Montrose 4 Kelty Hearts 2

KELTY HEARTS player / boss Michael Tidser said he was "really pleased" with a performance that he felt was "much more like" his side despite losing out at Montrose.

The visitors fought back from two goals down, thanks to Craig Johnston's double, at Links Park in a match where three points for either side would boost their promotion play-off prospects.

Unfortunately for the New Central Park outfit, it was their opponents who picked up maximum points, with Graham Webster giving the Gable Endies the lead with 13 minutes to go, before Kane Hester added gloss to the scoreline deep into stoppage time.

Four points separated Kelty, in sixth place, from Alloa Athletic, in third, with Montrose, in fifth, two points clear of their opponents ahead of kick off.

Kelty made a nightmare start when Blair Lyons fired the hosts ahead inside the first minute, and they fell further behind just after the midway point of the first half when Lyons set up Andrew Steeves to slot home a second goal.

Johnston pulled one back on the hour mark before completing a brace against his former club four minutes later to square the game, but Webster headed home at a corner to put Montrose ahead once more.

Hester's goal in stoppage time sealed a win that even his manager "flattered" Montrose, and Tidser told Kelty Hearts TV: "I thought we were excellent, I really did.

"First half, obviously Lewis (O'Donnell) makes a mistake, puts them in after the first minute, and then their second goal, again, another midfield runner but, in terms of the actual performance, I thought it was more like us, without creating too much in the first half.

"Again, got them in at half-time, myself and Geordie (Kevin McDonald, assistant manager), we spoke to them and said just believe. Just be a wee bit sharper, a wee bit quicker, and be a bit more penetrating with our passes.

"I think you could probably see second half we were excellent to get ourselves back to two each. I thought we were going to go on and win the game, I really did.

"Again, our Achilles heel, a set play, but I've said to the lads, look, Sean Dillon's my man, he flicks it on, the boy scores, Webster scores, so I take responsibility for that.

"I'm quick enough to give it out - I need to take it myself - and then, the fourth goal, we're chasing the game. I think there's 10 seconds to go and the boy goes through and scores.

"I've said to them, performance-wise, that's much more like us. That's the way we've been for the majority of the season, probably lost our way a wee bit.

"Overall, disappointed we've not taken anything from the game, but in terms of performance, really pleased."

Montrose jumped into fourth spot, five points clear of Kelty, who stay sixth, whilst Alloa defeated Cove Rangers, who are one place and three points above Tidser's side, to remain third.

Up next for Kelty is a visit from runaway leaders Falkirk this Saturday, and Tidser added: "Montrose are a hard side, they're a good side, so to go level pegging and go on to try and win the game, I think probably most people here would admit we were probably the team that was going on to try and win it, but we shot ourselves in the foot giving away a sloppy corner and then, again, myself, I hold my hands up, but we just move on. That's it.

"We need to park it and look forward to next week."