Cove Rangers manager Paul Hartley admitted he was bitterly disappointed by the lack of desire shown by his players in their 6-1 defeat by Raith Rovers.
The heavy defeat has left Cove sitting in eighth spot and only one point above Arbroath and bottom side Hamilton Accies but having played one game more.
Hartley said: “We didn’t do the basics.
“We didn’t compete, we didn’t match runners, we didn’t attack well and we didn’t defend well.
“It was really poor and I’m disgusted with that performance.
“We’re a team that’s fighting for our lives to stay in the league but we didn’t show that today.
“We competed well last week when we were playing a team that’s sitting at the top of the table but we made it too easy for Raith.”
🗣️ Post-match reaction from the manager.#CRFC pic.twitter.com/7p3IncoSXX
— Cove Rangers FC (@CoveRangersFC) March 18, 2023
The tone of the match was set in the fourth minute when a goalkeeping howler from Kyle Gourlay gifted Raith the opener.
Gourlay, standing in for the injured Scott Fox, made a mess of his goal kick with the ball falling to Raith striker Esmael Goncalves, who collected the ball just outside the centre circle before being allowed to advance unchallenged on goal before sending a delicate chip over the unfortunate Cove goalkeeper.
Hartley: ‘The players have to take ownership out on the pitch’
The visitors almost equalised with Cieran Dunne forcing a brilliant save from Raith keeper Jamie MacDonald.
Leighton McIntosh had the ball in the net only for his effort to be disallowed for a foul on MacDonald.
Rovers increased their advantage when Lewis Vaughan sent an angled shot past Gourlay just before the half hour.
The roof caved in on Cove dusting the early stages of the second half when strikes from Ryan Nolan and Dylan Easton put Raith 4-0 ahead and although there was a glimmer of hope when Jackson Longridge pulled one back, Vaughan’s penalty, after Longridge had brought down Easton, followed by a late goal from Scott McGill brought the curtain down on a day to forget for the visitors.
“The players have to take ownership out on the pitch,” said Hartley.
“If you don’t run hard and track runners, don’t compete, don’t win tackles, don’t win headers and don’t pass the ball properly then that’s an individual thing.”
The Cove boss admits he is looking to the experienced members of his team to take responsibility as they try to address a four-game losing streak.
📋 Here is your Cove Rangers team for this afternoon's @cinchuk Championship match versus @RaithRovers!
🧤 Goalkeeper Balint Demus has been recalled from his loan spell at Buckie Thistle due to the absence of Scott Fox.#CRFCLive pic.twitter.com/yna02IAhg2
— Cove Rangers FC (@CoveRangersFC) March 18, 2023
Hartley said: “We have a lot of experienced players in the team but that doesn’t always count for something.
“We didn’t have any leaders in the team, we didn’t do things properly and that’s a worry at this stage of the season.”
Cove, with only one victory from their last 13 games, have seven remaining fixtures ahead of them as they seek to prevent a swift return to League One, starting with a trip to Ayr United on Friday night.
Hartley said: “We need to find a solution for the next seven games.
“We played pretty well last week when we were away to Queen’s Park, the team at the top of the league, but that’s not enough.
“We need to win games and we can’t rely on anyone else to help us at this moment in time.
“The whole group – including myself – need to stand up and be counted.
“I take responsibility for the team, I pick the team, I coach the team.
“I asked them for a reaction at half time when we were 2-0 down but I didn’t get it. They need to show more fight.”
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