Kelty go top after beating Gretna

Meanwhile, Hill of Beath Hawthorn kept up their superb start to East of Scotland League Conference A with a solid home win over Peebles Rovers while Dundonald Bluebell won to maintain their challenge at the top of Conference B.

Gretna 1,

Kelty Hearts 3

HEARTS knew they would find it tough at Gretna but they produced a fine away performance to go top of the Lowland League on goal difference.

It was veteran striker Scott Dalziel who held all the aces for Kelty by grabbing a key double.

Hearts left top scorer Stuart Cargill on the bench for this one but still made a fantastic start to the game.

The former Cowdenbeath frontman was in the perfect spot to send a strong header wide of the keeper from close in.

This gave Hearts the boost they needed and they started to dominate possession but Gretna were sharp going forward and Scott Christie had to make a couple of good saves.

However, Hearts were looking the likelier side to score and it was a first competitive goal for young Willis Hare with a sharp finish to put them ahead.

Things got worse for Gretna soon after when Hare became the victim of a last-defender challenge and the hosts were down to 10 men.

Nonetheless, the home team came right back into the game by pulling a goal back before the break and they started the second period brightly.

Kelty were having to battle to stay in the picture and they needed another goal to make sure of the win.

It came late on when Dalziel grabbed his 71st goal for the club with a neat finish to clinch the points.

It moves Hearts on to 20 points from nine games, the same total as East Kilbride but Hearts have a two-goal advantage.

Hill of Beath Hawthorn 4,

Peebles Rovers 0

HAWS made it five straight wins in EoS Conference A and they sit in third top spot with two games in hand.

Peebles have established themselves as a mid-table side in Conference A so Haws knew they would have to work hard to create chances against a well-organised defence.

But the home side attacked strongly from the kick-off and created several chances before the lead came in 25 minutes when Calum Adamson’s shot was parried by the Rovers’ keeper and Lewis Elder fired in the loose ball.

Then, minutes later, it was 2-0 when a fine cross was headed home by Adamson.

There could have been more for Haws but Peebles defended bravely, however, 10 minutes after the break, the third came when Greg Smith’s cross was perfect for Lee Reid to power a header into the net.

Soon after, Rikki Dair’s through ball opened up the Peebles defence and Smith curled a fine shot wide of the keeper.

After that, Rovers seldom threatened but the home side missed a couple of decent chances.

Hill of Beath boss Kevin Fotheringham was pleased with the result, although unhappy with the closing quarter of the game.

He said: “That was our fourth game in 10 days and certainly in the closing stages we looked a bit leggy.

“However, 15 points from five games is a very good start but there are some tough games coming up.”

Dundonald Bluebell 1,

Dalkeith Thistle 0

THIS was an excellent performance from the ’Bell against a very useful Dalkeith side who have picked up some useful points in Conference B.

The result ensured Dundonald sit in joint top spot with Bonnyrigg Rose.

With six players out, a number of young players from the under-20s side were involved and the first period saw the home side have a lot of possession but defences were on top although Barry Sibanda had a couple of good chances for the Bluebell.

Dalkeith came back into it and posed the home side a few problems but James Lennox had few saves to make and at the break there were no goals.

The second half was another tight affair with defences continuing on top and the longer things went, it looked like there might not be any goals at all.

Then with 12 minutes to go came the key moment. Young Jack McDonald created space for himself and curled a lovely shot past the keeper which hit the inside of a post on its way in, a moment the young player will savour.

Dalkeith had two players red-carded in the closing stages.

Dundonald boss Jason Dair was happy with the result, who said: “We had to put out a fairly makeshift side and it was a very tough game but we kept at it and got the key goal from young Jack and it is good to be right up there in Conference B.”

Crossgates Primrose 2,

Lothian Thistle 0

A FINE all-round performance from Primrose, who are looking like a top-half side in Conference B.

Lothian Thistle are a side who in the old days of the EoS League were crowned champions regularly and they showed in this game that they are a useful team.

The first 45 minutes saw both teams creating half chances rather than clear openings and neither keeper was overworked.

However, just before the break, Primrose got their noses in front when Dougie Hynd fired home in added time.

Lothian tried hard to come back into the game in the second period but struggled to prise open the home defence and in 65 minutes, a good finish by Paul Allan made it 2-0.

There was no let-up from Lothian and they kept at it but a disciplined Crossgates rearguard ensured a home win leaving Primrose on nine points from six games.

Lochgelly Albert 1,

Armadale Thistle 2

A STRONG Thistle side managed to wear down the Berts’ resolve to collect all three points and leave the managerless home side second-bottom of the South Division table.

Manager Barry Cockburn left on Thursday to take over Glenrothes and it meant Dave Sheach had to take over for this one and in the opening 45 minutes the Albert did pretty well.

Considering they lost a goal in six minutes, when a first-time shot from a mishit clearance flew past Sean Hunter, the Albert did not panic and created a few chances and in 15 minutes their trialist left back sent a long lob to the back post which caught the Armadale keeper out and the ball fell into the net.

There was some good work by the Albert defence and they deserved to be level at the interval.

Aaron Gowans almost grabbed a second for Lochgelly in 47 minutes when his fierce shot was blocked in the six-yard box.

However, Thistle kept going forward and Hunter made several good saves before he was beaten after some slack defending saw an Albert player robbed and the winner knocked in.

Albert secretary Ian Patrick hopes to have a replacement for Barry Cockburn fixed up this week: “You could not expect Barry to turn down a Super League job but by Saturday’s game we had received two applications so hopefully we will have a new person in place before this Saturday’s Fife and Lothians tie with Newburgh,” he told Times Sport.

Stoneyburn 3,

Lochore Welfare 3

THE Welfare fought back well twice to grab a South Division point at Stoneyburn.

Stoneyburn grabbed the lead in just two minutes when poor marking allowed the ball to be squeezed home at the far post but Aaron Woods came close to a leveller on the 15-minute mark. Three minutes later, more poor defending let Stoneyburn go two up.

However, on the half-hour, Scott Small was fouled in the home box and Joe Kinninmonth took the penalty and although his spot-kick was palmed on to the post, the ball rebounded to the taker, who converted.

Five minutes from the break, the leveller came when Woods fired an unsaveable shot past the keeper.

Welfare started the second half well and Adam Haddow saw his shot cleared off the line but both teams had chances as the second period evolved.

However, in 89 minutes, Stoneyburn were awarded a penalty after a bad challenge in the Lochore box and it was converted but the young Fifers hit back and in time added on, Todd Arthur set up Sean Johnstone, whose shot was blocked only as far as Kinninmonth, who slotted in the equaliser.

The result puts Lochore in third-bottom spot but manager Andy Healy is upbeat: “It is certainly the Welfare for goals in recent weeks but the boys showed a lot of character to come back twice from being behind, although our defending has to be better.”

l Saturday’s fixtures:– Football Nation Qualifying Cup second round: Dundonald Bluebell v Boness United (kick-offs 2.30pm unless stated). South Challenge Cup third round: Hill of Beath Hawthorn v Musselburgh Athletic, East Stirlingshire v Kelty Hearts (3pm). League Cup: Crossgates Primrose v Dunipace. V Tech Fife and Lothians Cup: Glenrothes v Lochore Welfare, Lochgelly Albert v Newburgh.