KELTY HEARTS striker Nathan Austin has been named as the cinch SPFL League Two player of the month for September.

The 27-year-old has been recognised for hitting four goals in three games during the last month, which included a hat-trick at Albion Rovers.

Austin's goals, which have taken his total for the season in all competition's to 10 in just nine games, have helped cement Kelty's place at the top of the table.

They go into tomorrow's home clash with Annan Athletic five points clear of their third-top opponents, and four ahead of Stirling Albion, in the final match of the opening quarter.

The win at Albion Rovers - which was marred by Austin being targeted with a racial slur by a home fan - was followed by a 1-0 win over Stranraer last weekend, in which the former Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Falkirk and East Fife player was again on target.

Although his season has been blighted by injury and contracting COVID-19, Austin said: "It's went really well for the team so far.

"Obviously it's been a bit difficult for me at the start, being injured and having Covid, so it's been a bit tough. Coming back into the team, managing to help and get goals, and obviously picking up this award, it just seems like it can only get better.

"I've got some important goals; the last two games, I'm the one who's got the goals. As a striker, when things like that happen, it's a good feeling, but obviously you need to put the performances in as well. I think I'm getting better and fitter.

"As I've mentioned before with Covid, I feel like I'm just getting stronger and stronger, and hopefully I can maintain my fitness and the scoring record."

Austin, who said that contracting COVID-19 was "one of the worst experiences" he's had, is proud to have worked his way back to fitness and is relishing tomorrow's match.

"I think this weekend we'll need to better. Last weekend, we got our goal and missed a couple of chances, and the game kind of turned. Stranraer kept the ball really well, they moved it well and they stretched us," he continued.

"Although they maybe didn't have a lot of clear-cut chances, they had plenty of possession, so hopefully this week we can dominate the ball a little bit more, create as many chances, and hopefully put them away.

"It's another big game. Annan have been on a really good run - they had a disappointing result last week - but they'll be looking to bounce back, and there'll be no better way to bounce back than if they could beat us.

"It's going to be a really good game and hopefully we can come out on top."

He added: "What I will say about the league is that quite a lot of the teams are quite similar in terms of people will take points from anyone.

"If a team's on their game, then they're difficult to beat. Obviously we've got really good players, and people are tipping us to be favourites or win the league, but it's quite cliche - you've just got to take care of yourselves.

"Every game's a big game for us because we want to extend our lead at the top. It doesn't really matter who we're playing - we've got to take the same diligence, play the same way and hopefully our game's better than theirs."