Cove Rangers boss Paul Hartley hits out at 'laughable' red card following 2-1 loss against Airdrieonians

Press and Journal

15-05-2025

Cove Rangers boss Paul Hartley intends to appeal the red card he was shown in the aftermath of his side's 2-1 defeat against Airdrieonians.
Cove left themselves with work to do in the Scottish Championship play-off final following a narrow 2-1 first leg loss at Balmoral Stadium.
Dylan MacDonald headed the Diamonds in front with only his second goal of the season, before Cove levelled through a Lewis McGrattan own goal.
Cove made a promising start to the second half, but Lewis Strapp gave Airdrie the advantage after 63 minutes.
Hartley was shown a red card after the full-time whistle by referee Lloyd Wilson for complaining about a late challenge between Airdrie goalscorer MacDonald and Cove substitute Connor Scully.
He said: 'It was laughable.
'I felt it was a free-kick for us so I approached the referee after the game.
'My player was there to witness it and so were the two linesmen.
'I said to them there were two teams on the pitch and I felt that was a free-kick to us, and I was shown a red card.
'If that is a red card, what has the game come to?
'There was no foul language – I just said it was terrible and there are two teams on the pitch.
'I am going to appeal that. That red card is out of order.'
Cove made only one change from the team who defeated Queen of the South 2-1 on Saturday, with captain Fraser Fyvie returning in place of the injured Adam Emslie.
Rhys McCabe's side, who finished second bottom of the Championship, earned their place in the play-off final with a 5-2 win on aggregate against Stenhousemuir.
The hosts made an encouraging start against an Airdrie side struggling to find their rhythm in the early stages, with Mitch Megginson's low drive blocked as they pushed for the opener.
But it was the visitors who broke the deadlock after 15 minutes when MacDonald was left completely unmarked to head home Adam Frizell's in-swinging corner.
Cove almost gifted Airdrie a second when Benjamin Wilson pounced on Will Gillingham's attempted headed back pass. He rounded goalkeeper Nick Suman, but Michael Doyle cleared the striker's attempt off the line.
McGrattan tested Suman from the edge of the area before Findlay Marshall shot over at the other end as both sides pressed for the crucial next goal.
It would fall Cove's way in the 34th minute with McGrattan diverting a Fyvie corner into his own goal.
This was no more than Cove deserved and they ended the half on top, with Declan Glass drawing a smart save from Cade Melrose in the Airdrie goal in the final minute of the half.
Cove continued to look the more likely after the interval, with Blair Yule's downward header hacked clear by Alex Bannon.
The home side had Airdrie penned in and Melrose was forced into action to keep out Fyvie's low drive from a well-worked corner.
Suman had to look alert at the other end to hold a Chris Mochrie attempt, before Cove almost took the lead in stunning fashion when Glass hit the crossbar with an audacious attempt.
But then, against the run of play, Airdrie took the lead again – Wilson doing well to cut the ball back to Strapp, who made no mistake.
Airdrie grew in confidence after the goal, with Cove bringing on Myles Gaffney for Megginson with eight minutes to go as they searched for a late equaliser.
Instead it was the visitors who looked the more likely to add to their lead, with substitute Lewis McGregor guilty of heading wide with the goal at his mercy.
There was an even bigger reprieve for Cove in the 88th minute when Frizzell's strike bounced back off the post with Suman beaten.