SPFL round-up: Ross County, Peterhead, Cove Rangers and Elgin City weekend previews

Ross County midfielder Jamie Lindsay explained why he’s playing with a smile so far this season.

Not only have County won both their League One games since being relegated in May, they breezed out of their Premier Sports Cup group to go through as a seeded winner.

The prize is Saturday’s trip to Championship hosts – and Scottish Cup runners-up last season – Dunfermline Athletic.

The 30-year-old rejoined the Staggies from Bristol Rovers last July, but it turned into a horror season with him not being part of pre-season and then suffering the pain of County finishing bottom of the Championship.

‘I’m enjoying my football again’

Now a key man in a side who are firing under Stuart Kettlewell, Lindsay feels fresh and determined.

He said: “The main thing for me has been getting fit.

“Last season, I missed pre-season and didn’t catch up at all, so I never felt like I was where I needed to be the whole season.

“I’m playing with a smile on my face again now, and I’m enjoying my football again.

“That is such a big difference, and I’m looking forward to it, which is the main thing.

“We started early with the training and running sessions. That’s what you want out of pre-season – but I haven’t really had that for the last two or three years.”

Focus on Dunfermline cup clash

Lindsay is confident County can have a go at Dunfermline to stand a chance of reaching the quarter-finals.

He added: “We won against Dunfermline up here and drew one, and then down there we lost badly, but we’re not going to look into that.

“The team is totally different this year compared to last year, we have a different mindset, so we need to go and impose our style on them.

“We need to run and tackle, do the basics to start with, and then go and play our game.”

Davies-Browne pleased to get Peterhead chance

Tobias Davies-Browne aspires to return to full-time football – but right now he’s delighted to be with Peterhead.

The 20-year-old defender signed for the Blue Toon last month after leaving Dundee and has featured in six of the Buchan club’s seven matches this term ahead of Saturday’s League One encounter with East Fife at Balmoor.

Although Davies-Browne would have liked to remain a full-time player, he is grateful for the opportunity he has been given by part-time side Peterhead.

He revealed former Blue Toon favourite Dougie Cameron – who had three spells with the club – played a part in his move to the north-east.

Davies-Browne said: “I was at Dundee for 12 years, but I came out of there this summer and I was looking for opportunities.

“The manager I had last season when I was on loan at Carnoustie Panmure, Dougie Cameron, put my name forward to Peterhead and I’ve loved it here.

“The boys have been really good and the managers have been good as well – hopefully my time at Peterhead can help me kick on in my career.

“I’m still young and I’ve got dreams and aspirations to get back into full-time football and Peterhead is a good platform for me to kick on.

“I know what I need to improve within my game and I’m determined to do that at Peterhead.

“It’s a good club and I’m grateful for the opportunity to play for Peterhead.”

Blue Toon feel-good factor

After getting their first win in League One last Saturday against Queen of the South and beating Banks o’ Dee in the KDM Evolution Trophy in midweek, Peterhead are in fine fettle ahead of facing East Fife.

Davies-Browne, who hails from Cupar in Fife, added: “I think there have been good signs in all the games this season and we’ve won the last two.

“Hopefully we can kick on and continue the positivity against East Fife.”

Cove Rangers face wait on Enem

Cove Rangers boss Paul Hartley is keeping his fingers crossed summer signing Victor Enem has not suffered a serious injury as he awaits the results of a knee scan.

The former Aberdeen academy prospect joined Cove on a one-year deal in the summer from Arbroath but will miss Saturday’s home game against East Kilbride.

Hartley said: “It looks as if Victor could be out for a while, too. He’s going for a scan as he took a bang on his knee on Saturday and we’re waiting to see how it is.

“Hopefully Dylan Ross will be back in the next couple of weeks, but that’s two full-backs we’re without.”

‘Tuesday was unacceptable’

Hartley is looking for a response from his side following their 4-2 KDM Evolution Trophy defeat at Stirling Albion on Tuesday.

Hartley knows his side will have to improve following a poor first half showing against the Binos as they face a Kilby side who they beat 3-2 last month in a Premier Sports Cup group match.

He said: “Tuesday night was not great at all.

“I made six changes as I felt there were players needing minutes, but the first half wasn’t acceptable from us.

“The second half was much better in terms of our play, but when you’re three goals behind, it’s difficult.

“We need to just get ourselves ready for Saturday and produce a 90-minute performance.

“We know how hard a game it will be against East Kilbride.

“When we played them here a few weeks ago, we were more than a match for them. We just need to cut out the mistakes. That’s where the problem’s been.

“It can take half a dozen games to find your rhythm, but there are still points at stake and we want to get as many on the board as early as we can.”

Scullion reckons Elgin City can be a match for any League Two opponents

Liam Scullion reckons taking Ross County to the wire is the latest indicator of progress at Elgin City, who host Kelty Hearts in League Two this Saturday.

The former Clyde attacker, who was signed by manager Stefan Laird this summer, was encouraged by their display in their KDM Evolution Trophy tie against League One visitors Ross County on Tuesday.

With Elgin looking just as likely to win it as County, Stuart Kettlewell’s team edged to a 2-1 victory with a stoppage-time goal from Adam Emslie.

Elgin, who have four points from their opening two League Two games to sit top, made six changes for the opening group tie, with County making 10.

To compete so well against full-time opponents who were relegated from the Championship in May shows the quality within the City ranks, according to Scullion.

He said: “There’s real competition for places.

“On Tuesday, we made a number of changes, and you would never know that such was the quality.

“No one can drop their standards here, otherwise someone else will come in.

“We know anyone can beat anyone in this league, and it will be the same against Kelty.

“If we play our game, and reach the standards we’re capable of, we can be a match for anyone in this league.”

‘We held our own against Ross County’

Scullion, 24, was delighted by how Elgin showed a positive attitude against the Staggies in midweek.

He added: “Ross County are a very good team.  They’re in a false league at the minute, to be honest – we held our own against them, though.

“Both teams were really going for it. It was like a basketball game, which was good as it showed we were not just sitting in and inviting pressure.

“Unfortunately, they were the team to get the second goal.”

[Source: Press and Journal]