2025–26 Cove Rangers F.C. season
| 2025–26 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Keith Moorhouse | |||
| Manager | Paul Hartley | |||
| Stadium | Balmoral Stadium (Capacity: 2,602) | |||
| League One | 8th | |||
| Scottish Cup | Fourth round | |||
| League Cup | Group Stage | |||
| Challenge Cup | Round of 32 | |||
| Top goalscorer | League: Mitch Megginson (8) All: Mitch Megginson (13) | |||
| Highest home attendance | 811 vs. Falkirk (19 July 2025) | |||
| Lowest home attendance | 164 vs. Hibernian B (23 September 2025) | |||
|
| ||||
The 2025–26 season is Cove Rangers's third consecutive season in the third tier of Scottish football, having been relegated from the Scottish Championship at the end of the 2022–23 season.
Season review
May
On 22 May 2025, Cove Rangers announced the departure of club legend Connor Scully.[1] 6 days later, Cove announced the departure of Myles Gaffney, Finlay Murray and Nick Suman following the expiration of their contracts, and Adam Emslie, Dylan Lobban, Findlay Marshall and Liam Parker returned to their parent clubs.[2]
June
On the 12th June, William Gillingham left the club,[3] Blair Yule signed a new contract,[4] as did Michael Doyle.[5] Declan Glass signed a new contract 4 days later.[6] Goalkeeper Balint Demus left the club one day later on June 17.[7] 9 days later, Cove made their first signing of the new season with Robbie Mutch joining.[8] Two days later, Cove made a triple signing with Liam Parker,[9] David Eguaibor[10] and Layton Bisland[11] all joining the club.
July
On the 11th July Balint Demus returned despite being on trial with Dunfermline Athletic.[12] On the same day, Mackenzie Strachan joined the club having featured in pre season friendlies as a trialist.[13] On the 12th, Cove played Aberdeen in a friendly in front of a record crowd at Balmoral, losing 2–0.[14] On the 13th July, Jack Robertson was loaned out to Rothes.[15] On the 18th July, Cove signed Justin Eguaibor.[16] A day later, Cove secured a 0–0 draw against Scottish Premiership side Falkirk in the League Cup, however, they lost on penalties and failed to gain a bonus point.[17] A week later, Cove were knocked out of the League Cup following a 2–1 defeat to Queen's Park in the final group game.[18]
August
On August 15, Cove agreed a co-operation agreement with St Johnstone and signed Jackson Mylchreest on loan as part of this agreement.[19]
September
On the 4th September, Cove signed Lewis O'Donnell from Dundee United on a loan deal until January, a much needed signing with Cove having just 2 players on the bench for their league game against Hamilton Academical 5 days prior.[20] On the 26th September, Adam Emslie returned on loan from Ross County,[21] while Milosz Ochmanski left the club to join Inverurie Locos.[22]
October
On October 16, Reuben McAllister returned to the club.[23] On the 25th October, Cove finally secured this first win in the league, a 3–0 triumph against Montrose.[24]
November
On the 22nd November, Chris Maguire made his debut against Alloa Athletic but this wasn't announced until the 29th where Greg Stewart was also announced.[25] On the same day, Cove upset St Johnstone securing a 2–1 win after extra time at McDiarmid Park.[26]
December
On the 16th December, Cove were knocked out of the Challenge Cup after losing 2–1 at home to Partick Thistle.[27]
January
On the 23rd January, Cove entered a co-operation agreement with Aberdeen. As part of this agreement three players joined on a co-operation loan, Joseph Teasdale, Cooper Masson and Lewis Carrol.[28]
Squad
- As of 16 December 2025
| No. | Name | Nationality | Position | Apps. | Goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | ||||||
| 1 | Robbie Mutch | GK | 21 | 0 | ||
| 21 | Balint Demus | GK | 42 | 0 | ||
| Defenders | ||||||
| 2 | Layton Bisland | DF | 27 | 1 | ||
| 3 | Michael Doyle | DF | 96 | 3 | ||
| 6 | Justin Eguaibor | DF | 25 | 0 | ||
| 7 | Ryan Harrington | DF | 76 | 3 | ||
| 15 | Arron Darge | DF | 92 | 3 | ||
| 32 | Liam Parker | DF | 52 | 1 | ||
| Midfielders | ||||||
| 4 | MacKenzie Strachan | MF | 28 | 0 | ||
| 8 | Blair Yule | MF | 246 | 14 | ||
| 10 | Declan Glass | MF | 73 | 13 | ||
| 17 | Reuben McAllister | MF | 20 | 1 | ||
| 22 | Lewis O'Donnell | MF | 17 | 2 | ||
| 24 | Fraser Fyvie | MF | 164 | 30 | ||
| 25 | Mikey Milnes | MF | 4 | 0 | ||
| 26 | Greg Stewart | MF | 2 | 0 | ||
| Forwards | ||||||
| 9 | Mitch Megginson | FW | 395 | 236 | ||
| 14 | Jackson Mylchreest | FW | 15 | 2 | ||
| 18 | Adam Emslie | FW | 52 | 16 | ||
| 20 | David Eguaibor | FW | 28 | 11 | ||
| 77 | Chris Maguire | FW | 5 | 0 | ||
| Loaned out | ||||||
| 11 | Grady McGrath | FW | 30 | 2 | ||
| 19 | Cole Donaldson | MF | 7 | 0 | ||
| 23 | Jack Robertson | GK | 0 | 0 | ||
| Players who left during the season | ||||||
| — | Milozs Ochmanski | DF | 10 | 0 | ||
Transfers
In
| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | From | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 June 2025 | GK | Robbie Mutch | Unattached | Free | |
| 27 June 2025 | DF | Liam Parker | Unattached | Free | |
| 27 June 2025 | FW | David Eguaibor | Unattached | Free | |
| 27 June 2025 | DF | Layton Bisland | Unattached | Free | |
| 11 July 2025 | GK | Balint Demus | Unattached | Free | |
| 11 July 2025 | MF | MacKenzie Strachan | Unattached | Free | |
| 18 July 2025 | DF | Justin Eguaibor | Unattached | Free | |
| 16 October 2025 | MF | Reuben McAllister | Unattached | Free | |
| 29 November 2025 | FW | Chris Maguire | Unattached | Free | |
| 29 November 2025 | MF | Greg Stewart | Unattached | Free |
Loans in
| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | From | Date to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 August 2025 | FW | Jackson Mylchreest | St Johnstone | 1 January 2026 | |
| 4 September 2025 | MF | Lewis O'Donnell | Dundee United | End of season | |
| 26 September 2025 | FW | Adam Emslie | Ross County | End of season | |
| 23 January 2026 | FW | Cooper Masson | Aberdeen | End of season | |
| 23 January 2026 | MF | Joseph Teasdale | Aberdeen | End of season | |
| 23 January 2026 | DF | Lewis Carroll | Aberdeen | End of season |
Out
| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | To | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 September 2025 | DF | Milosz Ochmanski | Inverurie Locos | Undisclosed |
Loans out
| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | To | Date to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 July 2025 | GK | Jack Robertson | Rothes | End of season | |
| 25 July 2025 | FW | Grady McGrath | Brechin City | End of season | |
| 21 November 2025 | MF | Cole Donaldson | Buckie Thistle | End of season |
Friendlies
| 28 July 2025 | Cove Rangers | 3-1 | Banks O'Dee | Aberdeen |
| Trialist 33' Trialist 69' McGrath 85' |
Alexander 44' | Stadium: Balmoral Stadium |
| 1 July 2025 | Cove Rangers | 4-1 | Inverurie Locos | Aberdeen |
| 15:00 | 62' 80' 83' 88' |
Bolton 38' | Stadium: Balmoral Stadium |
| 5 July 2025 | Cove Rangers | 6-0 | Turriff United | Aberdeen |
| 13:00 | Glass 8', 17' Fyvie 29' McGrath 38' D. Eguaibor 51' Megginson 57' |
Stadium: Balmoral Stadium |
| 12th July 2025 | Cove Rangers | 0-2 | Aberdeen | Aberdeen |
| 13:00 | Devlin 33' Palaversa 90' |
Stadium: Balmoral Stadium |
Competitions
Overview
| Competition | First match | Last match | Starting round | Final position | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
| League One | 2 August 2024 | 2 May 2025 | Matchday 1 | 17 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 12 | 23 | −11 | 11.76 | |
| Scottish Cup | 29 November 2025 | 17 January 2026 | Third Round | Fourth Round | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 50.00 |
| League Cup | 15 July 2025 | 26 July 2025 | Group Stage | Group Stage | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 50.00 |
| Challenge Cup | 12 August 2025 | 16 December 2025 | Group stage | Round of 32 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 8 | +2 | 28.57 |
| Total | 30 | 7 | 7 | 16 | 30 | 35 | −5 | 23.33 | ||||
Last updated: 16 December 2025
Source: [1]
League One
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Montrose | 30 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 42 | 55 | −13 | 38 | |
| 7 | East Fife | 30 | 8 | 6 | 16 | 29 | 54 | −25 | 30 | |
| 8 | Cove Rangers | 30 | 6 | 10 | 14 | 34 | 39 | −5 | 28 | |
| 9 | Hamilton Academical | 30 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 46 | 34 | +12 | 25[a] | Qualification for the League One play-offs |
| 10 | Kelty Hearts | 30 | 3 | 10 | 17 | 25 | 56 | −31 | 19 | Relegation to League Two |
Updated to match(es) played on 21 March 2026. Source: [29]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Play-off (only for deciding promotion, play-off participation and relegation).[30]
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Play-off (only for deciding promotion, play-off participation and relegation).[30]
Notes:
- ^ Hamilton Academical were deducted six points for breaching SPFL rules regarding amateur players, a further nine points for failing to hold at least a bronze level licence and then six more points for failing to pay players' wages on time.
Results summary
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 28 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 31 | 36 | −5 | 26 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 13 | 17 | −4 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 18 | 19 | −1 |
Last updated: 11 March 2026.
Source: SPFL
Results
| 2 August 2025 1 | Cove Rangers | 0-2 | Queen of the South | Aberdeen |
| 15:00 | Darge 12' Parker 39' Yule 55' Doyle 82' Bisland 87' |
Guthrie 19' Kennedy 41', 80' Stewart 68' |
Stadium: Balmoral Stadium Attendance: 402 Referee: Joel Kennedy |
| 9 August 2025 2 | Stenhousemuir | 1-0 | Cove Rangers | Stenhousemuir |
| 15:00 | Carrick 6' Meechan 78' |
Darge 49' Doyle 72' Doherty 73' D. Eguaibor 88' |
Stadium: Ochilview Park Attendance: 429 Referee: Graham Grainger |
| 16 August 2025 3 | Cove Rangers | 3-3 | Montrose | Aberdeen |
| 15:00 | D. Eguaibor 8', 42', 59', 90+4' Yule 55' Bisland 64' Mylchreest 86' |
Loudon 5', 68' Bertie 22' Smith 47' Sandilands 56' |
Stadium: Balmoral Stadium Attendance: 431 Referee: Duncan Nicolson |
| 23 August 2025 4 | Peterhead | 3-1 | Cove Rangers | Peterhead |
| 15:00 | Barry 10' Shanks 26' Smith 72' Brown 79' Forrest 86' |
Doyle 13' Bisland 52' D. Eguaibor 62' Yule 67', 72' Megginson 72' |
Stadium: Balmoor Stadium Attendance: 897 Referee: Daniel Graves |
| 30 August 2025 5 | Hamilton Academical | 0-0 | Cove Rangers | Cumbernauld |
| 17:30 | Megginson 73' | Stadium: Broadwood Stadium Attendance: 238 Referee: Ross Nelson |
| 13 September 2025 6 | Cove Rangers | 0-1 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | Aberdeen |
| 17:30 | Mylchreest 22' Megginson 45' Parker 86' D. Eguaibor 90+6' |
MacLeod 66' Stewart 80' Sole 90+4' |
Stadium: Balmoral Stadium Attendance: 456 Referee: Alistair Grieve |
| 20 September 2025 7 | Alloa Athletic | 2-1 | Cove Rangers | Alloa |
| 15:00 | Roberts 11' Devine 37' Hetherington 89' |
Megginson 69' Doyle 87' D. Eguaibor 90+2' |
Stadium: Indodrill Stadium Attendance: 513 Referee: Graham Grainger |
| 27 September 2025 8 | Cove Rangers | 0-2 | Kelty Hearts | Aberdeen |
| 15:00 | J. Eguaibor 2' Parker 22' Darge 33' |
Murray 2' (pen.) Diack 31' Clay 60' Adamson 88' Teasdale 90' Carrol 90+1' |
Stadium: Balmoral Stadium Attendance: 376 Referee: Josh Hay |
| 4 October 2025 9 | East Fife | 2-0 | Cove Rangers | Methil |
| 15:00 | Millar 5' Munro 51' McKenna 87' |
Darge 82' | Stadium: Bayview Stadium Attendance: 620 Referee: Gary Hanvidge |
| 18 October 2025 10 | Cove Rangers | 0-1 | Stenhousemuir | Aberdeen |
| 15:00 | Megginson 43' Parker 47' Bisland 81' O'Donnell 90' |
Bilham 2' Aitken 48' (pen.) Carrick 55' McGill 84' |
Stadium: Balmoral Stadium Attendance: 347 Referee: George Calder |
| 25 October 2025 11 | Montrose | 0-3 | Cove Rangers | Montrose |
| 15:00 | Bisland 43', 89' D. Eguaibor 58' O'Donnell 73' |
Stadium: Links Park Attendance: 593 Referee: Stewart Luke |
| 1 November 2025 12 | Cove Rangers | 1-2 | Peterhead | Aberdeen |
| 15:00 | O'Donnell 30' Yule 65' Parker 90+3' |
Jack Brown 7' Jason Brown 63' Smith 71' Barry 79' Goldie 81' |
Stadium: Balmoral Stadium Attendance: 621 Referee: Cameron Stirling |
| 8 November 2025 13 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | 1-0 | Cove Rangers | Inverness |
| 15:00 | Robertson 18' | Yule 33' | Stadium: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 2,102 Referee: Gary Hanvidge |
| 15 November 2025 14 | Cove Rangers | 2-1 | Hamilton Academical | Aberdeen |
| 15:00 | D. Eguaibor 38' Megginson 43', 58' |
Shaw 40' | Stadium: Balmoral Stadium Attendance: 463 Referee: Alastair Mather |
| 22 November 2025 15 | Cove Rangers | 0-0 | Alloa Athletic | Aberdeen |
| 15:00 | Bisland 22' O'Donnell 59' Yule 62' Megginson 69' |
Scougall 16' | Stadium: Balmoral Stadium Attendance: 467 Referee: Joel Kennedy |
| 6 December 2025 16 | Queen of the South | 1-1 | Cove Rangers | Dumfries |
| 15:00 | Douglas 88' | Emslie 43' Harrington 52' Yule 75' |
Stadium: Palmerston Park Attendance: 665 Referee: Iain Snedden |
| 13 December 2025 17 | Cove Rangers | 0-1 | East Fife | Aberdeen |
| 15:00 | Nicol 85' | Stadium: Balmoral Stadium Attendance: 652 Referee: Josh Hay |
| 20 December 2025 18 | Kelty Hearts | 2-5 | Cove Rangers | Kelty |
| 15:00 | O'Ware 19', 90' Diack 32', 79' |
Emslie 8' Harrington 37' Doyle 67' Megginson 76', 85' O'Donnell 82' |
Stadium: New Central Park Referee: Duncan Williams |
| 27 December 2025 19 | Peterhead | 0-4 | Cove Rangers | Peterhead |
| 15:00 | Brown 69' Forrest 81' |
Megginson 3', 69' (pen.) O'Donnell 30' Maguire 77' J. Eguaibor 81' |
Stadium: Balmoor Stadium Attendance: 906 Referee: Jamie Wilkie |
| 10 January 2026 21 | Cove Rangers | 0-0 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | Aberdeen |
| 15:00 | Parker 21' Maguire 70' D. Eguaibor 90+4' |
Savage 90+4' | Stadium: Balmoral Stadium Attendance: 575 Referee: Jordan Curran |
| 24 January 2026 22 | Hamilton Academical | 2-0 | Cove Rangers | Cumbernauld |
| 15:00 | Shaw 68' MacDonald 83' Bradley 85' |
Harrington 54' Doyle 77' |
Stadium: Broadwood Stadium Referee: Euan Anderson |
| 31 January 2026 23 | Alloa Athletic | 2-2 | Cove Rangers | Alloa |
| 15:00 | Gentles 8' Donnelly 90+3' |
Parker 63' Emslie 83' Megginson 85' |
Stadium: Indodrill Stadium Attendance: 509 Referee: Gary Hanvidge |
| 7 February 2026 24 | Cove Rangers | 1-1 | Queen of the South | Aberdeen |
| 15:00 | Yule 21' Fyvie 35' Parker 51' O'Donnell 67' Megginson 71' Carrol 83' |
Kennedy 2' Douglas 16' Lyon 45' Guthrie 63' Dickenson 83' |
Stadium: Balmoral Stadium Attendance: 516 Referee: Peter Stuart |
| 14 February 2026 25 | East Fife | 2-1 | Cove Rangers | Methil |
| 15:00 | Munro 56' Wilson 58' Oladipo 61' |
Megginson 9' | Stadium: Bayview Stadium Attendance: 576 Referee: George Calder |
| 17 February 2026 20 | Cove Rangers | 3-1 | Montrose | Aberdeen |
| 19:45 | O'Donnell 22', 84' Reuben McAllister 26' Yule 65' |
Steeves 37' Sandilands 72' |
Stadium: Balmoral Stadium Referee: Colin Steven |
| 21 February 2026 26 | Cove Rangers | 1-1 | Kelty Hearts | Aberdeen |
| 15:00 | J. Eguaibor 45' Harrington 72' Masson 83' |
Brydon 43' Clay 73' Fisher 80' |
Stadium: Balmoral Stadium Attendance: 440 Referee: Connor Ashwood |
| 28 February 2026 27 | Stenhousemuir | 1-0 | Cove Rangers | Stenhousemuir |
| 15:00 | Whyte 32', 51' Bilham 80' |
Darge 11' O'Donnell 45+1' |
Stadium: Ochilview Park Attendance: 416 Referee: Joel Kennedy |
| 7 March 2026 28 | Cove Rangers | 2-1 | Peterhead | Aberdeen |
| 15:00 | Yule 8' Maguire 66' Megginson 72' |
Smith 22' Forrest 52' Jones 84' Brown 90+4' |
Stadium: Balmoral Stadium Attendance: 695 Referee: Daniel Graves |
| 14 March 2026 29 | Inverness CT | 1-1 | Cove Rangers | Inverness |
| 15:00 | Stewart 39' Savage 80' |
Maguire 43' Darge 90' Demus 90+4' |
Stadium: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 1,823 Referee: Jamie McCunnie |
| 21 March 2026 30 | Cove Rangers | 2-2 | Hamilton Academical | Aberdeen |
| 15:00 | Teasdale 66' Maguire 90+1' |
Darge 17' (o.g) Kilday 39' |
Stadium: Balmoral Stadium Referee: Graham Grainger |
| 28 March 2026 31 | Montrose | v | Cove Rangers | Montrose |
| 15:00 | Stadium: Links Park |
| 4 April 2026 32 | Cove Rangers | v | Alloa Athletic | Aberdeen |
| 15:00 | Stadium: Balmoral Stadium |
| 11 April 2026 33 | Queen of the South | v | Cove Rangers | Dumfries |
| 15:00 | Stadium: Palmerston Park |
| 18 April 2026 34 | Cove Rangers | v | Stenhousemuir | Aberdeen |
| 15:00 | Stadium: Balmoral Stadium |
| 25 April 2026 35 | Kelty Hearts | v | Cove Rangers | Kelty |
| 15:00 | Stadium: New Central Park |
| 2 May 2026 36 | Cove Rangers | v | East Fife | Aberdeen |
| 15:00 | Stadium: Balmoral Stadium |
Scottish Cup
| 29 November 2025 Third round | St Johnstone | 1-2 (a.e.t.) | Cove Rangers | Perth |
| 15:00 | Ikpeazu 24' McPake 72' |
Megginson 73', 83' Emslie 100' |
Stadium: McDiarmid Park Attendance: 2,024 Referee: Chris Graham |
| 17 January 2026 Fourth round | Kelty Hearts | 1-1 (a.e.t.) (5-3 p) | Cove Rangers | Kelty |
| 15:00 | Clay 39', 118' J. Eguaibor 62' (o.g) Graham 90+3' |
Strachan 28' Megginson 42', 117' Doyle 90+1' Darge 90+3' D. Eguaibor 98' |
Stadium: New Central Park Attendance: 393 Referee: Dan McFarlane | |
| Penalties | ||||
| Moore Pettifer Arnott Graham Fisher |
Megginson Yule D. Eguaibor Emslie |
|||
League Cup
Group stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | FAL | COV | QPA | SPA | BRE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Falkirk | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 | +13 | 11 | Qualification for the second round | — | — | 3–1 | 4–0 | — | |
| 2 | Cove Rangers | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 7 | 0–0p | — | — | 1–0 | — | ||
| 3 | Queen's Park | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 6 | +3 | 6 | — | 2–1 | — | — | 5–0 | ||
| 4 | The Spartans | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 6 | — | — | 2–1 | — | 2–0 | ||
| 5 | Brechin City | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 17 | −17 | 0 | 0–7 | 0–3 | — | — | — |
Source: [31]
Rules for classification: 1) goal difference, 2) goals scored, 3) away goals scored, 4) matches won, 5) away matches won, 6) drawing of lots.[32]
Rules for classification: 1) goal difference, 2) goals scored, 3) away goals scored, 4) matches won, 5) away matches won, 6) drawing of lots.[32]
Results
| 15 July 2025 1 | Cove Rangers | 1-0 | Spartans | Aberdeen |
| 19:45 | Glass 5', 87' D. Eguaibor 64', 89' |
Nair 58' Watson 90+6' |
Stadium: Balmoral Stadium Attendance: 321 Referee: Jordan Curran |
| 19 July 2025 2 | Cove Rangers | 0-0 (2-4 p) | Falkirk | Aberdeen |
| 15:00 | Cartwright 78' | Stadium: Balmoral Stadium Attendance: 811 Referee: Grant Irvine | ||
| Penalties | ||||
| Glass Donaldson Parker Harrington |
Henderson MacIver Spencer Oliver |
|||
| 22 July 2025 3 | Brechin | 0-3 | Cove Rangers | Brechin |
| 19:45 | Sheridan 71' | D. Eguaibor 9', 37' Parker 34' Megginson 44' |
Stadium: Glebe Park Attendance: 353 Referee: Graham McNellie |
| 26 July 2025 4 | Queen's Park | 2-1 | Cove Rangers | Glasgow |
| 15:00 | Ruth 20' (pen.) Fowler 90+1' Waugh 90+5' |
Megginson 15' Darge 30' Strachan 81' |
Stadium: Lesser Hampden Attendance: 453 Referee: Daniel Graves |
Scottish Challenge Cup
Group stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Hamilton Academical | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 8 | +5 | 9[a] | Advance to Second round |
| 18 | Stirling Albion | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 9 | |
| 19 | Cove Rangers | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 6 | +3 | 8 | |
| 20 | Peterhead | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 8 | |
| 21 | Celtic B | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 15 | −3 | 6 |
Source: SPFL
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-to head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Play-off (only for deciding qualification).[33]
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-to head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Play-off (only for deciding qualification).[33]
Notes:
- ^ Hamilton Academical were deducted 1 point for breaching SPFL rules regarding amateur players.
Results
| 12 August 2025 1 | Cove Rangers | 1-1 | Spartans | Aberdeen |
| 19:45 | Yule 41' Darge 56', 87' Parker 70' Harrington 75' Doyle 90' Megginson 90+3' |
Walls 17' Dall 42' Stowe 81' |
Stadium: Balmoral Stadium Attendance: 256 Referee: Sean Murdoch |
| 26 August 2025 2 | Cove Rangers | 1-0 | Dundee B | Aberdeen |
| 19:45 | Yule 39' D. Eguaibor 70' |
Baird 16' Allan 39' Rooney 81' |
Stadium: Balmoral Stadium Attendance: 153 Referee: Lewis Hogarth |
| 6 September 2025 3 | Elgin | 1-0 | Cove Rangers | Elgin |
| 15:00 | Walker 30' Virtanen 72' |
Bisland 40' D. Eguaibor 56' Doyle 83' |
Stadium: Borough Briggs Attendance: 475 Referee: Stewart Luke |
| 23 September 2025 4 | Cove Rangers | 1-1 | Hibernian B | Aberdeen |
| 19:45 | Harrington 73' | Cleland 53' Bruce 67' |
Stadium: Balmoral Stadium Attendance: 164 Referee: Chris Gentles |
| 11 October 2025 5 | Cove Rangers | 5-1 | Dundee United B | Aberdeen |
| 15:00 | Mylchreest 22', 74' Megginson 25' D. Eguaibor 30', 48' |
Buchanan 57' Leiper 72' |
Stadium: Balmoral Stadium Attendance: 248 Referee: Daniel Graves |
| 11 November 2025 6 | Cove Rangers | 1-2 | Forfar Athletic | Aberdeen |
| 19:45 | Reuben McAllister 65', 87' Parker 90+3' |
Whatley 13', 36' Dolzanski 34' Mailer 86' McLinden 90+1' |
Stadium: Balmoral Stadium Attendance: 154 Referee: George Calder |
Knockout phase
| 16 December 2025 Round of 32 | Cove Rangers | 1-2 | Partick Thistle | Aberdeen |
| 19:45 | Emslie 3' Maguire 67' |
Turner 24' Samuel 27' |
Stadium: Balmoral Stadium Attendance: 389 Referee: Alistair Mather |
Squad statistics
Appearances
- As of match played 14 March 2026
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | League One | Scottish Cup | League Cup | Challenge Cup | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| 1 | GK | SCO | Robbie Mutch | 33 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | GK | HUN | Balint Demus | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | SCO | Layton Bisland | 38 | 1 | 25 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | SCO | Michael Doyle | 25 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 6 | DF | IRL | Justin Eguaibor | 33 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 7 | DF | WAL | Ryan Harrington | 40 | 1 | 28 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| 15 | DF | SCO | Arron Darge | 24 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 32 | DF | SCO | Liam Parker | 39 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 4 | MF | SCO | MacKenzie Strachan | 30 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | SCO | Blair Yule | 35 | 1 | 25 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 10 | MF | SCO | Declan Glass | 7 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | MF | SCO | Reuben McAllister | 18 | 2 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 22 | MF | SCO | Lewis O'Donnell | 29 | 6 | 23 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 24 | MF | SCO | Fraser Fyvie | 7 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | MF | SCO | Mikey Milnes | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 26 | MF | SCO | Greg Stewart | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | SCO | Mitch Megginson | 33 | 14 | 24 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 14 | FW | SCO | Jackson Mylchreest | 15 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| 18 | FW | SCO | Adam Emslie | 24 | 5 | 20 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 20 | FW | IRL | David Eguaibor | 38 | 11 | 26 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 3 |
| 77 | FW | SCO | Chris Maguire | 17 | 2 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Loaned out: | |||||||||||||
| 11 | FW | SCO | Grady McGrath | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | MF | SCO | Cole Donaldson | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 23 | GK | SCO | Jack Robertson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Players who left Cove during the season: | |||||||||||||
| — | DF | POL | Milozs Ochmanski | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Goal scorers
- As of match played 31 January 2026
| Ranking | Position | Nation | Number | Name | League One | Scottish Cup | League Cup | Challenge Cup | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FW | 9 | Mitch Megginson | 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 13 | |
| 2 | FW | 20 | David Eguaibor | 6 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 11 | |
| 3 | FW | 18 | Adam Emslie | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | |
| 4 | MF | 22 | Lewis O'Donnell | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 5 | FW | 14 | Jackson Mylchreest | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| 6 | DF | 2 | Layton Bisland | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| FW | 77 | Chris Maguire | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| DF | 3 | Michael Doyle | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| MF | 10 | Declan Glass | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| DF | 15 | Arron Darge | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| DF | 7 | Ryan Harrington | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| MF | 17 | Reuben McAllister | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| TOTALS | 24 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 42 | ||||
References
- ^ "A Legend Departs". 22 May 2025.
- ^ "End of Season Squad Update". 28 May 2025.
- ^ "William Gillingham Moves On". 12 June 2025.
- ^ "Yule Signs New Deal". 12 June 2025.
- ^ "Michael Doyle Agrees New Contract". 12 June 2025.
- ^ "Declan Re-Signs for 25/26". 16 June 2025.
- ^ "Demus Departs". 17 June 2025.
- ^ "Welcome to Cove: Robbie Mutch". 25 June 2025.
- ^ "Liam Returns to Balmoral Stadium". 27 June 2025.
- ^ "David Eguaibor Ready for Cove Challenge". 27 June 2025.
- ^ "Bisland Checks In at Balmoral". 27 June 2025.
- ^ "Balint Back on Board". 11 July 2025.
- ^ "Mackenzie Strachan Signs On". 11 July 2025.
- ^ "Credible Cove Showing in Front of Record Crowd". 12 July 2025.
- ^ "Jack Robertson Goes Out on Loan". 13 July 2025.
- ^ "Justin Eguaibor Agrees Cove Deal". 18 July 2025.
- ^ "Superb Cove Showing Secures Big Point". 19 July 2025.
- ^ "Cup Dream Over but Cove Pride Intact". 26 July 2025.
- ^ "Jackson Joins in Saints Tie-Up". 15 August 2025.
- ^ "Lewis O'Donnell Joins on Loan". 4 September 2025.
- ^ "Adam Is Back". 26 September 2025.
- ^ "Milosz Moves On". 26 September 2025.
- ^ "Reuben Returns". 16 October 2025.
- ^ "Classy Cove Clinch First League Win". 25 October 2025.
- ^ "Stewart & Maguire Sign Short Term Deals". X. 29 November 2025.
- ^ "MATCH REPORT: St Johnstone 1-2 Cove Rangers AET". 29 November 2025.
- ^ "Cove Rangers 1-2 Partick Thistle". 17 December 2025.
- ^ "Dons sign new Co-operation Agreement with Cove Rangers". Aberdeen F.C. 23 January 2026.
- ^ "League One Table". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
- ^ "The Rules of the Scottish Professional Football League" (PDF). SPFL. pp. 38–39. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
- ^ "Summary - League Cup". Soccerway. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ "Format". SPFL. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
- ^ "The Rules of the Scottish Professional Football League" (PDF). SPFL. pp. 38–39. Retrieved 21 July 2025.