Kelty Hearts 4 Elgin City 0

ALFREDO AGYEMAN was at the double as Kelty Hearts warmed up for Saturday's cup tie with a resounding win over Elgin City.

Two goals in each half saw the League Two leaders win back-to-back matches for the first time since December and remain 10 points clear of Forfar Athletic.

They avenged their defeat at Borough Briggs last month – three days after the Scottish Cup fourth round win over St Johnstone – with a display that delighted manager Kevin Thomson.

"The boys were good on Saturday to be fair to them and we probably felt like it could've been a couple more," he said.

"We made it really personal on Saturday against Elgin because we had only been up there a couple of weeks ago and been beat 2-0. I asked for the highest of standards, which I always ask for, but sometimes games can be huffy and puffy.

"You can have good performances, bad performances; we've got no given right to play well every week and score loads of goals.

"Saturday was one of those performances that we were very comfortable. We managed to get certain players off as well to look after them; a boy like Tids (Michael Tidser) is desperate for that but, unfortunately, is so important for us. I've told him he can get a rest at the end of the season!

"Me and Geordie (Kevin McDonald, Thomson's assistant) were delighted with the boys on Saturday because some of the play looked more like we had been pre-Christmas. We felt as though we've huffed and puffed a wee bit over the last four or five league games and the standard's not so much dropped, but the quality, the smoothness of our play had been a wee bit less pleasing on the eye let's say.

"Saturday was a good bounceback and to score four goals, and to be comfortable against a really good Elgin team, was really pleasing and it sets us up now to forget about the league for a week and concentrate now on St Mirren."

Kallum Higginbotham's early penalty, after Agyeman had been deemed to have been fouled by Ross Draper, set them on their way before the striker sent a shot across goalkeeper Tom McHale from the right-edge of the six-yard box.

Tidser's fine free kick early in the second half made it 3-0, before Agyeman added his second, and Kelty's fourth, minutes later when he tapped home after McHale had done brilliantly to push a deflected Tidser shot against the upright.

"I'm delighted for Alfie," Thomson added.

"He was really unlucky because he came into the team through COVID and injuries and we were down to the bare bones at Stenhousemuir (in August). He came on and was terrific that day, scored two goals and looked like he was going to go on a run.

"The harsh reality is, whether it's Fash (Nathan Austin), Alfie, Kallum, Joe (Cardle) or Barjo (Jamie Barjonas), whoever's in the team and does well, we've got a loyalty towards the lads that are performing well."

Winger Cardle made his 500th professional appearance on Saturday, and he added: "They've been our bogey team, I'll be honest, the last couple of games.

"They've given us some tough games the way they've set up. It's been frustrating to play against them but we set up right on Saturday, managed to get an early couple of goals, and it just put us in a good stead to enjoy the rest of the game.

"It was a great win but we've just got to keep on doing it now."

Match stats

Kelty Hearts: Jamieson, Finlayson, Hooper, O'Ware, Ngwenya, Black, Barjonas (Philp 75), Tidser (Reilly 60), Cardle, Agyeman, Higginbotham (Biabi 67). Subs not used: Peggie, Austin, Donaldson.

Goals: Higginbotham (8, pen), Agyeman (29, 56), Tidser (52).

Elgin City: McHale, Trialist, Draper (Sopel 63), El-Zubaidi, Towler, MacEwan, R. Dingwall, Mailer, T. Dingwall (Machado 76), Omar (Allen 63), Hester (Peters 83). Subs not used: Cooper, Cormack, Hanratty, Hoban.

Booked: Omar (58), T. Dingwall (59), Towler (68).

Referee: Grant Irvine.

Attendance: 433.