Vale of Leithen 0-4 Kelty Hearts
Lowland League
Victoria park, Innerleithen, Mid-Lothian
Kelty Hearts got back to winning ways with a comfortable victory, thanks to two goals in each half, against a solid looking Vale of Leithen side. The Kelty faithful had been left frustrated after dropping points at home in mid-week, but this performance left them with plenty to cheer on their Saturday afternoon trip to Innerleithen.
Kelty gaffer Thomas Courts made one change to the side that drew 2-each against Edinburgh Uni on Tuesday, with left-back Conrad Courts returning to the side in place of under-20's starlet Ross Mutch.
Vale went into the match on high after beating East Stirlingshire in midweek, leaving them fifth in the table, one place ahead of their visitors. It was a bit of a cagey start to the game, the two teams sizing each other up, neither wanting to give anything away. It didn't stay a chess match for long however, and both keepers were called into action in the opening period.
Kelty were soon into their stride, with Nimmo seeing plenty of the action in the centre of the park. The midfielder was in and out of the side last year thanks to injury, but he's enjoyed a decent run in the first team this season and it's starting to show in his form. Kelty were beginning to build the pressure, and their set pieces were starting to look dangerous. It took until the half hour for the pressure to pay off, Courts floating in a corner kick for Carstairs to head home his first goal of the season.
Vale had to make an early substitution shortly afterwards, Bonner limping of to be replaced by Brady. Within minutes, Kelty had doubled their lead. A quick break down the left and a neat exchange of passes between Dalziel & MacKenzie, who squared for Cargill to side foot home from the six-yard box. That's nine goals in six matches for Cargill and he is clearly a striker in red-hot form right now.
Kelty haven't had any problem scoring goals this season, defensive errors are what's cost them valuable points. They had a much more solid look about them this time around, and they put the game beyond vale just 5 minutes after the break when Dalziel was tripped in the box. It was a needless foul as Dalziel was heading wide, but Kelty weren't about to argue and Husband made no mistake from the spot.
Dalziel made way for Mathew Gay fifteen minutes from time, and the substitute added his name to the scoresheet just a couple of minutes later, Cargill turning provider with a tidy cut-back for Gay to finish off another slick Kelty move.
Summer signings Chris Gay and Willis Hare were introduced late on, and Kelty could have added a couple more in the closing minutes of the game. The points were already safe though and keeping the clean sheet was probably more important.
The result means Kelty leapfrog Vale, the Fifers now up to fifth in the Lowland League, with eleven points from six games. Kelty now have back to back home games in another busy week, with Edinburgh Utd the visitors on Tuesday for the second round Football Nations Cup tie, before it's back to league business against East Stirlingshire next Saturday.
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