Annan Athletic striker David Cox is enjoying his best ever start to a season and the former Kilmarnock frontman is looking to mark his return to Ayrshire on Sunday by grabbing the goals that knock First Division side Ayr United out of The Ramsdens Cup competition.
The 22-year-old is on the best goalscoring run of his career with four goals in his last six games and he puts his surge in form down to the terrific team spirit that has been built up by The Scottish Football League’s newest member club.
Cox’s career actually began at Livingston where he was an Under-13 player, before being snapped up by the Rugby Park men and he was to be a full-timer for three and a half seasons.
He said: “I signed with Kilmarnock in 2005 and I made it to their first team. I made four substitute appearances and made my debut against Hearts in May 2008. I did not get as much game time as I would have liked as a Kilmarnock player and I suppose the highlight would have been a 30 minute appearance against Celtic at Parkhead.
“I left in the January of 2009 and went to the Third Division with Montrose when Kenny Black signed me. Steven Tweed came in shortly after that as Manager and I scored twice for them before leaving that summer.”
Lanark based Cox put out a few feelers about finding a new club and Annan Chairman, Henry McClelland, quickly got in touch about moving to Galabank with Cox saying: “I spoke to Henry and was invited down to train and things progressed from there.”
Cox’s first season saw him net five times as Annan ended their second season as a SFL club in eighth place and the progress they were making was more evident last season as they finished in fourth place and made it to the end of season Play-Offs. Alloa Athletic were relegated to the Third Division after losing 2-1 to Annan on aggregate in the Semi-Finals however, Albion Rovers consigned Harry Cairney’s side to another season in the Third Division after a 4-3 win in the two legged Play-Off Final.
It was a frustrating time for Cox who said: “We had done okay in my first season but last season we moved up a gear and got into the top four. I missed out on the Play-Offs as I had broken a bone in my foot and that was hard to take. A challenge on the top of my foot had caused a stress fracture, which I did not know anything about until one night in training when I put some weight on my foot, and it was discovered I had a broken metatarsal.
“It was really disappointing not to be involved and it was certainly annoying to be on the side-lines in the Final especially when we were looking for a goal to force extra-time down at our place.”
A measure of revenge was gained as Annan knocked Albion Rovers out of The Ramsdens Cup on the opening day of this season with Cox breaking his duck for the season when he opened the scoring in the first half.
Annan lost their next game when SPL Dunfermline Athletic visited their home ground in The Scottish Communities League Cup and left with a 2-1 win however, little else has gone against the Black and Golds since.
“We have been flying this season and whilst we lost to Dunfermline on the day, there was very little between us,” said Cox.
Wins in the League have been secured over Queen’s Park, Peterhead, Alloa Athletic and Clyde with the Blue Toon also being knocked out of The Ramsdens Cup when Cox’s striking partner, Ian Harty, scored a hat-trick in a 4-2 win.
Cox puts their burst of fine form down to the camaraderie at the club as he explained: “Annan is different to the other clubs I have been at as it is like one big family. We have a great team spirit and are best pals that will fight for each other. It is not just the players who are like that, everyone at the club is.”
Manager Cairney is well known for combining his career as a school teacher with that of being Annan boss and Cox was asked how he handled the outgoing nature of his squad.
“Harry is a really good Manager and he is a good laugh as well,” said Cox before adding, “But he has a serious side as well and there is often no mucking about with him.”
That spirit saw Annan recover from two goals down on the opening day of the League campaign to Queen’s Park with Cox saying: “We gave away slack goals that day and we needed to stop doing that to get back into the game and that is just what we did. It was a great game to come back in and it set us up for the run of four straight League wins over really useful sides.
“Alloa and Peterhead have spent a lot of money in assembling their squad, we have always struggled against Queen’s Park and Clyde will do well this season under Jim Duffy, so to pick up maximum points from those four games is a great run.”
Cox added: “I am really enjoying this season and it is also the best start to a season that I have made personally. I am playing out wide and I prefer that to through the middle and I have scored with a couple of screamers already this season from outside the box so it is working well.
“I am hoping to get into double figures for the first time in my career this season and I have started off well in my pursuit of that total.”
Two years ago, Annan reached the Semi-Finals of The ALBA Challenge Cup before losing 3-0 to a Dundee side that went on to lift the trophy and Cox reckons the game was much closer than the scoreline suggests.
He explained: “They scored early on but we matched them pretty much until the last 20 minutes when their full-time fitness told and they scored twice. Ayr will be favourites for this game but if we play like we did against Dunfermline, then we are in with a good chance. I am not sure what kind of reaction I will get there because of my Kilmarnock connections but I will just have to get on with my job regardless.
“Ayr are flying just now and of course, beat Inverness Caledonian Thistle in The Scottish Communities League Cup just last week but we will be up for it. The Annan players will pull together and fight for each other, you can be sure of that.”
.png){kind=logo}
