KELTY Hearts achieved a major bridgehead in their bid to win the East Super League when they went to the home of one of their main challengers and won.

Hearts beat Newtongrange Star on Saturday and are now in pole position to win the title.

Newtongrange Star 0, Kelty Hearts 1.

THIS was always going to be a tense affair with both sides knowing that the winner of the match would establish themselves as strong title favourites.

Kelty started the game in positive mood and took the lead in eight minutes. Scott Dalziel’s knockdown, from a Conrad Courts cross, was perfect for Stuart Cargill and the Hearts’ ‘Mr Goals’ did the needful from close in.

The Hearts strike force of Cargill and Dalziel were looking sharp and with the midfield central unit of Shaun Greig and Paul Currie winning a lot of quality possession the visitors were very much in the picture and from a Currie cross Cargill forced a brilliant save from the Newtongrange ‘keeper.

Star did create one or two half chances and Kyle Allison had a good save from a free-kick but Kelty kept up their workrate and Cargill again went close.

Star were reduced to ten men when a midfielder was sent packing after a clash with Conrad Courts.

The ten men were under pressure but had a couple of good breaks which posed the visitors one or two problems.

The second-half saw Star try to mount a revival but Kelty defended excellently with Sean O’Neill playing his part and Hearts threatened through Cargill only to see the home ‘keeper in form.

Star had the ball in the net but it was rightly chalked-off and in the closing minutes the home side’s chances all but evaporated when they had another man red carded.

So Hearts lead Star by 19 points, with Newtongrange having six games in hand, but Kelty have the points on the board which is so important. Hearts’ player/manager Thomas Courts was delighted with the way his team handled the challenge, “It was a very important win for us and puts our destiny very much within our own hands.

“The result will also have sent out a message to the other challengers that we are very motivated to keep our bid for the title going right to the very end.

“We have a different sort of test this week, when Armadale come to Kelty, for they are a team who defend well and with them needing points to stay in the division they will be out to make it very difficult for us.

“We have one or two players suffering knocks from the Newtongrange game and Conrad Courts needed to go to hospital with a swollen knee on Sunday, so we may be faced with having to make a change or two.” Tayport 1, Dundonald Bluebell 0.

THIS East Premier League game saw Bluebell have so much of the ball yet come home pointless.

Right from the kick-off it was Bluebell who dominated possession and there were chances for them with Derek Wallace going close after being sent clear.

Then Calum Young set up Lewis Elder who saw his volley brilliantly saved by the Tayport ‘keeper.

Elder was then clean through but he failed to convert and at the break there were no goals, although James Lennox did have to pull off a fine save.

Early in the second-half both teams were reduced to ten after a midfield flare-up but Bluebell came close again when Jamie Gilfillan’s 20 yarder rattled the bar.

There were other chances for Dundonald to break the deadlock, but then with ten minutes left on the clock the ball broke nicely on the edge of the Bluebell box to give Tayport the chance for a low shot to be drilled past Lennox for the winner. Bluebell player/manager Craig Morrison felt his team paid the price for missing chances, “The only disappointment was not winning the game.

“We played some good stuff and created several outstanding chances but a mixture of poor finishing and good goalkeeping saw us leave Tayport empty handed.” Lochore Welfare 1, Hill of Beath Hawthorn 4.

THE Welfare gave Haws a run for their money in this D J Laing East of Scotland Cup-tie for 45 minutes but the Super League team pulled away after the break.

North Division Lochore did well in the first period and took the lead when Craig McGuire bulleted home a header.

Haws huffed and puffed and Calum Adamson went close before the equaliser came after 35 minutes when Aaron Hay’s pass set-up Adamson who finished well.

Welfare needed to hold out for the first 15 minutes of the second-half but Haws grabbed the lead in 47 minutes when Hay’s knockdown was converted by Darrin Wright and shortly after, Adamson fed Hay and he made it 3-1.

Lochore kept battling away and had a couple of half chances and at the other end Gary Inglis pulled off a couple of good saves to keep his team in the tie.

Then with five minutes left former Lochore player/boss, Kevin Fotheringham, sent an 18 yard chip high into the net to complete a good day for Hill of Beath.

Haws boss Jock Finlayson was delighted with the way his team pulled away in the second period, “The first-half was pretty tight but once we got ahead the lads settled down and produced a good display to move into the next round.” Haddington Athletic 5, Lochgelly Albert 2.

THE South Division leaders ended up convincing winners as Lochgelly were punished for errors.

Things started badly for the Berts with a goal in only five minutes with a header from a corner and in 20 minutes the visitors were two in arrears.

In 27 minutes there were signs of a revival when Darren Seath went through to beat the off-side trap and slot in the Lochgelly side’s opener but before half-time it was 3-1.

However, the game was taken away from Berts early in the second period when another corner saw a header bulleted home and the soon after Albert ‘keeper Lee Wilson was beaten by another header to bring the home tally to five.

Albert kept battling away and with 16 minutes left Seath set up Connor Schiavone to make the final score 5-2.

Dunbar United 6, Crossgates Primrose 3.

BOTTOM of the South Division Crossgates Primrose ran into a goal storm in Dunbar.

Yet the opening stages of the game saw Primrose threaten through Kevin Brown but two goals before the half hour put United in control.

Crossgates had other half chances and only two down at the break they were still in the game and seconds in the second period Scott Devaney headed home a John Duffy cross to reduce the deficit, but seven minutes later it was 3-1.

However, Primrose came back again with Duffy making it 3-2 with a screaming 30 yarder, but this seemed to inspire United to move up a gear.

They grabbed number four and soon after went nap, but a Trialist scored a third for the visitors with a well placed header.

Home striker Sam Young brought his personal tally to five late on with another strike and his side’s sixth.

Saturday’s fixtures, McBookie.com East Super League, Kelty Hearts v Armadale Thistle, Hill of Beath Hawthorn v Bonnyrigg Rose. McBookie East Premier League, Dundonald Bluebell v Bathgate Thistle.

McBookie.com South Division, Lochgelly Albert v Tranent, Crossgates Primrose v Falkirk JFC.

McBookie.com North Division, Lochore Welfare v East Craigie (all games 2.30pm).