Kelty Hearts suffered a narrow defeat to Peterhead as the Blue Toon came back from a goal down.  In stormy conditions, goals from Dylan Forrest and Max Barry followed a gorgeous free-kick from Ricco Diack.

With Joseph Teasdale, Lewis Carrol and Cooper Masson added to the absentee list, Thomas O’Ware handed first league starts to Grant Leitch and Darren McInally.

McInally was involved early on as he was fouled around 20 yards away from goal.  Ricco Diack stood up and converted his first Kelty goal, and it was one to remember.  Firing over the wall and into the top left corner giving goalkeeper Jack Newman no chance.  

The equaliser came in the 19th minute through Dylan Forrest which was another wonderstrike.  Picking up the ball from 35 yards away from goal, Forrest leathered an effort goalwards which – perhaps aided by the strong winds – sailed past Ryan Adamson. 

Peterhead’s comeback was complete just three minutes after the restart through Max Barry.  Flynn Duffy’s lobbed pass was met by Jack Brown, he ran down the left and cut back across goal where Barry arrived and calmly finished.

The Maroon Machine’s best chance for an equaliser came through full-back Murray Thomas.  James Graham’s skewed shot fell into the path of Thomas in acres of space, from a tight angle he tried to fire into the near post but Newman got down well to keep it out.

Grant Leitch was a bright spark in the Kelty midfield, and had a chance to mark his start with a goal before half-time.  Capitalising on slack defending, Leitch dispossessed the defender and after a few dummies fired towards goal, with Newman making the save.

Reflecting on the match to Kelty Hearts TV, Thomas O’Ware believed “there wasn’t much in the game, neither keeper really had to make a save.  The second half we started slack and we conceded a goal we shouldn’t have. Then the second half was a lot like the first, Peterhead saw the game out well so overall I’m disappointed.”

Written by: Jamie Szmitz

Photography: Kevin Marshall (@KayemPhoto)