The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Mean machine required
● Miserly defence crucial as old title fight foes get set for reunion
Cove Rangers defender Scott Ross wants a return to his side’s celebrated defensive mean streak tonight.
It is that miserly backline on which his side has built its success that Ross is eager to see in action this evening when Cove travel to Brora for their Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup tie.
The Highland League champions were involved in an eight-goal thriller at Albion Rovers on Saturday in their first away match in League 2 and while the 4-4 draw was entertaining for the fans, Ross found the experience anything but an enjoyable one and he does not want a repeat tonight.
He said: “Saturday was really uncharacterstic for us.
“Last year we were really proud of how we were defensively and this season we’ve done really well in the Betfred Cup and against Edinburgh City, but Saturday wasn’t like us at all and we felt hugely disappointed at conceding four goals.
“We know exactly what we are going to get at Brora. It’s a long trip after a day at work and it’s always been a tough place to go.
“But we have to go there, show the right attitude, play our game and hopefully we can bounce back from the weekend.”
Ross says the personnel involved will know all
about the qualities of their opponents tonight as Cove make a brief return to their Highland League roots, but the Cove defender insists Brora will face a team which presents a different challenge under Paul Hartley.
He said: “The mentality at the club has changed already since going into League 2.
“From little things like the kit being laid out when we arrive to preparation for games, the focus on the next game is meticulous.
“Since the new manager came in he has set out exactly how he wants us to play. We dominated games in the Highland League last year but the manager wants us to play even more football.
“He’s pushing to put an expansive style in place and the boys have all really bought in to how he wants us to play.”
Brora Rangers playermanager Steven Mackay knows his side will start as underdogs against the SPFL newcomers.
Brora and the Highland League champions have been title rivals in recent years and with Cove having won promotion to League 2, Mackay expects Hartley’s side to be even stronger.
Mackay said: “I think that it’s going to be a fiercely competitive game as they usually are between Cove and ourselves, previous games have gone that way and I don’t see this one being any different.
“The Cove team is largely unchanged so we are very familiar with them and we know the quality they have and the dangers that they pose going forward.”