Brora Rangers midfielder Martin Maclean hopes the Cattachs can show they have learned from their two full-time tests by registering their first Betfred Cup points against Cove Rangers tonight.
Steven Mackay’s men went down 3-1 to top-flight side Hibernian at Easter Road last Wednesday, before suffering a 2-0 loss at home to Championship outfit Dundee on Saturday.
Although the Cattachs drew plaudits for their performances in both games Maclean is frustrated not to have got off the mark in the group, which he is eager to put right against their former Highland League rivals.#
Maclean said: “We lost against Hibs but we came away with a lot of positives from the game. We had a quick turnaround for the Dundee game and I thought our fitness was good, but we just didn’t do ourselves justice.
“It shows what is expected from us. We think we’ve got players that can hurt teams. We can’t be too hard on ourselves, because we are a part-time Highland League team playing against one of the favourites for the Championship this season, but it was a bit disappointing.
“It was a good test coming up against the likes of Charlie Adam. I bet he didn’t expect his Dundee debut to be up at Dudgeon Park after some of the stadiums he has played at.
“It’s always good coming up against better players – there is always something to learn.”
Maclean knows his side will be underdogs once again when they face newly promoted League One side Cove, adding: “The games don’t get any easier – Cove are a team we know quite well. They have made a few changes from when they were in the Highland League, but they are another good team who are on the rise.
“Hopefully we can fashion a bit more, create some more chances and try to get a positive result.”
Meanwhile, Cove Rangers’ Leighton McIntosh reckons their performance against Hibernian on Saturday will stand them in good stead for the remainder of the season.
The newly-promoted side took the lead against the Hibees through Dan Higgins, before second-half goals from Jamie Gullan and Kevin Nisbet turned the game in their favour.
McIntosh said: “It was a tough start to the season but I thought we handled it really well. We started really positively and didn’t let them settle. We were pressing them high and performance-wise I thought we did really well.
“I think first and foremost we needed to defend but the gaffer said when we get the ball, do what we’re good at and show our quality. I think we did that and we were just unlucky not to get another goal.
“It was a good battle with Lewis Stevenson – anywhere I went he was there. But it was a good workout for myself and it was unlucky I wasn’t able to get a goal or help the team get a result.”
McIntosh is wary of the challenge the Highland League champions Brora will pose but is confident Cove have the quality in their squad to cope.
He added: “Going anywhere to play an away game is going to be a little bit tougher. I’m fully confident we’ve got the players in the squad to get results and keep that level we showed on Saturday.
“The boys have worked brilliantly in pre-season and the manager and fitness coach has seen the boys have put the effort in. You saw on Saturday our fitness levels. We’ve got a really strong squad and every position us up for challenges, so I think we can keep it fresh at all times.”