Kelty a point from historic Super League title

KELTY HEARTS are just one point away from clinching a historic first Super League title after blitzing Camelon at Central Park.

Thomas Courts’ men will become the first Fife club to win the east region’s top prize if they avoid defeat at Lochee United on Saturday – but the champagne corks will also be opening if Bo’ness United, the only team who can catch them, failed to win at Kelty’s arch-rivals Hill of Beath Hawthorn last night (Wednesday).

It has been a remarkable turnaround for a club who only avoided relegation last season after a play-off and Courts has urged his men to produce one final glorious 90 minutes and seal their place in club folklore after Paul Currie, Stuart Cargill and Scott Dalziel saw off the Mariners at Central Park.

He told Press Sport, “Bo’ness are showing great champions spirit so we’re truly expecting to have to go to Lochee and need a point but we’ll be going for three. Lochee are fighting for survival so they will be dangerous because of that, as if they don’t get the right result then they could be relegated.

“I’d like to think that I was a consistent junior player and was capped three times but this would be a huge achievement.

“We signed 10 players in the summer for nothing but we also sold a lot on, so the club is run prudently and we’ve always had the pulling power to attract good players and managers. I’m really proud of the players and club.” Courts admitted his side were nervy in the opening 20 minutes of the game as the Mariners sought to frustrate the hosts and they could even have led after hitting the post in a rare foray forward.

But with their front two of Dalziel and Cargill causing all sorts of problems, Kelty finally took the lead before the break as good play from Dalziel saw the ball cut back to Currie, whose excellent finish gave the goalkeeper no chance.

The home side’s tails were up and they emerged for the second half to produce an excellent display of high-tempo, passing football and they doubled their advantage when Cargill converted from the penalty spot after Dalziel was fouled by the goalkeeper as he contested a Courts long ball into the area.

A sublime Dalziel free kick added additional gloss to the scoreline and although excitement began to reach fever pitch as news filtered through that Bo’ness trailed at Musselburgh, the champions fought back to win 3-2 to delay the title party.

Courts added, “Saturday was a bit of an acid test for us because we hadn’t won in a fortnight and they’d recently put us out of the Fife and Lothians Cup. It is unchartered territory for the players, for the management and the club so we were a bit pensive to begin with but apart from the first 20 minutes, we were on the front foot. I felt we handled the game, occasion and our opponents well and my first instinct is that I would like to do it by our own accord. We’ll be ready for Saturday and any celebrations will have to wait until after we’ve done the job.” Saturday’s fixtures (kick-offs 2.30pm): McBookie.com Super League – Lochee United v Kelty Hearts. McBookie.com Premier League – Dundee Violet v Oakley United.