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KELTY HEARTS 1–3 COVE RANGERS

The side made it two league wins on the bounce with an impressive victory in Fife, at the same time ending Kelty’s unbeaten run. Mitch Megginson bundled us ahead before half-time, his goal cancelled out by a long range Cunningham shot, but despite the home side enjoying the better of the game after the interval, it was Cove who came out on top thanks to a blistering Blair Yule strike and a fine finish by Findlay Marshall.

There were two changes from last weekend, Nick Suman returning in goal for Balint Demus, while Liam Parker was restored alongside Will Gillingham in central defence. That freed Arron Darge, fresh from signing a new extended contract, to move back up into midfield. Grady McGrath dropped down to the bench, joined there by McAllister, Marshall and Emslie, who were all cup-tied against East Kilbride.

It was a strong start by Cove, immediately taking the game to the home side, and within the first minute Connor Scully burst down the left and sent in an inviting cross. Declan Glass gathered, and made a yard of space, but his delivery was diverted for a corner. Glass was again involved soon after, taking possession in midfield before pushing forward. His shot from thirty yards bounced wide of the left post.

Kelty threatened in the eighth minute, Thomas O’Ware catching a long range volley sweetly, but Nick Suman showed a safe pair of hands, gathering the ball under the bar.

The play swung to the other end, and Declan Glass again tried his luck from range, his latest effort rolling wide of the right upright. Mitch Megginson was next to have a go, wriggling clear in a congested penalty area, but his shot flew into the side netting.

McCarvel let fly for Kelty in their next attack, Suman unable to hold on to his well-struck drive, but Williamson failed to convert the rebound, slicing the ball wide.

Unsurprisingly given how tight last season’s four contests were, the game was evenly balanced at this point, both sides enjoying spells of possession, but Kelty should have broken the deadlock in the twenty-fourth minute, when Harrington was robbed by Johnston who flashed the ball across the area. Williamson was unmarked six yards out, but shot wildly high over the bar.

Fyvie and Yule were heavily involved in midfield, with Scully and Glass also seeing plenty of the ball, but we were unable to create any clear cut openings, the final pass generally failing to match some decent build-up play.

A thumping challenge by Darge saw the ball run free to Megginson, but Mitch’s twenty-five yard strike took a deflection and flew wide. From the resultant corner, Glass found Megginson free in the area and he fired in an excellent angled drive which brought an impressive save out of Adams, the keeper tipping the effort over the bar.

The opener came four minutes before the interval from a superb Cove move. Doyle fed a pass in behind, Fyvie surged into the box, and when he sent in a powerful driven cross, Adams was able only to push the ball back out into the danger area where it bounced off Mitch MEGGINSON and into the net. It was the striker’s 75^th league goal since we gained promotion to the SPFL.

We were again on the front foot at the start of the second half without making any chances. Blair Yule forced a corner in the fifty-third minute and after a well worked set-piece, Scully’s delivery was cleared only as far as Fyvie, but the skipper’s volley flew high over the crossbar.

Scully then linked up with Glass to deliver from the left but Yule, running in at the back post, could only head wide. Our next attack saw Liam Parker stride forward and when Glass laid it off, Megginson shaped to shoot and was denied only by a last gasp challenge by Paterson.

Kelty levelled out of nowhere in the sixty-fourth minute. Ross CUNNINGHAM took possession twenty yards out, and after spinning away from a couple of challenges, shot low and hard, beating the diving Suman with a well-struck effort. Almost immediately, Williamson ran clear in behind, but the keeper stood his ground and saved with his right hand.

The manager made his first change, replacing Declan Glass with Findlay Marshall, but Kelty were now looking the more dangerous side and as the game moved into its final fifteen minutes, we were offering little in the way of an attacking threat.

Williamson again raced in for the home side but sliced his shot well wide before we did carve out an opening. Adam Emslie had just replaced Scully when Fyvie and Megginson combined to set him up, the winger cutting in and shooting low, Adams making the save at his near post.

We regained the lead in the eighty-sixth minute in stunning fashion. Arron Darge won a free-kick out on the right and when Fyvie delivered, the ball was only half-cleared. Mitch Megginson took possession and rolled a pass into the path of Blair YULE who unleashed the sweetest of strikes, the ball flying past Adams and ripping high into the net.

The points were secured in the second minute of stoppage time. Doyle took a throw-in on the right, Yule got a touch inside the box, and Findlay MARSHALL picked up the ball, shrugged off a challenge, then hammered a shot low past the keeper from ten yards.

After some late disappointments this season, it was a relief to see the team manage the game and secure three massive points.

KELTY HEARTS (4-1-4-1): Adams; Mercer, Cleall-Harding, O’Ware, Paterson; Tidser (Miller 82); Johnston, Cunningham, Moore, McCarvel (B. Owens 59); Williamson

Substitutes: Adamson, Cole, L. Owens, Thomas, Bryce, Hobbs

Goalscorers: Cunningham (64)

Booked:

COVE RANGERS (4-2-3-1): Suman; Doyle, Gillingham, Parker, Harrington; Darge, Fyvie (c); Yule, Glass (Marshall 69), Scully (Emslie 76); Megginson,

Substitutes: Demus, Murray, McGrath, McAllister, Gaffney,

Goalscorers: Megginson (41), Yule (86), Marshall (90)

Booked:

Referee: Ryan Lee

Attendance: 377

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