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Having had to settle for a point against Alloa Athletic last weekend, the race for the playoffs has gone to the penultimate game of the season, with Cove still in the driving seat to secure a spot.

We go into the meeting with Kelty Hearts knowing that a win will tie it up, and with Queen of the South facing Stenhousemuir, it could even be enough to clinch second place. A draw at Balmoral might be sufficient to clinch the playoffs, given our goal difference advantage, but that is not guaranteed, and Paul Hartley wants to remove any uncertainty:

“It’s no surprise to me that the season has gone down to the wire, I’ve felt all along it was going to go that way with the teams vying for promotion through the playoffs. It was always likely to be the last couple of weekends before it got settled, and here we are.

“Apart from Arbroath and Dumbarton, every other team has something to play for. It’s a good league, very exciting, and I’m just pleased we’re at the right end, trying to secure that playoff spot. It’s different for Kelty, they’ll be coming up here knowing they’re not quite safe yet, so it’s potentially a massive match for them too.

“It’s all about having the right attitude, about starting the game well, and we did that last week. I’ve reviewed the footage, looked at the stats, and we played a lot of good football, we had twenty-one crosses into the box, and we need to keep that up and find the killer touch in front of goal. That was the only thing missing against Alloa.”

All at the club are well aware of the potential rewards that lie ahead, but the manager says he has been focusing on settling everyone down:

“One of my jobs is to try to take the pressure off, make sure the boys are as calm as possible, and all week I’ve just tried to keep the build-up as normal as possible. We need to guard against the nerves, the pressure, and we have prepared the players as best we can to go out there and get the right result.”

“The good thing is we have enough experience in the squad, boys who have been in this position before, who have coped with promotion battles and know how to deal with that.

“There will be a real sense of pride if we can clinch that spot. We’ve had a good season, but we want to make it an even better one, and we want to make it a much longer season. Not two, not four, but six games left: that’s the target.”

As well as preparing for a massive ninety minutes, Paul took time out to congratulate Fraser Fyvie and Mitch Megginson, shortlisted for the PFA Scotland League One player of the year award:

“I am delighted for both, it shows the quality we have here at the club, and I know that will mean a lot to them, the fact their fellow professionals have voted for them. It’s a big achievement and either would be a worthy winner.”

“They’ve also been key players for me during my time with Cove Rangers, and I’m sure they’ve still got a big part to play during the run-in.”

That starts against Kelty, and with so much at stake, it would be great to see a big crowd at Balmoral Stadium. Tickets can be bought at THIS LINK.

Connor Scully is out injured for this one, but otherwise, the manager should have a full squad to choose from.

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