GAULDIE BRACE SETS UP FINAL FLOURISH

DEVERONVALE 3 COVE RANGERS 0

SCORERS: Gauld 40 & 75, Watt 77

Deveronvale ended the campaign on a high as they trounced former champions Cove Rangers at sun-kissed Princess Royal Park thanks to Stephen Gauld’s brace and a fine Graeme Watt solo effort.

The game played at 12 noon to allow fans and players alike to watch either of the televised Cup finals had a end of season feel to it but take nothing away from Anderson & Glennie’s boys as they totally outplayed their visitors and deserved to pick up the three points in what has been all in all a disappointing season.

Cove took a strong squad to Banff in what was also their final match of the campaign but elected to rest Eric Watson and Roddy Black as the duo were both one caution away from suspension while Lee Windrum played his last game for the Aberdeen side before moving away from the area and was nominated their captain for the day.

The Banffers were still without Mark Smith, Derek Milne, Bryan Dlugonski and Michele Lombardi added to the missing trio as he served an automatic one game suspension.

On a more positive note Mark Chisholm returned to partner Scott Fraser in defence and there were starts for young stars Stephen Gauld, Graham Rodger and Magnus Barclay.

Vale made most of the early running and Scott Fraser came close to making the hard work pay off with a close-range header which he couldn’t keep down off Graeme Watt’s flag-kick.

Calum Watson made a pest of himself all afternoon and Mark Chisholm had to look sharp to clear ahead of the striker as he looked to play a one-two with fellow forward Robbie Henderson deep in the Vale half.

With fifteen minutes on the clock Gary McGowan, again playing centre-mid, played in Graeme Watt but the relief striker completely miscued at the vital moment while Stephen Gauld blazed over the top after also being set-up by McGoo.

At the opposite end of the pitch Kevin Webster and Dean Lawrie combined on the left to set-up Calum Watson but the former Montrose striker side-footed over the top from 18-yards.

Mike McKenzie sent a long-range set-piece disappointingly wide while a similar scenario at the Bridge Street End saw Martin Johnston find the foot of Blanchy’s upright with a flicked header off Jamie Buchan’s cross, the ball rebounding kindly to Mark Chisholm as he thumped clear ahead of Robbie Henderson.

The homesters took the lead five minutes from the interval as they peppered the Cove danger area until the ball eventually went in following a Graeme Watt’s corner from the right.

Firstly the ball made its way through to Mike McKenzie at the back post and his driven strike flashed straight across the face of Lee Windrum’s goalmouth before reaching Watt once again and his second delivery was eventually poked home by Stephen GAULD from close range after Chiz’s initial effort was partially blocked. HT

Five minutes after the restart Graeme Watt had a decent shout for a penalty when he went sprawling to the deck under a challenge from behind by Martin Johnston but referee Sim waved away the loud appeals from the home players and fans alike.

Mike McKenzie showed great determination to dispossess Middleton way out on the touchline as the defender tried to let the ball run out of play but Mikee’s clever attempt on goal from a very difficult angle didn’t fool Windrum who had raced back to his line to avert any danger of the Vale striker finding the target.

Windrum was seriously tested by McKenzie minutes later when he showed a strong hand to turn the ball around the post as the Banffers started to pile the pressure on their visitors.

Cove went down to ten men when Dean Lawrie looked to go over on his ankle and couldn’t continue and with the visitors already having used the three regulation substitutes they were left to re-arrange their ten players to see the match out.

Vale made the extra man count soon after when Mike McKenzie picked out the run of Stephen GAULD, who had came close to getting in behind the high-line Cove rearguard on a number of occasions even before they were reduced in numbers, and the young winger finished off the move with a lovely dink over Windrum.

It was all over two minutes later when the homeside scored their third of the early afternoon with again Mike McKenzie the provider with a fine pass to Graeme WATT who still had a lot to do as he drove at the Cove defence, dropped his shoulder to the left and drilled a fine strike across Windrum and into the far corner.

A triple substitution late on from the home dugout saw Mike McKenzie, Graeme Watt and Gary McGowan withdrawn and replaced by Jack Meldrum, Craig Cowie and Chris Mountford but the young replacements still found enough time to carve out a hat-trick chance for sponsor’s man-of-the-match Stephen Gauld but he couldn’t keep his strike down from a decent position.

TEAMS:

VALE – Blanchard, Rodger, Dolan (cpt), Chisholm, Fraser, McGowan (C Cowie 84), Gauld, D Cowie, McKenzie (Mountford 84), Barclay, Watt Meldrum 84)

Subs not used: McKenzie (gk)

COVE – Windrum (cpt), McCulloch, Lawrie, Buchan, Stewart, Heads (Middleton 50), Webster (Reid 64), Johnston, Henderson (Milne 64), Watson, Livingstone

Subs not used: Hall, Mckenzie (gk)

OFFCIALS: C Sim, K Milne, M Milne

VALE STATS:

Shots on – 7

Shots off – 4

Headers on – 1

Headers off – 3

Blocked Efforts – 1

Corners Won – 7

Woodwork - 0

Offside – 9

Approx Attendance – 250

Last Season – 1-1

Ground Condition – Dry & Patchy

Overhead Conditions – Sunny

Temperature at KO – 13ºC