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COVE RANGERS 0–2 ABERDEEN

Goals from Ante Palaversa and Nicky Devlin saw the Dons emerge victorious, but the Cove side held their own for large parts of the match, and the bonus for the club was the bumper 2,200 crowd, a new record for Balmoral Stadium, surpassing the previous high set in the Berwick Rangers playoff game in 2019.

Paul Hartley went with a 4-4-2 for this one, Mackenzie Strachan at the base of the diamond with Mitch Megginson at the point, supporting David Eguaibor and a trialist.

Blair Yule, Ryan Harrington and Mikey Doyle were missing.

It was an even start to the match and a full eighteen minutes had elapsed before the Premiership side threatened. Clarkson played a superb pass in behind for Nicolas Milanovic to run on to, but Robbie Mutch was quickly off his line to make a smart save.

Soon after, Cove might have taken the lead after Arron Darge battled through three challenges in an impressive run before making a pass. It was collected by the trialist striker who controlled and shot powerfully, Mitov making a fine stop.

The opener came midway through the half from a Graeme Shinnie cutback. Ante PALAVERSA took a touch, then shot from twenty yards to beat Mutch inside his right post.

It should have been two in the thirty-second minute. Fletcher Boyd played a superb pass through for Yengi who laid the ball on a plate for Milanovic, but the Aussie could only scoop the ball on to the bar from a few yards out.

We were still in it though, and after making space in the box Megginson attempted to find Eguaibor, the striker denied by Jack Milne who conceded a corner. That was half-cleared, and Fraser Fyvie pounced on it, flashing in an angled drive which Mitov failed to hold, but with Eguaibor and the trialist attempting to get a touch, the ball was scrambled away by the Dons defence.

The final action of the half saw Mutch diving low to make an important save, snatching a dangerous Keskinen delivery.

Aberdeen made eight half-time changes while Paul Hartley’s only switch was to replace Robbie Mutch with the newly re-signed Balint Demus.

He was called into action in the fifty-sixth minute, saving a Knoester header at the back post, and he made an even better stop soon after, tipping over Pape Gueye’s blistering angled shot.

We had a big opportunity in our next attack when Fraser Fyvie swept in an inviting free-kick which David Eguaibor got on the end of, but the striker could only divert the ball over.

Our trialist central defender caught the eye throughout, and he made an important block to deny Gueye, before we came inches from levelling.

Grady McGrath threaded through an excellent pass which Layton Bisland raced on to. After slipping past Devlin, the full-back delivered towards the back post but neither Cole Donaldson nor Eguaibor could get that all-important touch, and Kjartansson knocked the ball to safety.

The Dons settled the game in the final minute when Nicky DEVLIN got free in at the back post and nudged the ball beyond Demus.

It was a disappointing end, but the boys acquitted themselves well, and should feel confident going into the Premier Sports Cup opener against The Spartans on Tuesday night.

COVE RANGERS: (4-4-2) Mutch (Demus 46); Bisland, Trialist, Parker, Darge; Glass (Milnes 78), Strachan, Megginson (McGrath 62), Fyvie (c) (Donaldson 78); Eguaibor, Trialist (Ochmanski 62)

Substitutes:

ABERDEEN: (4-2-3-1) Mitov (Suman 46); Jensen, Milne (Molloy 46), Knoester, Shinnie (c) (Devlin 46); Palaversa (Aouchiche 46), Clarkson (To 80); Milanovic (Morris 46), Boyd (Kjartansson), Keskinen (Besuijen 46); Yengi (Gueye 46)

Substitutes:

Referee: Greg Soutar

Attendance: 2,200

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