Edinburgh City 0 Kelty Hearts 3

KELTY HEARTS player / manager Michael Tidser was delighted with his side's "professional performance" as Alfie Bavidge's first career hat-trick saw off Edinburgh City.

The 'Maroon Machine' bounced back from their five-goal thumping at Stirling Albion to end a run of six League One matches without victory against the division's bottom side.

Tidser, who restored himself to the starting line-up after missing Kelty's previous two outings, said he was "embarrassed" after their heaviest defeat of the season at Forthbank.

He was looking for a reaction at Meadowbank against a stricken City side that are marooned at the bottom of the table with just four points - having recently been handed a six-point penalty for rule breaches, including a failure to pay players on time - and he got it.

READ MORE: Scots call-up for on-loan Kelty star

"I thought the game, overall, we managed it really well," Tidser told Kelty Hearts TV post-match.

"First half, the conditions weren't great, very windy. We get the goal through Bav in the first half and then we kind of see the game out.

"They didn't really create any chances. The boys were brave in their defending and, second half, we probably had the wind behind us, which helped, and obviously wee Bav goes on to nick another two goals to get his hat-trick.

"Overall I'm really pleased, especially after last week. I asked the boys to show me a reaction and they certainly did that, regardless of the opposition and the situation Edinburgh are in. No game's easy to win.

"It was a real professional performance and we're just happy to go home with three points."

Bavidge, on loan from Aberdeen, netted his first professional goal when he scored in Kelty's 4-1 win at Edinburgh in October, and it was perhaps fitting his first senior treble would be clinched at the same ground.

He was joined in attack by Joe McGlynn, who signed on loan from Hamilton Academical ahead of the game, and it took Bavidge just 14 minutes to open the scoring.

Tidser's corner wasn't properly cleared by the home defence and, when it fell for the Kelty number 19, he rifled a shot into the bottom corner from 16 yards.

Reece Lyon, McGlynn and Brody Paterson all had efforts in a bid to try and find a second goal before the interval, whilst the debutant and substitute, Lewis Owens, tested the hands of City keeper, Ruairidh Adams, after half-time.

In the 66th minute, however, Kelty won a penalty when Bavidge was felled in the box, and he stepped up to rifle the ball high into the net for his and his team's second goal.

Within a minute, the visitors sealed the points when the ever alert Bavidge nipped in to intercept Liam Parker's attempted pass across his own 18-yard area before slotting home from 12 yards.

"I'm pleased for the lads as well. As I said, once you get beat, especially taking a heavy defeat at Stirling, you can feel sorry for yourself and start to get into a wee lull, but we've got good characters in there and plenty of leaders within the squad," Tidser noted.

"I'm really pleased to get the three points."

Kelty's win lifted them back up two places in the table to sixth, two points behind fourth-placed Alloa Athletic, ahead of home games with Queen of the South, on Saturday, and Edinburgh three days later.

"Queen of the South are a good side. I've got a lot of respect for them and they'll not make it easy for us," Tidser added.

"We know how difficult the league is now; it's nip and tuck from second, third, all the way back to eighth, ninth.

"Every game is vitally important. We'll focus on ourselves. They're a good side - we've come up against them a couple of times this season, but we know we need to be at it to take anything from the game.

"That's something that'll be in our mind this week and we'll be full throttle come next Saturday."