The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Cove stay fully focused on maintaining their challenge
It’s win or bust as far as Cove Rangers manager Kevin Tindal is concerned as his players bid to keep alive their Highland League title challenge today.
Forres Mechanics have a one point and one game advantage on the Allan Park men, who host Deveronvale.
Tindal knows his players face an uphill task, but he insists he will be concentrating solely on events at his own ground.
He said: “I don’t want to be updated on what is happening in the game between Forres and Fraserburgh, obviouslyworddoes tend to get passed round.
“I won’t want to know so that we can concentrate purely on what we need to do ourselves.
“If I get a shout at full time that’s fine, but until then we will be totally focused on the job in hand as nothing less than three points willdoagainst a very good Deveronvale side.
“It is difficult to play Vale at any time, but they also have a new manager they will want to impress so that makes it even more difficult.
“Vale have been rattling in the goals themselves lately so we may need to be patient and not get frustrated or desperate if it’s not happening for us, if it takes until the 90th or even the 93rd minute to get the winner we’ll certainly take that.”
Cove will be without midfielder Jamie Beagrie, whois offshore, and central defender Ericwatson, who, although he has had an injection in his knee, is still struggling. But Dean Lawrie trained this week and is added to the squad.
Vale manager Charlie Duncan said: “Cove are going for the title and we have one or two players missing, forward Grant Noble, defender Connor Rennie and Mike Mckenzie. Goalkeeper James Blanchard may be fit again after his back problem, but youngster Blair Tait has done well for us in recent weeks and may well retain his place.
“We will go out and do our best to win the game.
“I rate Cove very highly having seen more of them than any other Highland Leagueside this season, but if Forres do land up as champions they will certainly have deserved it.”