The game was billed as “too tight to call” ahead of kick off.
Football fans in the north backed Cove to emerge victorious, those down the road fancied Edinburgh City’s chances.
However, as the SPFL play-off developed it became anything but tight, with the Lowland League champions racing into a 3-0 lead before half time.
Disappointed Cove Rangers manager John Sheran conceded his
side had failed to live up to expectations as they slumped defeat.
Sheran said: “The first half wasn’t like us at all. We gave away a poor
free kick and then we got our pocket picked a couple of times on the break.
“We knew they were dangerous and that proved to be the case, but I think that we gave a better account of ourselves in the second half.
“Maybe on a different day we might have got a goal.
“We are certainly going to go down there next week thinking we can win the game, and that’s what we will be trying to do.
City manager Gary Jardine will take nothing for granted in Saturday’s SPFL play-off second leg despite the convincing first-leg win.
The Lowland League champions were excellent throughout but Jardine is not ready to start planning for the final against East Stirling and said: “We are halfway there and for a start we found it really difficult
to get any momentum.
“That was down to nerves probably, but then we started to settle down
when Ross Allum opened the scoring.
“With Cove then chasing the game that allowed us a bit more space to get in behind them but we will definitely not be taking anything for granted.
City attacker Allum, who scored with his only two shots of the afternoon added: “If I could have two shots on target and score with them both every week I would be happy. The first one I scored with my head,
that is pretty unusual, so I willtake that>
“At the second one I just found myself bearing down on goal and I
managed to put it in the bottom corner.
“We still have another 90 minutes to go, we will definitely not be taking
anything for granted.”
