Published: Thursday, 2nd October, 2008 11:30am

Kelty Hearts boss blasts players after cup KO

by Simon Harris

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KELTY boss Stevie Leighton blasted his players after their penalty shoot-out defeat to Bo"ness United on Saturday in the East of Scotland Cup and said, "We need more winners".

Leighton was frustrated after watching his side crash out on what was a black day for West Fife"s clubs in the cup.

Also tumbling out at the first round stage were Oakley United, thumped 6-0 at home by Whitburn, Rosyth Recreation, who lost 3-1 at St Andrews United, Crossgates Primrose, beaten 3-0 at Newtongrange Star, and Steelend Victoria, who lost 3-1 at home to West Calder.

Leighton was particularly aggrieved after watching his side go a goal up after just 50 seconds through John Martin.

They then found themselves 2-1 down but equalised with a header from Tam McGeorge 10 minutes into the second half.

They had chances to go in front but didn"t take them and ended up going out 5-4 in a penalty shoot-out after Scott Lawrie elected to chip his decisive kick.

'We played some really good stuff for the first 25 minutes and it was probably the best we"ve played this season but we lack that killer instinct and penetration to put teams away,' Leighton said.

'They were on the ropes again and they were there for the taking but we just seemed to go through the motions.

'It"s been a concern for a wee while but sometimes we get away with it.

'It"s like a boxer getting his opponent on the ropes and then taking a few steps back and not knocking him out.

'I was disappointed that Scott Lawrie had the chance to win it for us with the penalty but he tried a chip.

"I was raging at him afterwards that he had let his team mates down but it was probably more disappointing that we"d had so much of the play.

'It"s happening more than it should be and I think there"s probably going to be players coming and going within the next two to three months because we cannot sit and watch that every week.

'I feel we are lacking a few winners.

'I think if you wanted to sum it up, we"ve got too many luxury players.

'If you look at the team on paper we"ve got some good players but the game isn"t played on paper.

'Our biggest concern now is that if teams outfight us we are on the back foot and struggling as we have too many luxury players.'

Leighton isn"t afraid to wield the axe and explained, 'We are missing something. Admittedly, we were without our two best players of the season so far in Craig Morrison and Conrad Courts, but we"ve still got a decent squad.

'We"ll be making one or two changes without a doubt but the right players need to become available.

"For now we"ve got to try to get the balance right with what we"ve got.

'This weekend we"re away to Forfar West End and I know exactly how they play – it"s going to be an absolute battle.'

Oakley"s second-half collapse at home to Whitburn proved too much for new boss John Allison, who quit the club on Monday night.

It was the second successive week Allison had seen his troops collapse in the second half.

The previous week Oakley had lost 4-3 at Blairgowrie after being 3-1 up at the break and Saturday was even worse – losing 6-0 after trailing by just a goal at half-time.

After the game, Allison was at a loss to explain why things went so wrong and told Press Sport, 'I couldn"t fault the boys after the first half because they deserved to go in drawing at half-time.

'I told them to give me more of that in the second half but afterwards I said, "Look lads, I can"t put my finger on what"s gone wrong out there."'

Saturday fixtures: Scottish Junior Cup, first round – Blairgowrie v Crossgates Primrose. East Region Super Cup – Forfar West End v Kelty Hearts. East Region Premier League – Newtongrange Star v Oakley United. East Region Central League – Rosyth Recreation v Kirkcaldy YM, Jeanfield Swifts v Steelend Victoria.