Cove Rangers may sit at the foot of League 1 without a win in their opening six games, but the narrow results suggest they have been more competitive than their record shows despite some desperately trying circumstances of late.
Off-field Troubles
Cove’s difficult summer has included court battles with former sponsors and businesses over unpaid sums. Chairman Keith Moorhouse denied any suggestions of insolvency, with an agreement reached to settle one case for £105,000 but the Press and Journal reported in July that another sum of £35,000 was being contested in court. It’s not exactly pocket money figures and it will undoubtedly have contributed to the threadbare nature of the current Cove squad who rolled the clocks back to a previous era in their recent game against Hamilton by naming just two substitutes.
Alloa have had youth players to step into the breach in the expanded KDM evolution cup group stage fixture and have even had the luxury of numbers to allow Reece Mullen and Luke Watkins loans out to Tranent and Broxburn respectively to gain first team experience but Cove have no equivalent youth sides leaving them even more exposed in terms of fatigue and injury.
Form Guide
- League Cup: Wins over Brechin and Spartans and holding Falkirk goalless gave Cove a chance of qualification before Queen’s Park edged them out.
- League: 0 wins, 2 draws, 4 losses. 10th place.
- Challenge Cup: 17th of 30 teams – top 22 advance.
While Cove also made a slow start last season but soon picked up form to finish in the playoff spots, ultimately cursing the single-goal margin win in the Championship play-off final that saved Airdrieonians from relegation.
Alloa themselves struggled against bottom side Dumbarton last season, and Paul Hartley’s side will be aiming to emulate last year’s comfortable 2-0 win at the Indodrill, which ended the Wasps’ unbeaten start to the previous campaign. Alloa are on a run of just two wins in their last seven in all competitions so it feels like a pivotal fixture for both sides.
Key Man: David Eguaibor
New signing David Eguaibor is one to watch. The 21-year-old striker swapped part-time football at Cobh Ramblers in Ireland for full-time life in Aberdeenshire, aiming to follow in the footsteps of former Cove hitman Rumarn Burrell, who earned a move to Burton Albion after a prolific campaign and now plays internationally for Jamaica. He has hit the ground running with four goals in six appearances.
Other Summer signings
- Justin Eguaibor – Centre Back (23, Ireland)
- Robbie Mutch – Goalkeeper (26, Scotland)
- Liam Parker – Centre-Back (21, Scotland)
- MacKenzie Strachan – Midfielder (21, Scotland)
- Layton Bisland – Right-Back (21, Scotland)
- Lewis O’Donnell – Central Midfield (20, Scotland) – on loan from Dundee United (Premiership)
- Jackson Mylchreest – Centre-Forward (18, Scotland) – on loan from St Johnstone B
Last meeting
Alloa kept pace in the playoff race despite Cameron O’Donnell’s freak own goal put the Wasps behind. Queen’s Park loanee Magnus MacKenzie drawing the score level with his second strike in as many games.
