Connor Scully’s double ensured Cove Rangers delivered a result in front of the TV cameras with a 2-0 win over Queen’s Park.
Scully took his tally in the Championship to seven – second only to Ayr United’s Dipo Akinyemi – in what was Cove’s first televised league game.
They were also indebted to a starring performance from returning stopper Stuart McKenzie as the Aberdeen side recorded their first victory in five games.
Cove made one change from the 4-4 draw with Hamilton Accies, with Stuart McKenzie recalled between the posts at the expense of Kyle Gourlay.
Long-serving stopper McKenzie was called into action immediately, blocking a Simon Murray shot with his feet.
It appeared to spur Cove into life and they found the net with their first attack. Luis Longstaff fashioned space for a cross on the right and delivered with accuracy, with Scully getting across Alex Bannon to stab the ball home.
The two sides met on four occasions in League One last season and the Spiders were unbeaten against Cove, winning once and drawing the other three. It was they who threatened next, with Jack Thomson’s effort from the edge of the box clung on to by McKenzie.
Cove remained a threat going forward though and Calum Ferrie was required to keep out Scully’s cross-shot and after Jack Sanders sauntered through the Queen’s midfield, he released Mitch Megginson but he skewed his shot over.
Longstaff had a glorious chance to double Cove’s advantage if he had sorted his feet out in time, however it allowed enough time for Ferrie to gather at his feet.
Patrick Jarrett wasted the visitors’ best chance of the first half, scooping over from eight yards under minimal pressure. Josh McPake’s sighter from 25 yards then drifted past the post with McKenzie watching on.
Cove were inches away from doubling their lead before the break with Longstaff’s pin-point centre met by Megginson but his volley just shaved the outside of the post.
There was still time for McKenzie to be called into action again before the break, turning Stephen Eze’s scuffed attempt, which came through a crowd of players, against the post.
Cove had a penalty appeal waved away at the start of the second half, after Longstaff cut inside and ran into Malachi Boateng. Referee Grant Irvine was unmoved.
McKenzie was called upon to keep out Jarrett from close-range before a lengthy pause in the game, after a clash of heads between Eze and Jack Sanders. The Queen’s Park defender was replaced, however Sanders went off the pitch before being deemed able to continue.
The home side had got joy from the Longstaff-Max Johnston combination down the right, with the on-loan full-back regularly pushing forward to supplement the attacks. On one occasion he managed to pick out Scully at the back post but he thrashed over.
McKenzie was certainly proving his recall was earned with another pivotal stop with just under 20 minutes to go, as he threw out a leg to block Murray’s strike.
Cove finally gave themselves some breathing space with 14 minutes to go as a superb pass from Blair Yule was met first time by Scully and his shot beat Ferrie into the corner.
It could have been three before the end, with Johnston’s slaloming run creating space for Yule but he missed the target from the edge of the area. Fraser Fyvie, making his return from injury as a substitute, headed a late corner narrowly over.
COVE RANGERS (4-4-2) – McKenzie 8; Johnston 7, Sanders 6, Reynolds 6, Logan 6, Longstaff 7, Yule 7, Gilmour 6, Scully 8, McDonagh 7 (Fyvie 80), Megginson 6. Subs not used – Gourlay, Neill, Masson, McIntosh, Vigurs, Leitch, Dunne.
QUEEN’S PARK (4-2-3-1) – Ferrie 6; Bannon 5, Eze 6 (Davidson 62), Kilday 6, Robson 6 (Akrobar-Boateng 72), Boateng 6, Thomas 6, Savoury 6, Jarrett 6 (Williamson 66), McPake 5, Murray 5. Subs not used – Heraghty, Naismith, Fox, Longridge, Kenny, Bruce.
Referee – Grant Irvine 6.
Player of the match – Stuart McKenzie.