Kelty Hearts welcome Hamilton Academical to New Central Park this Saturday.  The Maroon Machine are looking to bounce back from three winless league games.

Our opponents have picked up two wins, two draws and two defeats from their opening six games.  Most recently, the Accies are coming off the back of draws against Cove Rangers and Peterhead respectively. 

The last time the two sides shared a division was the 2023/24 campaign where Hamilton would win promotion in the play-offs.  The South Lanarkshire side had the better of Kelty in the league meetings, with three wins and a draw in the encounters.

In that same season, however, Kelty Hearts came out on top in a third round Scottish Cup meeting.  Second half goals from Reece Lyon and Lewis Moore saw us progress to the next round.  

Since Hamilton have been hit with a transfer embargo over the summer, John Rankin will be hoping the remains of last season’s Championship squad will be enough. Former Hibs and Barnsley hit-man Oli Shaw has already scored two this campaign.

A win for the Maroon Machine would be paramount in turning our fortunes around and lifting us back up the table.  For Hamilton, an inconsistent run sees them five points off the top at this early stage. 

Written by: Jamie Szmitz

Photography: Kevin Marshall (@KayemPhoto)