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COVE RANGERS 0-0 STENHOUSEMUIR

It was hardly a feast of football for the BBC Alba viewers as two evenly-matched sides fought out a goalless draw in the Balmoral gloom. We had the bulk of the possession at various points, but the visitors held firm, and created the best opening late on, Nick Suman making an important save to secure the point.

Will Gillingham was the only absentee as he nears the end of his rehabilitation, meaning the manager had seven on the bench, a rare luxury for much of the season.

Blair Yule had recovered from illness and returned to the starting line-up in place of Declan Glass, while Suman was preferred to Balint Demus in goal, the big Aussie making his 50^th appearance for the club. Arron Darge was also restored at the expense of Liam Parker.

We were on the attack early in the match, Ryan Harrington’s cross just overhit, and continued taking the game to Stenhousemuir with a couple of Adam Emslie runs causing them concern.

Findlay Marshall was prominent, and his pass set Dylan Lobban free down the right. The full-back’s low cross found Mitch Megginson, but he was closed down by Fisher before he could get a shot away.

We were enjoying concerted pressure, but the visitors’ back line was standing firm, and clear cut chances were at a premium.

They might have snatched the lead against the run of play in the thirteenth minute when O’Reilly’s cross fell for O’Donnell, but Doyle, lying on the ground, was able to block his shot.

Megginson had a couple of opportunities soon after, his first effort charged down and the second, a low angled fifteen-yard strike, saved by Jamieson.

Taylor saw a long-range effort dip over the bar, but we were back on the attack in the wake of that, Mitch Megginson only just failing to find Emslie with a pass after linking up with Connor Scully.

Blair Yule was again in fine form, pulling all the strings in midfield, and he combined with Megginson to set Marshall free, Scully inches from making contact with the cross before Meechan got a touch, nearly diverting the ball into his own net.

There was another opening for Mitch in the thirty-first minute, but after Scully headed into his path, the striker shot over. Megginson turned provider in our next serious attack, breaking from midfield and almost freeing Adam Emslie, but Buchanan slid in to make a vital interception.

There were even fewer glaring opportunities after the break, our best one arising when Connor Scully’s delivery was half-cleared but controlled by Yule who flashed the ball across goal, Fraser Fyvie failing marginally to get a touch.

Substitute Bobby McLuckie found himself in the clear soon after coming on, and his low shot looked goalbound only for Nick Suman to spread himself and make a fine stop with his left foot.

We continued to press, but it remained a frustrating evening, with the players unable to find the killer final pass, and even the more dangerous of the crosses always seemed to find a Stenhousemuir head.

Gary Naysmith’s side could have snatched it with four minutes left on the clock when Aitken ran clear into the area, but Nick Suman raced from his line to make an excellent save, beating away the striker’s low shot.

There was a half-chance in stoppage time, Emslie firing in a cross and Ryan Harrington climbing above Meechan at the back post, but his looping header dropped over the bar. Then, in the last act of the game, Megginson was upended, but Coulson’s well-struck twenty-five yard free-kick flew narrowly wide.

COVE RANGERS (4-4-2): Suman; Lobban, Doyle, Darge, Harrington; Marshall (Coulson 68), Yule, Fyvie (c) (Glass 71), Scully; Emslie, Megginson

Substitutes: Demus, Murray, McGrath, Gaffney, Parker

Goalscorers:

Booked: Scully (67), Darge (90)

STENHOUSEMUIR (4-2-3-1): Jamieson; Meechan, Buchanan (c), Fisher, Bilham; Anderson, McGill (Jacobs 68); O’Reilly (Tomlinson 82), Alston (Yates 68), Taylor (McLuckie 68); O’Donnell (Aitken 78)

Substitutes: Morrison, Wedderburn, Banner, Ewen

Goalscorers:

Booked: Buchanan (90)

Referee: Sean Murdoch

Attendance: 533

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