KELTY HEARTS

Kelty Hearts Cove win sets up Dunfermline Scottish Cup tie

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Kelty Hearts 1 Cove Rangers 1, Scottish Gas Scottish Cup, fourth round. After extra-time, Kelty win 5-3 on penalties.

Tam O'Ware believes achieving a place in the fifth round of the Scottish Cup will provide a financial boost for Kelty Hearts.

And their player / manager reckons they achieved it by producing their "best 90 minutes" of the season against League One rivals, Cove Rangers, before winning through on penalty kicks.

Sam Fisher was the home side's hero with the decisive effort, taking the Maroon Machine into the last 16 for only the second time, having done so four years ago.

Sam Fisher was the hero for Kelty Hearts as his penalty sent them into the fifth round of the Scottish Cup. (Image: David Wardle.)

Their reward is an away tie at Championship neighbours Dunfermline, who defeated Premiership Hibernian in their fourth round fixture, and O'Ware said it was important for the club to progress, both on and off the pitch.

"I'm delighted," he said.

"It's a big one for the club in terms of getting through that round. Even just the prize money for getting through that round will make a bit of a difference.

"I think overall in the game we probably edged it.

"I was really pleased with the 90 minutes especially. I think it's our best 90 minutes of the season, just in terms of control of the game, for such large periods.

Kelty Hearts have reached the fifth round for the only the second time. (Image: David Wardle.)

"We had a lot of the game in Cove's half, and I felt we were comfortable."

The last meeting of the two League One rivals saw Paul Hartley's Cove turn a 2-1 deficit with 23 minutes left into a 5-2 victory five days before Christmas.

They suffered an early blow when Craig Johnston, their captain and forward, was forced off with what O'Ware fears could be a season-ending injury.

Luke McCarvel and new signing, Arran Pettifer, had sights at goal for the hosts, as did Chris Maguire at the other end, who was the creator for the opening goal shortly before the interval.

The former Aberdeen man sent Mitch Megginson running in behind the Kelty defence, who then rounded goalkeeper, Kyle Gourlay, to slot home for Cove.

An equaliser, however, arrived shortly after the hour mark when a vicious free-kick from the left by Pettifer was diverted into his own net by Justin Eguaibor.

Justin Eguaibor's own goal brought the hosts level in the tie. (Image: David Wardle.)

That forced an additional half an hour, in which Pettifer came close to a winner for Kelty, who ended with 10 men after Craig Clay was sent off for a second booking.

Penalties were needed to decide the outcome and, after Lewis Moore, Pettifer, Aaron Arnott and James Graham all converted, Fisher won the tie after David Eguaibor had missed for the away side.

"We needed it," O'Ware said.

"There was a real belief on Saturday in the group. That's what I said to them after the game that's, despite the things that have went against us this year, the squad, the budget, the way they performed is what I expect from them.

"We need to use that as a springboard. Obviously, it comes with its problems, that we don't have a single striker available now, so, we'll just need to dust ourselves off for Tuesday and come up with a new plan for Stenhousemuir on Saturday."

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