Lossie travelled to Aberdeen for their Scot-Ads Highland League fixture against Cove this weekend, and once again found that 90 minutes of hard work and effort counts for little if you can’t get things to go your way. Despite another solid showing, the Red Menace suffered the taste of defeat once again and the club looks destined to finish the season in second bottom place.

A sun-drenched Rainbow Taxis Park greeted the sides, with Lossie fielding a strong side and looking to make the most of the ‘full size’ pitch. The visitors could have taken an early lead through Muir, but following a fine cross from Middleton the former Aberdeen youngster headed over. On the quarter hour, Lossie had another chance to open the scoring but Morrison was called offside after running onto a Graeme Wilson pass which would had left him a free shot at former Lossie keeper Ivor Pirie.

The game was strangely subdued with chances at a premium, something of a rarity on Coves tight pitch where you are never far from goal. Coves first chance came from Keith Robertson who volleyed a Paul Coutts cross just over from a dozen yards.

The home side took the lead just after the half hour mark. Lossies defence had been beginning to wobble slightly and when Craig MACMILLAN found himself on the end of a Keith Robertson headed clearance, he volleyed home from 15 yards to open the scoring.

Lossie are made of stronger stuff these days, and worries about a collapse heading into the interval were forgotten about when the visitors levelled. Good work from Shewan and Rattray saw the latter play in Craig MORRISON who rifled home from a tight angle for his second goal in two games. 

As a reflection of the game, going into the break level was about as fair as possible, but Gary Clark almost gave the home side the edge, curling a free kick wide of the post as time ran out.

Half time – Cove Rangers 1 Lossiemouth 1

The second half revolved around two separate incidents. An officiating error handed Cove the opportunity to go ahead, before a disallowed strike for Lossie denied the visitors a second equaliser. 

The former came about as the ball rolled out for Lossiemouth throw in. As Grant Shewan went down for treatment on the pitch, the referee stopped the game and when play resumed, the officials appeared to have forgotten which way the throw went and as a Cove player was holding the ball, the home side were awarded the throw. Naturally, Cove forced a second goal from the following madness, with Masterton denying Macmillan with a fine point blank save before ROBERTSON finally put the ball away.

The game began to fade out after Cove went ahead, with Lossie still full of effort but lacking in ideas, and Cove strolled through portions of the half. The next chance, a Robertson header from close range, was well held by Masterton, who is proving himself a worthy replacement for McConnachie.

With just over ten minutes remaining, Lossie had the ball in the net again, as Rattray won an aerial battle with Pirie to flick home a Morrison cross. It was not to be as the referee, aided by his linesman, disallowed the effort to the dismay of the travelling support.

After that, it was more of the same, as Lossie pushed for a legitimate second goal, and Cove soaked it up with a minimum of effort, occasionally breaking forward to miss a sitter or two. Time eventually ran out on Lossies efforts to go through the season unbeaten against a team once public enemy number one in Lossie not all that long ago, but we can take consolation in an away goals victory over the two games. Well, I will anyway.

Full time – Cove Rangers 2 Lossiemouth 1

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