Kelty Hearts 1 Stranraer 0

ASSISTANT boss Kevin McDonald believes that Kelty Hearts can play better despite extending their unbeaten league run to eight matches.

Nathan Austin’s eighth minute header from Joe Cardle’s cross was enough to see off Stranraer at New Central Park, a result which moved Kevin Thomson’s side four points clear at the top of League Two.

The striker climbed highest to head across goal and into the far corner from around eight yards out for what proved to be the decisive goal.

Although the leaders have hit the net 12 times in four matches on the road, they have scored just five at home and McDonald admitted he would like to see them be a bit more clinical.

“I think we had plenty of chances, especially in the first 20 minutes,” he told Times Sport.

“We probably had enough to win two or three games, but we didn’t take them, and then we huffed and puffed to be honest. It’s probably the worst we’ve been in terms of fluency and how we played.

"Three points is the most important thing but we were a little bit disappointed with the performance overall. I think the pitch is a little bit tighter than the pitches we’ve played on away from home, and teams are obviously setting up a little bit different, which is affecting us, but to be honest we’re probably not taking our chances that we have done away from home.”

Austin’s goal was his fourth in two matches, and 10th of the campaign so far, and it was almost followed by a fifth in maroon for Cardle minutes later, but Luke Scullion did well to save his right-footer from close range.

The winger then had another sight of goal, which was a much easier proposition for Scullion from the edge of the box after he had been closed down by a Blues defender, while Broque Watson fired a free-kick over Darren Jamieson’s crossbar for the visitors.

Jamieson was then needed to save from Paul Woods before Austin sent an effort whistling wide after a deflection.

From the resulting corner, Kallum Higginbotham couldn’t get the ball on target, while Thomas O’Ware tried an acrobatic effort after half-time that flew over.

The defender went even closer, producing a save from Scullion, as did substitute Alfredo Agyeman, but one goal was enough in the end for Kelty.

“In football, 1-0 is quite a dodgy lead sometimes; you can try and protect what you’ve got rather than try and score again,” McDonald added. “The longer the game goes and you’re winning 1-0 you’re kind of trying to protect what you’ve got, and realise that the three points is close. What do you do? Do you go and try and score a second, or do you keep your shape and try and see it out? Probably that’s where we’ve been caught in the middle of at home – obviously 1-1 with Elgin, 1-0 at home at the weekend, we only beat Cowdenbeath 2-0, we beat Edinburgh City 1-0, so we definitely haven’t scored as many at home as we have away.

“Away we seem to win by threes and fours, so it’s a bit of a strange one, but it’s something we need to have a look at and make sure we can try and take our chances.”

Kelty: Jamieson, Philp, Hill (McNab 48), Forster, O’Ware, Black, Barjonas (Barron 64), Tidser, Cardle (Biabi 80), Higginbotham, Austin (Agyeman 80).

Subs not used: Peggie, Hooper, Finnan, Donaldson.

Goal: Austin (8).

Booked: Black (73), McNab (90).

Stranraer: Scullion, Robertson, Burns, Sonkur, Ross, Brady (Irving 88), Gallagher, Watson (Muir 76), Woods (Walker 64), Smith, Yates (Ngoy 75).

Subs not used: Langan, Ellis, Moore, Rennie.

Booked: Yates (49).

Referee: Stewart Luke.

Attendance: 528.