KALLUM HIGGINBOTHAM laughed off some good-natured banter from the Pars fans after admitting he was "desperate" to play against his old club.

The Kelty Hearts star made his first league appearance of the season – and played his first game since their Premier Sports Cup opener with Inverness Caledonian Thistle last month – in Saturday's scoreless draw between the teams.

A meniscus tear, which saw the 33-year-old undergo an operation two weeks prior to the first-ever competitive meeting between Kelty and Dunfermline, had left him feeling frustrated on the sidelines as the League Two champions fell to defeat in each of their opening three matches.

Speaking to Press Sport, Higginbotham believes that the point gained against Athletic could be the platform his current side needed to turn their form around – even if he had to endure a bit of stick from the away crowd.

"A wee bit from the boys behind the goal but that's natural, isn't it?" he smiled when asked post-match.

"Normally, I would bite back, but today I kept my cool!

"I was desperate, obviously, to play in this game. I had great memories at the Pars; I've always said great words about the club, a fantastic club. It's just part and parcel of football sometimes – players need to move on.

"I'll always hold great memories of being at the club so I was desperate to play in this game, just because we've not been picking up results as well. To get back in the team, and start the season, I think that can give us a good kick-start.

"Like I said, I don't want to burn any bridges with Dunfermline. It was a great club for me and I believe I gave everything when I was at that club. I hold great, great memories from when I was there."

When asked if Kelty could take a lot from the result and their performance, particularly in the opening period, Higginbotham replied: "I think that's been the story of most games.

"We've started games really well, had great opportunities to take the lead, we've not done that, then we concede a goal, and you can see the confidence drain out of the lads.

"Today, we've managed to dig deep against a full-time team who are going well at the minute in the league and, fair play to them, they started to pen us in towards the end of the game.

"But we stood tall and got a result in the end. Hopefully, that can kick-start our season."

On his absence from the side, the Englishman added: "It's been mentally tough. It's only six weeks but it feels like a lifetime!

"You know what I'm like; I'm desperate to play every single minute of every single game so to be sat there watching, especially when the team's not been doing so well, it's a lot harder.

"If the team was winning, it makes it a little bit easier, but when they've been struggling, and I've not been able to help them and ply my trade next to them when they've been struggling ... I'm just delighted to be back and out there on the pitch with the boys."