Falkirk 2-3 Kelty Hearts

KELTY HEARTS registered their first away win of the League One season after stunning Falkirk this afternoon.

Alfredo Agyeman's double inside eight minutes put John Potter's side in command at the break, but Juan Alegria pulled a goal back for the Bairns early in the second half.

Darren Lyon's deflected strike restored Kelty's two-goal cushion and, although substitute Rumarn Burrell set up a grandstand finish with a second for the hosts, the 'Maroon Machine' held out.

It is their second success over Falkirk this season, and the victory moves them up to seventh, and onto 16 points, nine clear of second bottom Clyde.

Falkirk failed to take advantage of Dunfermline slipping to a first defeat of the season, 2-0 at Montrose, as they dropped to fourth, with FC Edinburgh moving second and to within a point of the table-topping Pars, who host Kelty next week.

And, after a fine afternoon at the Falkirk Stadium, Kelty will go there in optimistic mood.

Kelty boss Potter named an unchanged starting line-up following last Saturday's win over Clyde, but there was a welcome return to the bench for Jason Thomson, who missed that encounter through illness.

Bairns gaffer, John McGlynn, also went with an unchanged eleven following his team's 3-0 win over Alloa Athletic midweek, which took them second in the table, four points behind leaders Dunfermline, ahead of kick off.

McGlynn had bemoaned a poor start the last time the teams met - back in September, when Kelty won 2-0 at New Central Park - as his team conceded twice inside 26 minutes.

He'd have been hoping for the kind of start that saw his charges race into a two-goal lead inside the opening 10 minutes of their success over the Wasps on Tuesday - but got the opposite.

Kelty, who before kick off had only scored twice in five away games, one of which was an own goal, came flying out the traps, and doubled their strike rate on the road inside eight minutes.

The opener, five minutes in, came after Bairns keeper, Nicky Hogarth, had made a good save to deny Jamie Barjonas.

The midfielder had been picked out brilliantly by Kallum Higginbotham, with a clipped ball over the top of the home defence, and controlled well but struck the legs of the goalkeeper.

As the ball fell back to Barjonas, he played it into the feet of Agyeman, who got the better of Liam Henderson to strike through some red shirts and into the back of the net.

It was a brilliant start and, if that had the Kelty fans in the Main Stand on their feet, they were up and feeling ecstatic three minutes later.

It was simple in its build up, with McGlynn no doubt fuming with his team's defensive work, but clinical in its execution.

Higginbotham, who was the target for stick from Falkirk fans, having previously played for them before going on to star for Dunfermline, played a lovely pass that caught the home centre backs flat-footed.

Agyeman was onto it in a flash and he sent a fine finish underneath Hogarth to double his side's lead, and score his third goal in two games.

It was an incredible opening and the visitors had further chances to extend their lead.

Tam O'Ware was unfortunate not to have a shooting opportunity from a well-worked free-kick that saw Agyeman centre, before Nicky Low had an effort deflected wide, with the two-goal star having another shot of his own blocked.

Low and Higginbotham then combined to find Barjonas, who shot over from the edge of the area, as Potter's team threatened to go further ahead, but Brad McKay served a notice of warning when he headed against the outside of the post for the hosts from a Leon McCann cross.

McCann was looking like the Bairns' main outball, and another of his crosses allowed Oliver to get a header in on goal, but he failed to test Darren Jamieson in the Kelty goal.

Callumn Morrison had an attempt blocked as Falkirk tried to find a route back into the game, but there was soon frustration for Barjonas at the other end.

Another ball over the home defence, this time by captain Michael Tidser, found the visitors' number 10, but he couldn't quite get the ball under control to get a shot in on goal.

Just before the break, Hogarth had to be on top form to push a terrific drive from Low over the bar, whilst McKay flashed a header wide at the other end from Morrison's cross.

At the break, McGlynn reacted to his team's dismal opening period, substituting Morrison, Craig McGuffie and Oliver for Steven Hetherington, Finn Yeats and Rumarn Burrell, and the hosts did start the second period much brighter.

Kelty were indebted to goalkeeper Jamieson, who saved well from McKay after he had been picked out by Aidan Nesbitt at the far post, while an appeal for an Agyeman appeal for a penalty, as he went to ground under pressure from a Barjonas cross, saw the forward himself penalised.

However, 11 minutes into the second half, the Bairns were rewarded for a much brighter start with higher intensity.

Nesbitt found himself much more involved on the right and, from his cross, the ball was headed on into the path of Alegria, who delicately lifted the ball over Jamieson and into the net via the underside of the bar.

That sparked the home crowd into life and, minutes later, Alegria headed over from another dangerous Nesbitt centre, but Kelty soon restored their two goal lead.

After racing in behind the home defence, once again, Agyeman found himself one on one with Hogarth, but the keeper did well to block his effort behind.

From the resultant corner, the Bairns cleared it to the right-edge of the box where Lyon picked it up and, after the midfielder's shot took a deflection, it ended up in the far corner of the net for Kelty's third of the afternoon.

However, just five minutes later, this see-saw game had another twist when Falkirk reduced the arrears once more.

A corner from the right, deep towards the edge of the box, was headed towards goal by Henderson, and half-time substitute Burrell was on hand to slot home from close range.

Coll Donaldson lashed over from 18 yards, whilst Kennedy sent a free-kick over the top, as the Bairns went in search of a leveller, but Joe Cardle, on as a substitute, almost nabbed a fourth for the visitors on the break, shooting just wide from inside the area.

Bairns substitute, Ola Lawal, shot at Jamieson moments later, but Kelty held on for a superb first away win of the season.

Falkirk: Hogarth, McGinn (Kennedy 76), Henderson, Donaldson, Morrison (Hetherington 45), Alegria, Nesbitt (Lawal 76), McGuffie (Yeats 45), McCann, Oliver (Burrell 45), McKay.

Subs not used: Martin, Ross, Mackie, Malcolm.

Goal: Alegria (56), Burrell (71).

Booked: Hetherington (85).

Kelty Hearts: Jamieson, Logan (Thomson 73), O'Ware, Forster, Peggie, Barjonas (Cardle 80), Tidser (McNab 64), Low, Lyon, Higginbotham (Doherty 73), Agyeman.

Subs not used: Hill, McGill, Cameron, Campbell.

Goals: Agyeman (5, 8), Lyon (66).

Booked: Higginbotham (61), O'Ware (78), Jamieson (79), Doherty (86).

Referee: Chris Fordyce.

Attendance: 3,705.

Montrose 2-0 PARS

Meanwhile, Dunfermline's 11-game unbeaten start is over after they lost at Montrose.

Matthew Wright's second half double, the first goals James McPake's team have conceded on the road in League One, saw them fall to defeat at Links Park.

We'll have more on that match in this week's Dunfermline Press.