Mitch Megginson has been over the course before with Cove Rangers to know what a chaotic end to the season can look like.
During the 2017-18 season, when Cove were still a Highland League side chasing promotion, the fixture pile-up towards the end of the campaign left them crawling towards the line when the play-off fixtures came.
A mixture of postponements and rearrangements due to their cup commitments saw them play eight times in 22 days, followed by four play-off fixtures against Spartans and Cowdenbeath.
That kind of run would have tested the biggest of squads. But for a part-time outfit, it was a monumental ask.
Ultimately they fell short of their aim of getting into the SPFL then but achieved it a year later, this time in a less hectic fashion.
It may be why Cove are so keen to keep playing just now, even with a shortage of players. They were down to 14 players for the win over Peterhead last weekend, two of which were goalkeepers, but manager Paul Hartley indicated they were more than happy to go with that amount.
Points on the board and a manageable fixture list is preferable to playing catch-up with a big run of games at the tail-end of the season.
“From our perspective, we just want to keep playing. We are short on numbers with injuries and whatnot but we want to keep producing victories,” said Megginson.
“We don’t make any excuses. At the end of the day it’s our job to play football and we’re lucky to do that. Keeping the games on the Saturday and putting points on the board puts pressure on other teams around us.
“In the Highland League we’ve been in the position before, where we had heaps of games to catch up on. There was one week we played four times and I think we ended up winning the league that week.
“We’re a team that just gets on with it. We had it last season with four in a week. We know what it’s like and we’re keen to keep it Saturday-to-Saturday for as long as possible.”
Megginson sat out the Peterhead game due to suspension and while he has not the easiest spectator, the rest may prove beneficial to him for the next run of games.
He was able to watch on as goalkeeper Stuart McKenzie delivered a bizarre winning goal, even if striker Rory McAllister claimed the plaudits.
McKenzie is a quiet but dependable figure in the Cove dressing room but has shown in the past he has a penchant for goals.
“I don’t think I’ll ever score one from that range, that’s for sure,” said Megginson. “Stu is more interested in the clean sheets.
🧤😍 Starting off the New Year with a goal from keeper Stuart McKenzie!
📺 Watch the full highlights from Sunday's victory against Peterhead over on the Cove Rangers YouTube channel 👉 https://t.co/jpZlKx5Vy1 pic.twitter.com/y2HAfxXKny
— Cove Rangers FC (@CoveRangersFC) January 4, 2022
“He’s probably one of the quieter lads and goes about his business. He takes football seriously and he’s a top keeper.
“He’s always fancied himself for goals. We’ve got Rory and myself now on penalties but if we fail, he’s more than happy to step up and take on. I think he scored a few pens back in the Highland League days.
“We’ve built a strong defence and Stu is a vital part of that. The clean sheet run we’ve been on, it’s vital to our success. If we can shut up shop at the other side of the park, we’re more than confident we’re going to pick up maximum points.
“That comes from Stu at the back, who’s been a tremendous servant to Cove and excelled as we’ve stepped up the leagues. It’s great to have him back there.”
Cove take on Clyde this weekend with a five-point advantage at the top of League One. They were beaten at Broadwood earlier this season but are on a 13-game unbeaten run, which stands up against the best in Scottish football.
“They had a great result away to Falkirk and that’s what’s key in this league: teams go on runs at certain times,” said Megginson. “There’s not a bad team in this league, it doesn’t matter on your position.
“We went down there at the start of the season and were beaten 2-1, so you have to be at the top of your game every week when you’re playing top players.
“We’ll do our training and analysis to make sure we’re fully prepared.”