
Mitch Megginson wants Cove Rangers to convert more of their chances when they face Auchinleck Talbot in the Scottish Cup second-round replay.
The Highland League champions travel to Beechwood Park tomorrow to face the Scottish Junior Cup holders.
Cove were frustrated to draw 1-1 at Balmoral Stadium last Saturday. In the game they passed up some good opportunities.
Jordon Brown hit a post when the Granite City team were 1-0 up and Jamie Masson passed up a great chance just after Talbot had equalised.
Megginson scored Cove’s goal in the first game and hopes they can take more of the chances they create in the replay.
The striker said: “Taking your chances is important because we could have been 2-0 up or 2-1 up straight after they score.
“Then it is more comfortable, but at 1-0 you are never secure until the final whistle.
“If we had taken our chances last Saturday then we would have been a lot more comfortable. It was disappointing, but we can’t score lots of goals in every game.
“And we’re not out of the tie. We’ve still got tomorrow’s game and we’re looking to take our chances to get through.”
Having played each other on Saturday both sides know what to expect and Megginson believes being aware of Talbot’s strengths can help Cove in Ayrshire.
He added: “It can help us that we already know what they are going to be about.
“They will be pumping balls up to the striker, they don’t really play too much football.
“We know to expect that again. Last Saturday we had chances in the game and I think we maybe stopped playing our own game to an extent.
“That was maybe through pressure from them, so credit to them because they played well and pressed us high.
“This Saturday it will be a different game but I still think we need to get the ball down and play our football.”
The winner of tomorrow’s replay will face Fraserburgh at Bellslea in round three.
After enjoying a run to the fifth round last term – where they faced Falkirk – Megginson is keen for Cove to avoid an exit in their first tie of the competition this campaign and that’s why he does not want to look beyond the replay with Talbot.
He said: “We had a good run in the cup last year and we played Airdrie and Falkirk, both SPFL sides.
“Some boys haven’t had the chance to do that in their careers so this is where you get the opportunity in the Scottish Cup.
“Nobody wants to go out in the first round they enter.
“It’s a great chance to get through and if we do get through we’ll face a hard Fraserburgh team but it will be another great chance to progress.
“For the club there is the financial gain for getting into the third and fourth rounds.
“But we are only focused on Saturday because the worst thing we can do is look ahead.”