Kelty Hearts 3 Broughty Athletic 1

THOMAS COURTS has called on his Kelty side to build Junior Cup momentum this weekend after continuing their unbeaten league run last Saturday.

The high-flying Super League leaders recorded their 12th win in 13 matches by comfortably seeing off Broughty Athletic, despite having Sean O’Neil sent off as the game drew towards a conclusion.

Stephen Husband’s spectacular dipping volley from around 30 yards gave Kelty a first-half lead which was soon added to by O’Neil, who met Craig Thomson’s corner at the far post to head home emphatically.

Brian Ritchie then rattled the bar with a header from Stuart Cargill’s pinpoint delivery and Jordan Moore went close as the hosts pressed for a third goal, which they got after the break when Thomson’s sweet long-range strike flew into the corner.

That wrapped up the points for Kelty but they were reduced to 10 men late on when O’Neil was penalised for pulling back a Broughty attacker inside the area, allowing Ross McCord to net from 12 yards.

All eyes now turn to Ashfield’s visit in the Junior Cup and Courts said: “Confidence is high and we’re looking forward to this weekend.

“It will be tough — it always is when an east team plays one from the west — but we want to push on and be in the latter stages.

“It is about building momentum, getting as many home draws as possible and being at a stage where the players are seeing the potential of winning the cup. If we play to our best then I hope we can get through to the next round.

“We were aware that Broughty had made a good start but hadn’t picked up as many points as they’d hoped recently so we weren’t entirely sure what to expect.

“We knew how much they have improved and we started really well.

“The first goal came at a time when the game was evenly balanced but it gave us the strength to move forward.

“Once we got the second we hit the bar, created a lot of chances and my only frustration was that we passed up numerous chances; we could’ve been four or five up at half time.

“We allowed a wee bit of complacency to creep in but we controlled most of the game from start to finish.

“We scored some really good goals and it keeps us plugging away at the top of the table.”

Oakley United 1 Easthouses Lily 4

OAKLEY boss Lee Richardson lamented his side’s poor finishing and bad defending as they slumped to defeat against Easthouses Lily in the South Division.

The Blairwood Park men were made to pay for their profligacy as a clinical Easthouses side took advantage to record an emphatic victory.

Stephen Ferguson’s double was added to by Graeme Young, who was also sent off, and Paul McDermott for the visitors as Derek Murray’s counter attack proved no more than a consolation goal for the hosts.

Richardson said: “It was a game that I felt we should have won.

“We controlled possession for 90 minutes; they’ve had five chances and scored four goals, whereas we’ve had about 20.

“A combination of good goalkeeping, poor finishing and decision-making stopped us but there are a couple of things we need to work on.

“We need to be more switched on; the four goals came from crosses that we should have cut out but we didn’t defend properly. That is something we’ll work on in training.

“It looks like we need to go in front in games because if we don’t and a team score against us, we get frustrated and it doesn’t happen for us.

“It wasn’t a good result because we should be beating Easthouses. We need to be more clinical because teams always get one or two chances at this level.”

“We’ve got Kirkcaldy away this week and it’s a game we need to win. They’re a stuffy team, especially at home, but we need to try and score first because that lifts everyone.”

West Calder United 6 Crossgates Primrose 0

PRIMROSE suffered their first league defeat on the road in emphatic fashion as they were hit for six at West Calder last Saturday.

Andy Brown’s team had been unbeaten in the South Division away from Humbug Park, recording two wins and two draws, but a nightmare first half saw them convincingly beaten at Hermand Park.

After enjoying an excellent East of Scotland Cup win at league leaders Blackburn United in their last game, Crossgates had high hopes of recording another against a home side that had beaten Rosyth on the same day.

Sadly for Primrose, West Calder made it a double over West Fife opponents after a first-half goal glut that saw them race into a five-goal half-time lead.

David Love got the ball rolling for the hosts in the 16th minute before adding a second goal just five minutes later.

With less than half an hour gone, Crossgates were three goals down and all but out of the game when Grant Sneddon rattled home a third.

And the contest was soon over as Andrew Mochan and Jordan Devine added further goals before the break.

Although the game had gone, Primrose restored a bit of pride after the break and restricted West Calder to just one more goal, scored by Sean McLaughlin deep into stoppage time.

Meanwhile Rosyth, who travel to Luncarty in the Junior Cup on Saturday, saw their scheduled game at Stoneyburn fall victim to a waterlogged pitch.

SATURDAY’S FIXTURES (1.45pm kick-offs): ETHX Energy Scottish Junior Cup – Kelty Hearts v Ashfield, Luncarty v Rosyth. McBookie.com South Division – Kirkcaldy YM v Oakley United.