It is testament to the inexorable rise Cove Rangers have been on that three straight defeats is being treated as cause for concern.
Three promotions in four years have propelled the club from the Highland League to the Championship, going further than any club since the pyramid play-offs were brought in at the end of the 2014-15 season.
Last weekend’s loss to Ayr United is perhaps a wake-up call to some, who may have felt they could take to this league like any other. It was their poorest performance of the season to date and a 2-1 defeat flattered the Aberdeen side.
Injury issues have bitten at the worst time too. Already without Blair Yule and Evan Towler, Cove lost skipper Mitch Megginson, Mark Reynolds and Scott Ross during the game, with all five sitting out training on Tuesday.
Megginson is hopeful of being fit for Saturday’s trip to Queen’s Park but even if he does not make it, improvements all round are required.
“We were saying as a squad, it hurts more because we’re not used to it,” he said. “Everyone can start panicking and thinking ‘what’s happening?’
“But you have to look at the whole situation. We’ve stepped up pretty quickly to a very competitive league, we’re one (league) under the Premiership.
“It’s not going to be as plain sailing as it was. We’re going to have ups and downs this season. You look at leagues across the board – I’m a Chelsea fan and they’ve just got beat 3-0 at Leeds, which you wouldn’t expect to happen.
“It’s not going to be a case of winning every game and coast the league. If anyone’s thinking that, they’re naïve and it’s a very silly way to think.
No punches pulled in post-match breakdown
“You can’t slack off in this league. You’ve got to be at it every week or you’ll get punished. I don’t think there’s anything behind it; you get that freak result now and then where it’s not happening for anyone. We’ve never had that in my time here.
“Unfortunately in football it happens at times. There’s maybe a bit more shock because it doesn’t normally happen to us. We realise it’s not good enough from a player perspective. We’re lucky that seven days later we’ve got a game to make it right.”
Manager Jim McIntyre certainly pulled no punches in his assessment post-match, saying it was a performance that merited being bottom of the league.
Cove are not quite there yet – Arbroath are the only team propping them up – but the only upside is this blip has come early in the season with plenty of time to rectify it.
Megginson hopes to play his part in an immediate turnaround, with a hamstring problem – originating from trouble with his back – being treated this week.
“I’ve had a bit of work on it this week, so it’s getting there. It’s going to be last-minute whether it’s going to be ready for Saturday,” said Megginson.
“The back has been an issue for a while now. It’s trying to manage it and make sure it’s not causing problems to any other part of the body, which is easier said than done.
“There’s a good bit you can do to ease it – it just depends how it reacts and if it settles down. It’s better than it was but it’s still getting pain through it.”
Queen’s Park ‘hardest team’ Cove faced last year
Queen’s Park this weekend represent familiar foes. The two sides met on four occasions last season in League One with little to separate them, as the teams drew three of those and Queen’s won an August meeting 2-0.
But come the end of the season, 28 points separated them. Cove romped to the title and Queen’s slipped off the pace due to drawing half of their 36 league games. The Spiders would make amends, however, coming through the play-offs against Dunfermline and Airdrieonians to make it back-to-back promotions of their own.
🆕 Boss Jim McIntyre has issued a rallying call, saying everyone at the club has to pull together if we’re to emerge from the recent disappointing run.
Read here 👇
— Cove Rangers FC (@CoveRangersFC) August 24, 2022
“They’re a top side,” added Megginson. “They’re the hardest team we faced last year. They made life difficult for us in every game.
“They’re a strong full-time team and they’ll match anyone. We know exactly what to expect from them.
“We have to be compact as a unit, work together and give everything. We’ve got to have that quality there to come away with anything from the game.”
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