Kelty Hearts are back in action at New Central Park as Annan Athletic visit.
The Maroon Machine will be hoping to bounce back after a defeat last time out at Stair Park to Stranraer. Two first half goals from Lewis Dobbie defeated Kelty as their away woes continue.
From their opening two league games, Kelty has picked up a maximum six points. A 3-2 win against Stirling Albion and a 3-1 win over Dumbarton provided much-needed victories in front of the home fans.
Saturday’s opponents Annan Athletic has similarly picked up six points from their opening five games, winning two of those. A 1-0 win away to Stranraer was later followed by last Saturday’s 2-0 home win against Dumbarton. Player-manager Wullie Gibson was on target for the Galabankies in the 57th minute before defender Keith Watson clinched the win 12 minutes later.
Kelty and Annan last faced off in a KDM Evolution Trophy clash in August 2025. The Maroon Machine were the winners that day courtesy of a 72nd minute Innes Murray penalty.
The last time the two sides shared a division was the 2024/25 League One season where the two sides cancelled each other out over the piece. Kelty recorded 3-0 and 2-0 wins in the first half of the season, while Annan won 3-1 and 2-1 as the season came to a close.
Previewing the match to Kelty Hearts TV after last week’s defeat, Thomas O’Ware said: “What happens on a Tuesday and a Thursday is irrelevant if we’re going to make mistakes, get outworked and outfought. It’s the same things that are happening.
“We need to learn from them, and we don’t seem to be. It’s a drastic yo-yo from week to week with the home games, I think it’s mentality. The home games they’ve been at it and the away games they’ve been nowhere near the mark.
“So individually we need to look at ourselves and I’ll look at myself, but as players we need to know we’re turning up to games and they’re going to be extremely difficult. they’re going to make it difficult and a hard place to come to. That’s what we do at home and we need to stand up to that.”
Tickets are available for Kelty Hearts vs Annan Athletic here.
Written by: Jamie Szmitz
Photography: Kevin Marshall (@KayemPhoto)