Cove Rangers can take a giant step towards SPFL

Ladbrokes SPFL
3pm Saturday

Cove Rangers could take a giant step towards a place in the Scottish League following the first leg of their Ladbrokes League Two playoff tie against Cowdenbeath.

The Aberdeen side are desperate to get into the league for the first time in their 96-year history, particularly as they have a new stadium to move into, and they look to have a great chance of making it.

They ran away with the Highland League and have beaten senior sides Stenhousemuir and Airdrie in cup competitions this season, also giving Ladbrokes Championship side Falkirk a scare in the William Hill Scottish Cup.

Cove have a squad crammed full of players with league experience with ex-Aberdeen striker Mitch Megginson, who has netted a staggering 50 goals this season, the cream of the crop.

John Sheran's men demolished Lowland League champions Spartans in the playoff between the winners of the two main non-league divisions in Scotland so they should be raring to go.

Cowdenbeath have improved substantially since a horrific first half of the season and competed admirably towards the end of the campaign.

The Blue Brazil survived the playoff last year against East Kilbride by the skin of their teeth, but Cove are a better standard and can win at Inverurie Locos' Harlaw Park, the venue for the first leg.

In the Ladbrokes Premiership, Motherwell's players are competing for William Hill Scottish Cup final places and they can beat a St Johnstone side with precious little to play for.

Steve Robinson's men take on Celtic in a fortnight at Hampden Park and there's no chance of them easing up.

They're in decent form with just one loss in their last seven matches, which included an impressive 3-0 semi-final win against Aberdeen at Hampden.

St Johnstone failed to reach the top six for the first time in seven years this season and they have been decimated by injuries for much of the campaign.

Manager Tommy Wright has been forced to field youngsters and his weakened side haven't won any of their last four games.

The Lanarkshire outfit will be desperate to get back on track before the final against Celtic and a win would also all but seal seventh place, which is would earn £60,000 more for the cash-strapped club than eighth.

Recommendations
Cove Rangers
3pts 11-10 Hills
Motherwell
1pt 5-4 general

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