Determined Display Earns Point At Accies

30/08/25

Determined Display Earns Point At Accies

HAMILTON 0-0 COVE RANGERS

An under-strength Cove side battled to earn a richly deserved point, and might have taken all three from a game in which they created the best chances.

Despite the selection problems – Mitch Megginson played at the heart of the midfield and put in a man of the match performance – the display was a huge improvement on last week at Peterhead, and the strong defensive showing gives hope for the coming fixtures.

With Blair Yule suspended and Fraser Fyvie sidelined for the next few months, there was further bad news with Declan Glass, Arron Darge and Milosz Ochmanski all ruled out through injury. That left us with just one outfield substitute, Cole Donaldson.

Megginson, Robbie Mutch, Mackenzie Strachan and Ryan Harrington all returned to the starting line-up from the midweek win over Dundee B, with Balint Demus joining Cole on the bench.

Accies were on the front foot in the early stages and when Hendrie swung in a looping cross from the left, Mutch took no chances with the greasy ball, tipping it over for the first of three successive corners, all of which were well defended.

As the rain got heavier, Hamilton continued to dominate possession without offering a threat, but they were pinning us back, and the play was almost exclusively in the Cove half.

That changed in the fourteenth minute when Mikey Milnes, on his league debut, clipped an inviting pass through for Mylchreest, but Jackson blazed over from just inside the box.

We were back defending almost immediately, and when space opened-up for Connor Smith the midfielder let fly from twenty-five yards. His effort was well-struck, but Robbie Mutch dived to his right to make a fine stop, confidently clutching the ball.

Mylchreest and Ryan Harrington combined down our left to win a free-kick and when Strachan whipped in the delivery, Liam Parker was inches from making contact, a deflection off Kilday diverting the ball just beyond him.

Mackenzie Strachan won possession in midfield to set up our next attack, threading a pass through for David Eguaibor, and the striker did well to make space, but his shot lacked power and Jamie Smith saved comfortably.

We came close to taking the lead in the thirty-ninth minute after a well-worked move which involved half the team and left Ryan Harrington running free thirty yards from goal. He caught his angled strike sweetly but was unlucky to see the ball bounce narrowly wide with Smith well beaten.

There was a huge opportunity right after the break when Layton Bisland swung in a superb cross from the corner flag and Milnes ran on to it, but the midfielder’s first-time ten-yard shot flew straight into the keeper’s hands.

Harrington then sent in another excellent delivery from the left which Bisland got on the end of but could only head wide at the back post.

Kevin O’Hara flashed the ball across our six yard box as Accies countered, thankfully failing to find a team-mate, and for the next fifteen minutes or so it was an even contest, both sides probing, but unable to make any headway.

We almost did so in the sixty-seventh minute when the ball was played through to David Eguaibor and he controlled it and turned thirty yards out. His shot was well-struck, and took a deflection, but Smith was able to adjust his positioning, and made a fine save.

Milnes almost found Strachan in the area in our next attack, but as he strained to reach the ball Mackenzie was closed down by Kilday, and the danger was cleared.

There were a few more half-chances at either end, but nothing to trouble either goalkeeper, and the team left Cumbernauld with a first clean sheet of the league season and a well-earned point.

HAMILTON: (3-5-2) J. Smith; Kilday, Loughrey, Gallacher (McLuckie 71); MacDonald, C. Smith, Robinson (c), Simpson, Hendrie (McKinstry 71); Shaw, O’Hara

Substitutes: Marks, Newbury, Eadie

Scorers:

Bookings:

COVE RANGERS: (3-5-2) Mutch; J. Eguaibor, Doyle (c), Parker; Bisland, Strachan, Megginson, Milnes, Harrington; Mylchreest (Donaldson 86), D. Eguaibor

Substitutes: Demus

Scorers:

Bookings: Megginson (73)

Referee: Calum Scott

Attendance: 250

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