THE kick off time for the upcoming Fife derby SPFL Trust Trophy tie between Dunfermline Athletic and Kelty Hearts has been announced.
The near neighbours will come together on Saturday October 12 in the fourth round of the lower league competition, during the next international break.
It has been agreed that the match will be brought forward from the traditional 3pm slot to 1pm, which will avoid a potential overlap into the start of Scotland's Nations League fixture in Croatia, which starts at 5pm.
If the fixture ends level at the end of the regulation 90 minutes, penalty kicks will decide the winner, as will be the case until the semi-finals and final, where a period of extra time will be played before penalties, if they are required.
Dunfermline reached the fourth round thanks to a 2-0 success at League Two East Fife on September 7, whilst League One Kelty were 3-1 winners at home to another League Two outfit, Elgin City.
Clubs in the Championship and League One entered the competition at round three, and the winner will go on to the quarter-finals, which are scheduled to be played over the midweek of November 12-13.
Athletic and Kelty Hearts have never met in cup competition, but faced off four times during the former's League One title-winning campaign in 2022/23.
James McPake's outfit won twice - once at KDM Group East End Park, and once at New Central Park - by a 2-1 scoreline, whilst the two other meetings ended scoreless.
The early kick off will allow fans of both clubs to follow the national side's third fixture in Group A1 of the UEFA Nations League in Zagreb.
Steve Clarke's side are bottom of the section, having lost at home to Poland and in Portugal, with their opponents sitting second with three points from two games.
After facing Croatia, the Scots then host Portugal, who are top with two wins from two, at Hampden three days later.
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