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Cove Rangers see off Arbroath as Connor Scully brace earns overdue win

Connor Scully is congratulated by Blair Yule after scoring Cove Rangers' second goal against Arbroath. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson
Connor Scully is congratulated by Blair Yule after scoring Cove Rangers' second goal against Arbroath. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson

A brace from Connor Scully handed Cove Rangers their first win since the opening day of the season as they beat Arbroath 2-0.

The battle of the Championship’s two part-time sides, who were occupying the bottom places prior to kick-off, went Cove’s way after a pair of close-range finishes from Scully.

It lifts the Aberdeen side up to seventh, ahead of facing Dundee back at the Balmoral Stadium on Tuesday night.

Cove made six changes from the 1-0 defeat to Raith Rovers last weekend. Kyle Gourlay, Jack Sanders, Kyle McClelland, Shay Logan, Charlie Gilmour and Mitch Megginson came in for Stuart McKenzie, Morgyn Neill, Mark Reynolds, Iain Vigurs, Leighton McIntosh and Gerry McDonagh.

Both sides had just one win to their name prior to kick-off and were looking for something to get their season going.

Manager Jim McIntyre had spoken prior to the game about his side getting the early goal and for the first time since Raith Rovers on the opening day, they delivered.

Connor Scully heads in Max Johnston's cross to give Cove Rangers the lead against Arbroath. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson
Connor Scully heads in Max Johnston’s cross to give Cove Rangers the lead against Arbroath. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson

Luis Longstaff laid off Max Johnstone on the overlap and his cross to the back post was nodded home by Scully for his first league goal of the campaign.

Arbroath threatened in response, with Sanders making a last-ditch tackle to deny Dale Hilson and Gourlay required to parry away a Bobby Linn free-kick.

But Cove were on hand to double their lead on 34 minutes when Logan cut inside from the left and shot for goal, with Derek Gaston parrying it into the path of Scully to crash home his second.

They were close to a third five minutes into the second half after Cieran Dunne was released down the left and his cross was inches away from picking out Mitch Megginson at the back post.

Cove Rangers midfielder Cieran Dunne tries to get away from Arbroath's Dylan Tait. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson
Cove Rangers midfielder Cieran Dunne tries to get away from Arbroath’s Dylan Tait. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson

Dunne himself was next to threaten for the home side, chasing down Yule’s diagonal ball and seeing his effort deflected behind by the recovering Marcel Oakley.

Arbroath boss Dick Campbell made a quintuple substitution to try to spur his side into life but a Ricky Little header, which looped over the top, was as close as they came. They did have two penalty appeals in the second period, for handballs against Charlie Gilmour and Logan, which were ignored by referee Euan Anderson.

The elusive hat-trick for Scully would not come, with Gaston doing enough to keep him at bay during a goal-mouth scramble, and a glaring late miss from Colin Hamilton summed up Arbroath’s day.

COVE RANGERS (4-3-3) – Gourlay 6; Johnston 7, Sanders 6, McClelland 6 (Ross 76), Logan 7, Yule 7, Gilmour 7, Scully 8, Longstaff 6 (Masson 82), Megginson 6, Dunne 7. Subs not used – McKenzie, Towler, Ross, McDonagh, McIntosh, Vigurs, Leitch, Reynolds.

ARBROATH (4-4-1-1) – Gaston; Oakley, Little, Hamilton, Hancock, Gold, Jacobs 6 (McKenna 64), Tait 5 (Shanks 64), Linn 6 (Corfe 64), Allan 5 (Bitsindou 64), Hilson 5 (Fosu 64). Subs not used – Gill, Isiaka.

Referee – Euan Anderson.

Attendance – 881.

Player of the match – Connor Scully.