Pyramid Play-off
Cove rangers 4 spartans 0
Cove Rangers may have one foot in the League 2 Play-off Final after a thumping 4-0 victory over Lowland League champions Spartans at Harlaw Park, Inverurie.
However, manager John Sheran was quick to sound a note of caution after the final whistle.
“The tie is only at the halfway stage,” he underlined as he looked back on a fine performance from his charges.
“When you are playing a team you have not faced before, there is always a bit of sussing out to be done and there were clearly nerves on both sides.
“However, the second goal really settled us down.
“I am delighted with the performance of the team.
“We were just looking to be positive first of all, but this is a great result and we will look to continue to be positive in the second leg.”
For Spartans boss Dougie Samuel, it was the first goal that was crucial, as he commented: “We were three minutes away from going in level with Cove at half-time, with our goalkeeper making a top drawer save from Mcmanus.
“We’re a team used to winning, but we lost the tie by conceding goals either side of halftime – it’s a huge mountain to climb after that.”
After the early sparring, it was Cove who were the first to threaten with Spartans goalkeeper Blair Carswell pulling off an acrobatic save from a Paul Mcmanus header midway through the first half, after a precise cross from the dangerous Mitch Megginson.
The opening goal came in 42 minutes when a perfect right-wing cross by Jamie Masson was met by a bullet header from Megginson for his 50th goal of the season.
The second came three minutes after the
restart. Midfielder Harry Milne was upended in the box and Mcmanus fired straight down the middle.
Within four minutes, captain Eric Watson raced forward to head home from close range with Spartans claiming offside.
No. 4 was the icing on the cake. Substitute Daniel Park played an inviting ball across the face of goal that was missed by the first defender.
It sat up perfectly for Mcmanus to blast home his second of the game.
The visitors had not troubled the Cove goal in the game at all, and were close to conceding a fifth when Mitch Megginson threatened again late on.