam gathered deep inside the area before picking out Declan GLASS who cleverly flicked his shot beyond the despairing Jamieson.

The celebrations had barely died down when we doubled our advantage, and it was from another long pass forward. This time it was Emslie with the delivery beyond the home defence, and Mitch MEGGINSON ran in behind, rolling the ball between Jamieson’s legs for his tenth of the season.

It was the fifth time in our six seasons in the SPFL that the striker has hit double figures.

An already impressive first half showing got even better minutes later. A Scully corner was half cleared and Fraser Fyvie collected it wide on the left. The captain rolled the ball down the touchline for Megginson, and when Mitch whipped in the cross, Findlay MARSHALL rose highest to guide a looping header past the keeper and inside the right post.

It might have been four soon after when a defensive mix-up allowed Adam Emslie to shoot from twenty yards. Jamieson beat his effort away, but the ball ran to Glass who skipped past Banner and shot from the angle. The keeper got his fingertips to the ball to divert it wide, Megginson agonisingly close to diverting it in at the back post.

Stenhousemuir made a double substitution at the interval in a bid to stem the tide, but we continued to dominate after the restart, Megginson and Emslie each sending in dangerous deliveries which were dealt with by the home back line. Dylan Lobban and Declan Glass then played a nice one-two on the right, Declan spinning into the box before his angled strike was saved.

In our next attack, Ryan Harrington flashed in an inviting cross, Adam Emslie flicking the ball over at the near post after running into space.

In a rare home attack, Suman dived to make a comfortable enough save from Taylor’s low angled strike, before Megginson shot wide from twenty yards at the other end.

The manager threw on Yule and Coulson for Marshall and Glass for the last twenty minutes and the new signing almost made an immediate impact. Emslie collected the ball on halfway and burst clear with a driving run before sliding the ball across the area, Quinn’s first time effort flying inches wide of the near post.

There was a further change, Myles Gaffney replacing Adam Emslie for the closing stages, but before he could get involved we made it four with an outstanding effort. Having pinned Stenhousemuir back down the left we won a throw-in. From that, Fraser FYVIE gathered near the bye-line, spinning away from a couple of defenders, and when he found a yard of space, curled an audacious shot high beyond Jamieson and into the top corner.

That was the perfect finish to an excellent performance overall, the team comfortably securing another hugely impressive victory on their travels.

STENHOUSEMUIR (4-2-3-1): Jamieson; Meechan, Banner (Ewen 46), Buchanan (c), Bilham; Anderson, Wedderburn (Alston 46); Yates, McGill (Tomlinson 58), Taylor (Jacobs 76); Black (O’Donnell 64)

Substitutes: Lyle

Goalscorers:

Booked:

COVE RANGERS (4-4-2): Suman; Lobban, Darge, Doyle, Harrington; Fyvie (c), Marshall (Coulson 71), Glass (Yule 71), Scully; Emslie (Gaffney 81), Megginson (McGrath 85)

Substitutes: Demus, Murray

Goalscorers: Glass (29), Megginson (31), Marshall (39), Fyvie (84)

Booked:

Referee: Stewart Luke

Attendance: 336

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