Good wins for Kelty, Haws and Bluebell

Both Crossgates Primrose and Lochore Welfare were unlucky to lose their matches while Lochgelly Albert had a bye in the East Regional Cup.

Vale of Leithen 0,

Kelty Hearts 4.

JUST the result Hearts wanted after the disappointment of drawing at home to Edinburgh University and it was a very comfortable win.

Vale are not one of the Lowland League’s stronger sides and they found it really a case of damage limitation throughout the 90 minutes.

Victoria Park was looking good for the visit of Kelty and from the outset the visitors took a grip of the game.

There were several early raids from the Hearts but some sound goalkeeping meant that the first 25 minutes came and went with a blank scoreline but no real concerns for Hearts from a defensive point of view.

The first goal was what the visitors needed to settle their game and it came in 27 minutes when Murray Carstairs was perfectly placed to score after he was not picked up in the Vale box.

Eight minutes later the 100 plus Hearts fans knew that their team were well on course when Kelty’s Mr Goals, Stuart Cargill produced a typical piece of finishing to really cement their superiority.

In fairness to Vale they kept working hard and got to the break without further damage but five minutes after the interval the game was over as a contest.

Stephen Husband fired a fierce penalty shot past the ‘keeper after an indiscretion in the box and it was 3-0.

Vale were determined to keep on defending well and they got to the 75th minute without further damage but a fine finish from Matt Gay tied up a good away win for Hearts who are fifth in the table, eight points behind leaders East Kilbride with a game in hand.

In the draw for the first round of the William Hill Scottish Cup Hearts were handed an away tie at Dalbeattie Star on September 22.

Dundonald Bluebell 6,

Eyemouth United 0.

A COMFORTABLE three East of Scotland League Conference B points for the ‘Bell who were far too strong for the struggling Borders side.

The visitors to Moorside were up against it from the first whistle and there were several close calls before the home side took the lead.

That came when Jason Penman sent Calum Smith through and he carefully slotted the ball past the ‘keeper.

United were up against it now but they defended determinedly and despite Bluebell having monopoly of the ball more goals would not come.

Eyemouth seldom bothered James Lennox but at the break there was only one goal in it despite Archie Campbell hitting the bar and post.

However, early in the second period the former Kelty striker hit the target and when Jason Penman got the third the Eyemouth resolved started to fold.

Dundonald continued to have the better of things and they stretched their lead when Scott Durie slotted home and the remainder of the game became the Calum Smith show.

He grabbed his second, after some good work by the ‘Bell, and his team’s fifth and then completed his treble to finish off a good day for the home side.

Manager Jason Dair was happy enough with what he saw: “We scored some good goals and recorded a shut out and the win puts us in to a challenging position in Conference B so it was a good day for us.

“But there is a lot of hard work to be done when Burntisland Shipyard come to Moorside this Saturday.”

Penicuik Athletic 1,

Hill of Beath Hawthorn 3.

THIS Alex Jack Cup second round tie was full of dangers for the Haws as Penicuik have been picking up a lot of good results in the new EoS set-up.

But Haws, despite being without a few regulars produced a really good performance that left the home side struggling.

In two minutes the Haws were ahead when Daniel Watt’s through ball sent Calum Adamson flying away from his marker and he cut into the Cuicky box before firing in a fierce shot which the ‘keeper got a hand to but couldn’t stop.

There were a couple of half chances for Hill of Beath but near half-time the home side were level when a corner deceived ‘keeper Stuart Hall and the loose ball was bundled over the line from close in.

It was a set-back but Haws started the second period well and on the hour went back in front.

A Joe Kirby free-kick was not dealt with well by the Cuicky defence and Lee Reid slid the ball over the line from close in.

Then 15 minutes later a fine Adamson run and cross saw Ricky Patrick ghost in to the Penicuik box and fire a 10 yard header wide of the ‘keeper to tie the game up.

Haws boss Kevin Fotheringham was delighted with the performance: “The lads stuck to the game plan brilliantly and really played some good controlled football.

“We defended well when we had to and got a result which puts us in the last eight of the competition.

“It would be good to progress to the latter stages of the Alex Jack Cup because it was something we did not do last season was having long cup runs.”

Crossgates Primrose 1,

Boness United 2.

A HORRENDOUS second-half saw Crossgates Primrose bow out of the Alex Jack Cup at Humbug Park.

The Primrose turned around a goal adrift but tempers flared in the second period and the home side ended the game with just eight players.

Boness, not playing particularly impressively, kept their composure and made it into the last eight.

There was nothing in the game in the first 45 minutes and Crossgates could have been ahead at the break but they lost an avoidable goal to unluckily go in at the interval behind.

Within a few minutes of the second period the hosts were down to ten through a red card and then a few minutes later it was nine when another indiscretion saw a dismissal.

Boness were anything but impressive but they kept their shape and grabbed a second goal.

The frustration of it all saw another dismissal for Primrose which made things almost impossible for them but to their credit they grabbed a late goal.

The men who saw red were Ryan McDonald, Dougie Swan and Alan Walker.

Lochore Welfare 2,

Kirriemuir Thistle 3.

TEN man Welfare bowed out of the D J Laing East Region Cup at Central Park, but they really should have won this game.

Lochore were always in this tie and twice led but Kirrie kept working hard and when Jamie McNeish was sent off late on they took advantage to win the tie.

Welfare were much the better side early in the game and could have been ahead before the opener came in four minutes when Joe Kinninmonth finished superbly after good build up work by the home side and Sean Johnstone set up striker.

Kinninmonth shot inches wide soon after but in 19 minutes the home defence was caught out at a corner and a header levelled things.

Welfare were not in any way dispirited and Todd Arthur’s header went inches over then in 27 minutes Kinninmonth finished in grand style with a 14 yarder into the roof of the net.

Soon after a Kearyn Hicks header went close then the ball somehow stayed out after a goalline scramble involving Johnstone.

But in 34 minutes a cross from the right deceived the Lochore cover and ended up in the net.

That was it at the break and two minutes into the second period McNeish was hauled down in the Kirrie box but James Adam’s penalty was saved and then four minutes later McNeish was ordered off after he was chasing a pass with a defender and the referee felt the Lochore player had used a high boot in his challenge.

The ten men faced 40 minutes a man short but posed Kirrie problems, although not many clear cut chances came for either side and in 82 minutes the visitors got a third.

Lochore were not finished and Johnstone was only denied by a fine save.

Lochore boss Andy Healy was bitterly disappointed but proud of the performance: “We really could and should have won this game for we had by far the better chances.

“The penalty miss and sending off were key moments for us but it was frustrating to lose it although to pose a Super League side so many problems was pleasing.”

Saturday’s fixtures, Lowland League, Kelty Hearts v East Stirlingshire (3pm).

East of Scotland League Conference A, Oakley United v Hill of Beath Hawthorn. EoS League Conference B, Dundonald Bluebell v Burntisland Shipyard, Crossgates Primrose v Sauchie.

South Division, Lochore Welfare v Kirkcaldy YM, Rosyth Rec v Lochgelly Albert (all 2.30pm).