1st May 2018 The Spartans v Cove Rangers 2-1
Second leg of the playoff final with winner playing Cowdenbeath, bottom club in SPFL League 2 to decide who will be in SPFL next season. A bit of a nothing game really as Spartans had been beaten 4-0 at Highland League Cove on Saturday. I had intended to go to Cove on the Spartans supporters bus but had to call off on the Saturday morning due to a stomach bug. I don't think bus driver would have appreciated stopping every 30 minutes on the journey for me !
Spartans made a number of changes from the first leg with Jamie Dishington (who had been suspended), Gary Cennerazzo, Guillermo Lamarca, Craig Stevenson and Willie Bremner coming into the side. In addition to Dishington and Atkinson both Blair Carswell and Adam Corbett had come through the Spartans youth system which is I think a tribute to the way Spartans operate. The big danger to Spartans would come from Cove strikers Mitch Megginson and Paul McManus. Meggison, who scored his fiftieth goal of the season in the first leg, has SPL experience with Aberdeen, while thirty-five year old McManus has playing for a number of SPFL sides including East Fife.
I met up with Alex, Jim and Anton who was celebrating Celtics SPL championship win yesterday. We decided to watch the first half from the grassy knoll opposite the stand. While is was windy we were kept entertained by a group of Spartans fans stand next to us with one fan in particular appearing to have a 'down' on the referee judging by the comments he was shouting.
Spartans started the game well playing some nice football but were not troubling the Cove keeper. The wind was not helping the game with corners and free kicks being caught in the air and blown out of play. Blair Tolmie let out a tirade of abuse at his team mates after an early Spartans attack broke up. However minutes later his own attempted clearance caught in the wind and was blown out of play. Cove then began to get into the game and seemed to have more physical power and height than the Spartans side. Maybe it is due to the porridge they eat in the Highlands. Carswell made a couple of good saves before halftime to keep Spartans in the game, if not the tie. The best of these was when he tipped a shot from Megginson round the post.
At halftime we walked round to the stand side and took seats in the stand in an attempt to keep out of the cold wind. The second half started as the first had ended with Cove on the attack,. Carswell again saved from Megginson before Cove went ahead after around 67 minutes. McManus picked up the ball on the edge of the penalty box after a mistake by Corbett and fired a shot into the top of Carswell's net. That was the tie over, however Spartans kept fighting. Dishington headed home the equaliser from about twelve yards out from an Alan Brown cross after 78 minutes. Then with four minutes to go Atkinson reacted first after a Dishington shot from 25 yards was parried by McKenzie in the Cove goal to give Spartans a consolation victory. Alex then suggested that Spartans could still win the tie, although I think he was joking. The game ended 2-1 to Spartans however Cove go on to the play-off against Cowdenbeath to decide SPFL membership. I would not be surprised if Cove follow Edinburgh City's example of gaining SPFL status from the pyramid system.
After the game walked up to Ferry Road and caught a 27 bus home.
Spartans started the game well playing some nice football but were not troubling the Cove keeper. The wind was not helping the game with corners and free kicks being caught in the air and blown out of play. Blair Tolmie let out a tirade of abuse at his team mates after an early Spartans attack broke up. However minutes later his own attempted clearance caught in the wind and was blown out of play. Cove then began to get into the game and seemed to have more physical power and height than the Spartans side. Maybe it is due to the porridge they eat in the Highlands. Carswell made a couple of good saves before halftime to keep Spartans in the game, if not the tie. The best of these was when he tipped a shot from Megginson round the post.
At halftime we walked round to the stand side and took seats in the stand in an attempt to keep out of the cold wind. The second half started as the first had ended with Cove on the attack,. Carswell again saved from Megginson before Cove went ahead after around 67 minutes. McManus picked up the ball on the edge of the penalty box after a mistake by Corbett and fired a shot into the top of Carswell's net. That was the tie over, however Spartans kept fighting. Dishington headed home the equaliser from about twelve yards out from an Alan Brown cross after 78 minutes. Then with four minutes to go Atkinson reacted first after a Dishington shot from 25 yards was parried by McKenzie in the Cove goal to give Spartans a consolation victory. Alex then suggested that Spartans could still win the tie, although I think he was joking. The game ended 2-1 to Spartans however Cove go on to the play-off against Cowdenbeath to decide SPFL membership. I would not be surprised if Cove follow Edinburgh City's example of gaining SPFL status from the pyramid system.
After the game walked up to Ferry Road and caught a 27 bus home.
Teams
The Spartans: Carswell, Herd, Cennerazzo, Tolmie, Corbett, Brown, Atkinson, Stevenson, Lamarca, Dishington, Bremner.
Subs: Maxwell, Stevens, Greenhill.
Cove Rangers:McKenzie, Redford, Milne, Ross, Watson, Kelly, Park, Scully, Megginson, McManus, Masson
Subs: Robertson, Stott
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