Paul Hartley thinks patience is required as he remains upbeat about Cove Rangers’ League One season, despite a winless start.
The Balmoral Stadium outfit have picked up one point from their opening two matches, following a defeat at Hamilton Accies on the opening day before a 2-2 home draw with Falkirk last week.
Hartley’s side travel to Links Park on Saturday to face Montrose, who picked up their first win of the campaign against Annan Athletic.
Connor Scully is the only player from last season to be named in Cove’s opening two starting XIs, with the nine other outfield players being new signings, while goalkeeper Balint Demus spent last term on loan at Buckie Thistle.
Hartley refuses to make “excuses” for his rebuilt squad – having made 20 summer signings – but he remains upbeat about his side’s campaign.
Hartley said: “We don’t need to make any excuses about the team gelling, but it’s a new team. We’re two games into the season, so we’re not in panic mode.
“You’ve got to believe in the process and keep working. We’ve got good players and have key players who have been out missing.
“Mitch Megginson, Blair Yule, Fraser Fyvie have been out injured, and Paul McGowan was suspended last week.
“Once we’ve got all our players back, we have got a very strong squad.”
Megginson and Fyvie have returned to training – with the former to be assessed ahead of Saturday, while McGowan will return from suspension against the Gable Endies.
Hartley expecting ‘up and down’ season in League One
Of the three goals Cove have conceded over their opening games against Hamilton and Falkirk, two have been own-goals – and Hartley knows his side must cut out such errors in a league he is expecting to be determined by “fine margins”.
Hartley said: “It’s been disappointing the goals we’ve lost and the manner of them.
“With two of your players scoring own goals, it’s just about your body position and we’ve worked on that in training this week – about the ball coming into the box and how you defend it and where your body is.
“It was disappointing to lose the last-minute goal against Falkirk. It felt like a defeat, but there were a lot of plus points.
“We’re early into the season and we’re a new team, so it will take some time to gel, but this is League One. It’s going to be up and down for a lot of clubs.
“We’ve just got to keep working hard and doing what we’re doing, and I’m sure we’ll start picking up the results.
“If you win three or four games on the bounce in this league, you’re going to be doing very well.”
Hartley is expecting another challenging contest against Montrose, saying: “They lost their first game of the season (against Kelty Hearts), but then got a good result last week, and that’s the league for you – it’s very strong.
“They have always got a good frontline in Rory McAllister and Kane Hester, and they’re two players who know the division very well and know where the goals are.
“We’ve got firepower as well, but the games against Montrose have always been very tough.”
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