JOHN POTTER lavished praise on the "quality" of Joe Cardle as he challenged his Kelty Hearts side to show greater consistency.

Two goals from Kallum Higginbotham, and one from Alfredo Agyeman, handed the New Central Park outfit a 3-0 win over Queen of the South last Saturday, ending a run of four games without in all competitions.

A trip to bottom side, Peterhead, is up next this afternoon as the 'Maroon Machine' aim to try and close the gap to the promotion play-off places further, with seven points separating them from fourth placed FC Edinburgh.

The Blue Toon have won just twice in League One this season, with one of those victories coming against Kelty at Balmoor in September, and Potter knows his players need to build on their win over the Doonhamers if they are to make a push for the play-offs.

The impact of Cardle, 35, could also aid their cause, with the veteran winger's contribution from the bench helping turn the Queens contest Kelty's way, with his manager commenting: "Joe obviously makes a big difference as well coming on the pitch, that little bit of quality, and he knows that.

"He'll be disappointed not to play at times but he knows where is and, every single time he's came on the pitch as a sub, he's made a big impact. He did that again.

"He's done it so many times this year. I've known him a long time so I know what he's got. Obviously he's not the same Joe as when he was 27, 28, but what he's always got, and will always have, is quality. He did that today and he's done that a lot of times for us this season.

"He can help us change games and win games."

Potter believes that Kelty have played better than they did on Saturday, without getting their rewards, and was pleased to see them be more clinical in front of goal, having missed several chances in a last-gasp defeat to Falkirk in their previous outing.

"It's nice but what it is is a start," he continued.

"We have to continue to keep moving on. We've got a difficult away game next week, where we lost earlier in the season, but, if we are going to continue to try and climb the table, which we're always looking up, always trying to look at who's in front of you, then we need to win games.

"It's the stage of the season where we need to (be consistent). We are where we are for a reason. We've been too inconsistent this year.

"It's not too late to make a push going up the way. We've got to continue to believe that; I'll always tell the players that we've got to continue to look and try and catch the team in front of you.

"We managed to pick up three points against Queen of the South, and we need to go and try and do the same next week."

Potter, who has loaned Robbie McNab to Darvel for the rest of the season, added that he hopes Nathan Austin, who missed out against Queens, will be able to train tonight (Thursday) and be available for selection at the weekend.

He is also hopeful that Jason Thomson, who has been out with a knee problem, may be back in contention for the game with FC Edinburgh on March 4, before which he is hoping to "bring one or two" players in to his squad.