Jim McIntyre reckons Cove Rangers are starting to see the best of striker Gerry McDonagh.
The Cove boss has been fulsome in his praise of McDonagh, who endured a difficult start to life in the north-east.
McDonagh was short of fitness when he arrived at Cove and then broke his wrist in August against Queen’s Park.
He struggled to get back in the team until the game at Ayr United, where he scored his first goal for the club and followed that up with a clever backheel finish against Hamilton.
The former Nottingham Forest youngster revealed a fitness drive helped him get back on track and into McIntyre’s plans, with his performances starting to justify his manager’s faith.
“Like any striker you want a run in the team,” said McIntyre. “But it’s been so stop-start for him since he arrived with the wrist break.
“He’s been working hard. We’re a part-time club but he’s got a programme away from us that he’s been sticking to.
McDonagh making most of opportunity
“He knows with the chats that I’ve had with him what he needs to do, to get in and around the team. He’s got his opportunity now and he’s certainly taken it.
“The key now is for him to stay there, keep working hard and bringing that physicality and cleverness, as he’s shown with his couple of goals.”
McDonagh’s selection also seems to be getting more out of striker Mitch Megginson, who has been more of a goal threat of late after enduring a frustrating spell playing as a lone striker.
“Until we had the proper personnel available it was always going to be difficult to go with two strikers,” added McIntyre. “As we need legs in the team if we’re going to go that.
“At the time we were missing Blair Yule, who’s a massive player for us. It gave us a different choice to the good players we already had in the building.”
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