Cove Rangers have sacked boss Jim McIntyre following Monday’s heavy 6-1 Championship defeat at Inverness Caledonian Thistle – with chairman Keith Moorhouse labelling it a “tough” but “correct” call.
McIntyre, 50 – who only took over at last term’s League One winners in the summer after former manager Paul Hartley left the Balmoral Stadium for Hartlepool United – leaves with Cove sitting eighth in their first season at second-tier level.
A club statement read: “Cove Rangers can this afternoon announce that we have parted company with manager Jim McIntyre with immediate effect.
“The decision follows yesterday’s 6-1 defeat in Inverness and comes at a time when we sit in eighth place in the cinch Championship.
“Chairman Keith Moorhouse says it was a tough call to make, but one which he believes is correct with the second half of the season to come, and a hugely important transfer window upon us during the month of January.”
A quote in the statement from Cove chief Moorhouse said: “We would like to take this opportunity to thank Jim for his hard work and wish him all the best for the future.”
In announcing the news, Cove added the club “will now take the necessary steps to appoint a new first-team manager” and “no further comment will be made at this stage”.
It is as yet unclear when or if McIntyre’s assistant Jimmy Boyle will follow him out of the door at Cove.
Also unclear is who Moorhouse and the rest of the club’s board will pinpoint as McIntyre’s successor – although Hartley, who led Cove to both League Two and League One titles in just three seasons, remains out of work after departing Hartlepool in September.
However, the club are expected to make an appointment ahead of their home game with Championship leaders Queen’s Park on Saturday.
Heavy loss in Highlands signals end for McIntyre after mixed bag so far for Cove this term
This term, Cove – having entered the majority full-time Championship as a part-time side – are experiencing their most challenging season since gaining promotion to the SPFL from the Highland League in 2019.
On Monday, Jack Sanders headed Cove in front at Inverness, but a Billy Mckay double, including a spot-kick, and a goal from Danny Devine put ICT in control at the break.
Early own goals in the second half from substitute Kyle McClelland and Scott Ross made it 5-1 to Inverness, before Billy Mckay’s hat-trick further added pain for the Aberdeen side.
Afterwards, McIntyre hit out at “silly” mistakes and “calamitous defending” from his side during periods of the painful defeat to Caley Thistle, however, he also pointed to the added strain placed on his squad in recent days after being robbed of Max Johnston (loanee recalled by Motherwell) and Charlie Gilmour (serious ankle injury).
In his post-match comments to The Press and Journal, now-departed gaffer McIntyre spoke about the struggle of other Cove stars like Connor Scully having to play out of position due to team-mates being missing at present, revealing his hopes of rectifying a shortage of bodies during the January transfer window.
He said: “There are things you can get away with in the odd week, but when you have to rely on two or three players playing out of position, generally that catches up with you.
“We have to get players in for those positions and it will allow those boys who have been covering to move back to their strongest positions.”
Prior to their loss in the Highlands, Cove secured a valuable 2-0 December 23 league win at home to bottom side Hamilton Accies, having also drawn 1-1 with Partick Thistle at the Balmoral in their previous outing on December 3.
The draw against Partick was a painful one for Cove, though, with visiting keeper Jamie Sneddon heading a late leveller to deny the Granite City men victory.
There have also been other Championship matches this season – an 4-4 draw at Accies chief among them – where Cove have failed to win after holding a strong leading position.
Still, McIntyre also led Cove to wins against current top-two Queen’s Park and Dundee this term, while they remain in the Scottish Cup – with a fourth-round tie against Championship rivals Ayr United to come later in the month.
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