Cove Rangers enjoyed a strong first season in League One as they finished third in the standings and, therefore, qualified for the playoffs.
Although ostensibly a part-time team, their set up is a good deal more professional than many clubs at this level, and it showed for long periods of the season as Paul Hartley had his men genuinely challenging for the title for a long period.
Cove started the season brilliantly, carrying the momentum they had picked up last term impressively. Four wins followed without conceding a goal, but then they suffered a collapse and the shutdown of play probably saved them from suffering even more.
When they came back, they were a solid team but very unspectacular. Wins came by 1- or 2-0 margins, while there were a succession of draws, too. Ultimately, these draws would cost them getting closer to Partick Thistle at the top of the league.
Mitch Megginson was clearly the x-factor to their side once again this season. He mustered 15 league goals, which was a club-high tally. Indeed, between him and the often-injured Rory McAllister, they netted 24 goals in total. Beyond that, there was a desperate lack of success, and that is a clear area where an improvement can be made going forward.
The midfield, meanwhile, was technically very strong and was able to dominate matches against most teams due to their ball retention. At times, though, there was a tendency to go backwards and sideways too readily, with a lack of thrust to their play. Fraser Fyvie encapsulated this and it was a frustrating attribute of the team. In total, this area of their side scored only five goals – three from Jamie Masson, who was injured for the end of the season.
At the back, meanwhile, they were surprisingly strong, despite playing much of the season without a recognised right-back. Harry Milne, meanwhile, was strong on the left and it was a huge blow he missed out post-Christmas.
Cove, though, will be satisfied with what they produced this season, albeit with the ambition to perform even better going ahead.
