SATURDAY saw all four local juniors sides in action lose and for Kelty Hearts their Scottish Junior Cup-tie with Boness United saw them bow out of the competition.

Elsewhere there were league defeats for Hill of Beath Hawthorn, Ballingry Rovers and Crossgates Primrose, while the heavy rain of Friday night saw Dundonald Bluebell’s Scottish tie with Yoker postponed along with the games involving Lochgelly Albert and Lochore Welfare.

Kelty Hearts 1, Boness United 2.

HEARTS’ first competitive defeat of the season but such an important one.

Kelty manager Thomas Courts had targeted a good Scottish Cup run this season but alas Boness had the streetwise approach which saw the home side lose out.

It was a really tight game, in front of a big crowd of around 600, but the normally lethal Hearts strike force were unable to get the goals needed to win the tie.

The game had the sort of start you would expect from two sides desperate for cup glory with some penetrating raids but both defences were in form.

Boness threatened and former Cowdenbeath striker Darren Gribben went close with a shot which home ‘keeper Kyle Allison dealt with well but at the other end Neil McCabe was sent through by Brian Ritchie’s pass and his shot came back off the woodwork.

Boness were working some good moves and one of them saw a penalty claim turned down after Sean O’Neill put in a hard tackle in his own box but at the other end Hearts saw a Ritchie shot go close.

The opening 25 minutes of the second-half saw both defences cope well but in 74 minutes Allison pulled down Boness’s Scott Pittman and Will Snowdon converted from the spot to put his side ahead.

Then two minutes later United struck again. Pittman was the provider and his pass set up Keiran Anderson to make it 2-0 for the visitors.

Hearts kept working hard and pulled one back through Scott Lawrie’s expert finish from a free-kick just outside the box with five minutes left, and then Snowdon was ordered off which brought a hectic finish but Hearts could not get an equaliser.

Hearts boss Thomas Courts was disappointed with the result but saw enough to feel his side can stay the course at the top of the Super League, “It was always going to be a very close game and I wondered how the lads would cope with playing a team like the champions, but we showed that we can compete with this sort of quality .

“Losing two goals in two minutes was a big blow but we kept at it and pulled one back but just could not take it to a replay.

“However, we certainly were in the game at every stage and were punished for a couple of errors.

“It was disappointing to go out of the Scottish Cup at this stage but we have to focus on staying top of the Super League and doing well in the local cup competitions, starting with this weekend against Blackburn in the East of Scotland ”.

Armadale Th. 2, Hill of Beath Hawthorn 1.

A CRAZY finish saw Haws throw away a lead and end up losing this East Super League game to strugglers Armadale.

A glue pot surface saw Hill of Beath struggle to string together many good moves in the early stages and chances were at a premium. Haws started to get a grip of the game and create some openings and in 25 minutes they took the lead when Adam Moffat’s 14 yarder flew into the net.

The visitors went looking for a second goal but Thistle, who were in bottom spot at kick-off time, defended well and got to the break only one down.

The pitch got worse as the second-half progressed but Haws should have increased their lead with 20 minutes left when Greig Smith was only a few yards out with only the ‘keeper to beat but finished wildly.

Armadale took heart from that but did not look like scoring until the last minute when Thistle were awarded a free-kick 25 yards out and it was expertly finished.

Then in the fourth minute of time added on Haws had a corner which was scrambled clear and Thistle raced down the park to score the winner.

Haws manager Jock Finlayson felt his side did not really deserve to win the game, “The heavy pitch did not help us but really it was not a good performance.

“In the second-half, in particular, we did not create many chances but to lose two goals in time added on was rediculous.” Sauchie Athletic 4, Ballingry Rovers 0.

ROVERS lost again in the Super League but they really have to learn to convert one-on-one opportunities. Sauchie could have been well adrift at the break as Rovers manufactured no fewer than four openings where players were clean through on the ‘keeper but failed to take any of them.

Lee Schiavone and Daniel Watt had a couple of one-on-ones each but did not score and a 25 yard drive put Sauchie ahead.

Ballingry continued to create chances but turned around one down and in the second-half Sauchie grabbed a second before Rovers had another two openings clean through with Sam Bratchie this time failing to convert.

Sauchie then scored number three and a fourth in the closing seconds closed the door on Ballingry.

Rovers manager, Willie Garner was very frustrated at his team failing to score with any of their clear chances, “Believe it or not I think we were clean through against the ‘keeper on six or seven occasions but did not score.

“To let the opposition off the hook like that is going to come back and haunt you and that was what happened here, it was a sore one to take.” Livingston United 5, Crossgates Primrose 1.

ANOTHER disappointing performance from Primrose against fellow strugglers Livi.

The home side were only three points ahead of Crossgates before the game and really the hosts have been having a lot of bad days.

But they put pressure on Crossgates and the visiting defence could not cope and it was not long until the home side were ahead.

Crossgates tried to turn things their way but too often moves broke down on the edge of the box and a second goal put Livi in the driving seat.

They added more goals and while Primrose got one back through Russell Smart Livingston scored a fifth to tie up the points.

Saturday’s fixtures, Scottish Junior Cup third round, Dundonald Bluebell v Yoker Athletic.

McBookie.com East Super League, Hill of Beath Hawthorn v Sauchie Athletic, Ballingry Rovers v Newtongrange Star.

McBookie.com South Division, Rosyth Recreation v Lochgelly Albert, Stoneyburn v Crossgates Primrose. McBookie.com North Division, East Craigie v Lochore Welfare.

DJ Laing East of Scotland Cup, Kelty Hearts v Blackburn United (all games 1.45pm).