The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Megginson relives night of heartache
Mitch Megginson had a ringside seat for Cove Rangers’ night of drama, a role he would not thank you for again.
His intervention in the evening was brief; a glancing header 15 minutes in, connecting with Connor Scully’s free-kick, which put Cove on their way against Airdrieonians.
However, a niggling injury which Megginson had been nursing through the cavalcade of games in recent weeks, finally caught up with him. He was substituted nine minutes later and his evening was done.
League One’s leading scorer was left to watch in the rain-soaked stands at the Excelsior Stadium as Cove were pegged back twice – once after going in front in stoppage-time – and finally beaten by an extra-time winner.
“It’s even worse – I hate sitting in the stand watching,” said Megginson. “You shout for every ball, for every decision. Hopefully next season I can stay fit and won’t have to do that at all.”
Megginson’s opener was pegged back by Callum Gallagher, a man Cove will not want to see again any time soon after his recent run against them.
The visitors controlled the ball and created the better chances but did not kill Airdrie off. They felt they had in the 91st minute, when Rory McAllister squeezed a shot into the bottom. Cue bedlam on the pitch, in the dugout and in the stands.
But those scenes were mirrored on the opposing side before Colin Steven blew the final whistle, with Jack McKay capitalising on defensive chaos to steer in a leveller.
Gallagher was to have the decisive say in the tie in the 109th minute, turning in Craig Thomson’s cross, to send the Diamonds through to face Morton and end Cove’s season.
For Megginson, their recent inability to hold on to a lead ultimately proved their undoing.
He said: “It’s been happening too often. You’re not going to win games at this level if you give away goals like that. We don’t make them work for it.
“It’s not been like us. I think it was the Falkirk game down there – it seems to happen quite often and I’m not sure what it is. We need to be able to see out games at this level.”
Too little time has passed yet for positives to be gleaned from this season. Had Cove been outplayed over the two legs and lost comprehensively, it might be a little easier to take.
They were minutes from advancing to the play-off final in their first season at this level, which deserves credit.
Full-time opponents have all been beaten and young loan players, such as Ross Graham and Connor Smith, will have benefited from their experiences heading back to their parent clubs.
Megginson said: “It’s still too raw. We finished third but at the end of the day we’ve got nothing for it.
“We want to be able to win something or get promoted.”
Over time, the wounds will heal. Goals will be reset, bodies refreshed and the “we go again” mentality repurposed as a battle cry.
“We’ll get a proper break and a proper pre-season,” added Megginson. “We like to win things and keep progressing. That’s certainly what we’ll be doing next year.”