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STENHOUSEMUIR 1-0 COVE RANGERS

An early goal from Dale Carrick was enough to secure the points for Stenhousemuir on a difficult day, the strong wind affecting the players on both sides. We did not do enough throughout and were unable to make the conditions count in the second half, home keeper Jamieson only rarely called into action.

With Fraser Fyvie and Declan Glass out for the foreseeable future, Paul Hartley had a limited squad from which to select his team, and made two changes, reverting to four at the back. That saw Justin Eguaibor dropping out as well as Fyvie, with David Eguaibor and a trialist brought in. The latter two led the line, Mitch Megginson playing in the number ten role just behind.

We kicked-off on a blustery afternoon, the wind whipping down the pitch and into our faces, but it was the home side immediately on the front foot, Carrick having a shot blocked by Doyle, who was again called into action soon after, closing out O’Reilly as the winger attempted to break through.

It was a lively start to the match, and we countered quickly, Eguaibor setting up Megginson who cut the ball back, Buchanan getting a foot to it before our trialist could pounce.

Stenhousemuir made the breakthrough in the sixth minute when Taylor raced in behind on the right and fired a shot goalwards. Robbie Mutch dived to make the save, but Dale CARRICK was first to react, smashing home the rebound.

The game settled down after that, Cove enjoying the bulk of the possession without creating any clear cut chances, but that changed in the twentieth minute when Mackenzie Strachan swung in a free-kick from distance and Mikey Doyle rose highest in the box, his header beating Jamieson, but bouncing back out off the far post.

We were pushing hard for the leveller, the home side defending resolutely, and sensibly, given the conditions, taking no chances when clearing the ball.

The wind strengthened as the half wore on, making it difficult for the boys to get out, but they did so in a rapid counter-attack, Ryan Harrington swinging in an inviting delivery which David Eguaibor met flush with his forehead ten yards out. It looked netbound, but Jamieson threw up his hands to make a fine stop, diverting the ball over.

We kept up the pressure, Blair Yule with an opening from twenty yards, but he failed to make decisive contact, and his shot bounced wide. Megginson and Eguaibor combined to set-up Layton Bisland in our next attack, his cross deflected for a corner, and when Strachan won a second, Liam Parker got his head to it, but the keeper saved comfortably.

Attempting to make the most of the wind, we attacked immediately after the restart, Megginson and Yule with the one-two before Blair broke clear on the right, his cross defended desperately with the trialist ready to strike.

O’Reilly had the ball in the net for Stenhousemuir, but was flagged offside, and they won a corner minutes later after a free-kick delivery caused havoc in our box.

After that flurry, we were back up the pitch, but unable to make our possession count, all too often giving the ball away in promising positions.

We were almost made to pay when the home side countered and Taylor let fly from the edge of the area, Mutch diving to his right to push the ball wide. In a swift reply, David Eguaibor won possession and fed in Mackenzie Strachan, but the midfielder’s shot lacked conviction and rolled wide of the post.

As the minutes ticked by, it looked more and more as if it was just going to be one of those days, nothing going our way, and the players were struggling to perform to the levels expected of them. Yule tried to alter that, but his twenty yard volley flew high over the bar.

We were awarded a free-kick when Ryan Harrington was fouled thirty yards out. Mackenzie Strachan whipped in an inviting delivery, but Jamieson grabbed the ball to avert the danger.

With four minutes left, Justin Eguaibor came on for Strachan, Liam Parker being pushed up to supplement the attack, but we were unable to create anything of note, and the game petered out as we fell to a second straight defeat to kick-off the League One campaign.

STENHOUSEMUIR: (4-2-3-1) D. Jamieson; Meechan, Buchanan (c), Graham, Bilham; Whyte (Aitken 62), Robson; Taylor (N. Jamieson 87), Anderson, O’Reilly; Carrick (McGill 81),

Substitutes: Godik, Simpson, Ewen

Scorers: Carrick (6)

Bookings: Meechan (78)

COVE RANGERS: (4-4-2) Mutch; Bisland, Doyle, Parker, Harrington; Yule, Darge (c), Strachan (J. Eguaibor 86), Megginson; Trialist, D. Eguaibor

Substitutes: Demus, Ochmanski, Donaldson, Milnes

Scorers:

Bookings: Darge (50), Trialist (72), Doyle (73), D. Eguaibor (88)

Referee: Graham Grainger

Attendance:

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