Broughty Athletic 0 Kelty Hearts 3

KELTY Hearts kept the pressure on title favourites Bonnyrigg Rose with a convincing victory at Broughty Athletic on Saturday.

Thomas Courts’ Super League champions earned their third win in four at Whitton Park to stay third in the table, 12 points adrift of the leaders having played two games less.

Hearts have five games left and hopes were raised throughout the 90 minutes that Rose were on the verge of dropping vital points in their game with Hill of Beath Hawthorn.

Kelty’s rivals led twice in Midlothian and looked set to do them a huge favour but a 3-2 comeback win for Bonnyrigg means that Courts’ men will need them to drop points in their remaining three games – while not slipping up themselves.

They kept their cool on Tayside for what was, in the end, a comfortable victory but the afternoon could have been different were it not for a fine debut performance in goal from Kyle Marley.

Calum Smith set the visitors on their way in the first half as Kelty took a deserved first-half lead but Broughty came out fighting after the break and Marley – named man of the match by the travelling support – had to produce some fine saves to keep the hosts at bay.

They were made to pay for their profligacy in front of goal with 10 minutes to go when the reliable Stuart Cargill stroked home a penalty before Paul Currie added a late third to provide some further gloss to the scoreline.

Dundonald Bluebell 0 Oakley United 0

NEW Oakley United boss Craig Cowan said he was positive they could secure Premier League survival after a battling draw at leaders Dundonald Bluebell.

Cowan, who was installed until the end of the season after previous manager James Watt quit last month, was “delighted” with his players’ efforts in securing a vital point against a side who had won 10 of their previous 13 league games on home soil.

The fight to avoid the drop is set to go to the wire and Oakley, who have four games left, are just a point adrift of safety and firmly in contention to complete a dramatic rescue mission.

In Cowan’s opening game in charge, United had fought back courageously from a 2-0 deficit and being a man light to draw 2-2 at Kennoway Star Hearts and on Saturday they restricted Bluebell’s attacking threat to deservedly take a point.

He said: “We’ve picked up a couple of points and, against Kennoway, the boys were unbelievable to come back from 2-0 down with 10 men to get a point. On Saturday they had to deal with three formation changes and dealt with it well. I thought we were the better team for long spells and the way the boys have responded so far has been different class.

“It was an even game against the team who are top of the league. They’re the benchmark so the signs for me are good. They’re working hard in training and I’m really positive going forward to the end of the season. We’ll be looking to win our next four games and I think that we’ve got a really good chance.

“The boys are buying in to everything I’m doing and asking of them, so you can’t ask for anymore than that.”

Rosyth 3 Pumpherston 1

ROSYTH boss Lee Richardson has targeted a sixth-place finish for his side after they claimed victory in their final home match of the season.

Goals from Charlie Denton, Scott Morrison and Tam Hampson sealed the three points against a Pumpherston side who ended the Recreation Park contest with just nine men.

Rosyth were 2-0 ahead and in cruise control in the opening 15 minutes.

So often the hero in front of goal, Hampson turned provider for the first, crossing for Charlie Denton to net at the far post before the scorer himself turned creator for Morrison to fire home into the bottom corner.

Ian Morrison pulled a goal back for the visitors before half-time following a swift break from a Rosyth free kick but the hosts continued to dominate after half-time and, with 10 minutes left, they were rewarded.

Unsurprisingly, Hampson had his say on the afternoon, cleverly dummying goalkeeper Connor Shaw and rolling the ball into the net for his 36th goal of the season, following a fine pass that carved open the Pumpherston backline.

The visitors lost their discipline before the end and, after winger John Batt was ordered off for two yellow cards, Shaw followed with a straight red following a two-footed challenge on Hampson.

Richardson said: “They lost their discipline and it was a horrendous challenge from the keeper on Tam – it was two-footed and late. There was a bit of a stramash after that and the ref blew for full-time.

“I thought we played alright. It was a comfortable win but we could’ve scored a few more goals. We’re away to them this week so we’ll see what happens.

“If we win our last four games then we’ll finish sixth, so that’s what we’re aiming for. I feel we’ve got a better team than last year but continuity has been an issue; we haven’t been able to play the same team.”

A good weekend for Rosyth was completed on Sunday when the club’s under-21s lifted the League Cup with a 4-3 win over Lumphinnans.

Saturday’s fixtures (2.30pm): McBookie.com Super League – Camelon Juniors v Kelty Hearts. Premier League – Arniston Rangers v Oakley United. South Division – Pumpherston Juniors v Rosyth.