Annan Athletic 6 Cove Rangers 1: Annan Athletic put in a superb team performance against Scottish League Two leaders Cove Rangers to claim a 6-1 home win.

There was nothing to suggest Saturday's game would turn heavily in favour of the hosts as the match started superbly for the visitors who arrived at Galabank without two key players in Fraser Fyvie and top goalscorer Mitch Megginson. They went ahead with an early goal scored after only eight minutes after the visitors won a corner which Declan Glass took quickly to find Jamie Mason who fired in from an acute angle to beat Chris Smith.

The away team took the initiative and started to pressurise the Annan defence, playing some good football.

Scott Ross was at the end of a good move and his shot from outside the box brought out a comfortable save from Smith in the Athletic goal.

Minutes later, Cove were forced into making a substitution when Jamie Redman replaced Daniel Higgins.

Annan showed signs of recovery when Niyah Joseph finished a promising move with a good low shot, although Stuart McKenzie confidently saved.

Peter Murphy's men got the goal that levelled the game and gave the home crowd a real lift in the 27th minute when Nathan Flanagan latched on to a Broque Watson pass to finish with a brilliant lob over advancing keeper McKenzie.

It signalled a superb eight-minute revival from Annan when, two minutes later, Murphy’s men went ahead through a fine attacking move, ending with a fine challenge and run by Tommy Muir who won the ball on the right before picking out Watson who finished superbly.

The normally confident Cove defence were rocking and Annan, once again, broke through four minutes later to increase the lead to 3-1.

It was a superb run from Flanagan who turned Ross in the box, resulting in Flanagan being fouled and Annan were awarded a penalty. Muir converted with a low shot into the bottom left-hand corner.

Minutes later, Watson was correctly shown a yellow card for a dive in the box which led to Blair Yule also being shown yellow.

The second half started with Annan on the offensive and, in the 55th minute, Flanagan was fouled wide on the right which earned Harry Milne a yellow card. From the resulting free-kick, Steve Swinglehurst was brought down by Scott Ross who was booked, as Annan were awarded a second penalty which was, once again, converted by Muir to push Annan into a comfortable 4-1 lead.

Fraser Aird was unlucky not to pull a goal back in the 76th minute when his shot was cleared off the line by Matty Douglas.

It was all Annan as Scott McLean was unlucky to see his 77th-minute free-kick strike the crossbar.

A minute later, another penetrating move down the left ended with Muir sending Joseph in on goal and the on-loan Hamiton player finished with a superb strike.

Any chance of a late Cove revival were dealt a blow when Glass was shown a straight red for a bad tackle on former Workington Reds defender Douglas.

Annan brought on all three substitutes Lewis McLear, Jordan Holt and Russell Currie, on in the last 10 minutes and in the 88th minute, Cove’s misery was completed when Swinglehurst headed on McLean’s corner to Muir who prodded the ball home from close range to round off a great afternoon for Annan Athletic.