Tam O'Ware vows to fight to turn Kelty Hearts season around

The player / manager believes that, whilst his team are giving him plenty, they are missing "five, ten per cent" due to nerves and pressure of their league position.

They go to East Fife on Saturday on the back of a deflating 5-2 loss to Cove Rangers, the team nearest them in the League One table.

Kelty, without a home win all season, were 2-1 up with under 25 minutes left, and set for three points that would've lifted them off the bottom and above their opponents.

However, they conceded four times in the final quarter of the game, leaving them four adrift of Cove, who are in the relegation play-off spot, and seven behind eighth-placed Hamilton Academical, and safety.

O'Ware, in his first full campaign in charge, having been appointed at the end of last term after a successful stint as caretaker, said: "From the day I'm here, I'll never give up.

"I love this club. I love the board, I love the players, I love the fans.

Tam O'Ware has said he'll "never give up" as Kelty battle for League One survival. (Image: David Wardle.)

"We're going through a real tough change just now. It's a tough time, but the only way to get out of it is to continue to work hard, and continue to perform at the best you can.

"I'm speaking about the bare minimum requirements. just now, to run yourself into the ground for 90 minutes, to work hard, to be hard to beat, and I'm not seeing that.

"I don't think it's just me not seeing it.

"At 2-1, at two each, at 3-2, that's not 100 per cent. It's a team with certain individuals in it that gave up, and that's what upsets me, because they get shown everything. They get given everything. They get every sort of analysis on the opposition of how they play.

"I think if we focus on tactics, it's a get out of jail free card and, for me, it's not about tactics. For me, it's about heart and desire to deal with pressure, and to compete in games of football, when the going gets tough."

O'Ware said that hard work will be needed to help his side turn their fortunes around. (Image: David Wardle.)

O'Ware continued: "I don't want my words to get flipped.

"The boys are giving me a lot. They're giving a lot, but that pressure and nervousness is taking a bit out of them.

"I've said it, I've probably said it in my interviews, there is five, ten per cent missing.

"Now, I'm not saying that's on purpose, and I know for a fact it's not on purpose, and it probably is from the pressure and nerves, but, for me, you need to be able to deal with that."