KEVIN Thomson wants his Kelty Hearts team to be one that the “town will be proud of” on their way to creating history.

Thomson was largely delighted with his side’s league opener against Cowdenbeath on Saturday but the 36-year-old admitted post-match that he could have more grey hairs by the time the season finishes.

Kelty were dominant in the first half and should have had more than the one goal lead at the interval and they almost paid the price for that had it not been for Darren Jamieson’s penalty-stopping heroics to deny Liam Buchanan after a restart that saw Cowdenbeath retaliate.

Goals from Joe Cardle and Ross Philip either side of that saved penalty proved to be the difference at New Central on a history-making day with Thomson himself getting his first league win as a first-team manager under his belt.

Speaking on that, he told the Press: “I’m just delighted to be here. It’s a great club and everybody has welcomed us with open arms and I have the utmost respect for Barry (Ferguson) and Bob (Malcolm) as they created history by getting them into the SPFL for the first time in the club’s history.

“It’s up to us to try and make our own history. I say to them (the players) all the time that I’m all in as a manager and as a person, and I want the players to be all in and committed. If we can be that, and we can try and keep a fit bill of health within the squad, then hopefully we’ll be able to put a good team out that the town will be proud of.”

Thomson was unable to call upon top marksman Nathan Austin for the clash with the striker picking up an ankle injury that could see him out for a spell.

Detailing the injury, Thomson revealed: “He was one of our main strikers and one of our main players and it’s always difficult to pick a team without your main players. I thought Alfie (Alfredo Agyeman) was a presence, he’s a handful.

"Botti Biabi came on in the second half and he was really good and showed real quality and a great pick out for the goal. So, for me I want the Cammy Russell’s, the Botti’s, the Alfie’s, Nathan Austin’s, Joe Cardle’s to be fighting in the team and if they can park their ego and know that it’s about the team and not about individuals, then we won’t be far away.”

Nathan Austin was spotted hobbling around the ground post-match and when asked by the Press how severe the injury was, Thomson commented: “Hopefully he won’t be too long. He’s not moving overly great, and I think I’m moving a bit better than him which is a wee bit of a worry. We’ll leave it in the physio’s hands.

"I always think that players will tell you when they are ready so there’s no pressure on him from our perspective. We just want him back fit and healthy and hopefully then he can contribute to the team.”

Thomson and the Kelty fans will be hoping for a swift return of the club’s top goalscorer last season and Austin himself will be desperate to return to full fitness to play in front of a roaring Kelty crowd.

As the players and coaching staff emerged from the home dressing room, they were greeted to the sound of 1,202 fans welcoming them out onto the New Central Park surface.

It was a special sight to see and it was one that Thomson savoured, stating: “It was amazing. Footy is for the fans, isn’t it? Fans are the bread and butter of any club.

“I’m delighted for the chairman, for all the committee and the boys that they’ve got people who genuinely want to come out and support them.”

He added his hopes that those spectators will see more of the first half again than that of the second as Kelty allowed Cowdenbeath more opportunities and golden chances to draw level.

Although Kelty went on to make it two and seal victory through Philp’s tidy effort into the roof of the net, the half proved that there’s still much to be done on the training ground in the weeks and months ahead.

Thomson said: “We looked like a proper team in the first half, playing the way we want to play; with personality, creating chances and dominating the ball. Then, all of a sudden, that switches at half-time. We started turning the ball over and started lacking that bit of composure.

“Gary Bollan and his staff have got them well organised and they have good players; I know Liam Buchanan, big Rents (Kris Renton), Craig Barr at the back and big Toddy (Jamie Todd) as well. They’ll do well this year and be a real handful for a lot of people.

“I think we probably rode our luck a little bit and they probably felt in the second half that they deserved a wee bit more. I felt when we did pass it, we looked like a serious team. When we turned it over in silly areas we looked a bit vulnerable but, overall, I’m delighted.”