Kelty Hearts suffered their fourth away defeat of the season at the hands of league leaders Clyde. Goals from Scott Williamson, Nathan Cannon, Jamie Bradley and Sam Campbell gave Clyde the 4-1 win despite Thomas Falconer’s late goal.

The opening goal for the hosts came in the 34th minute through the league’s top scorer Scott Williamson. The former Kelty loanee picked up the ball on the edge of the box and cut in on his right, he swung a shot goalwards which beat Jamie Smith for his ninth goal in six league games.

Clyde’s second of the afternoon came from a corner in the 54th minute. Kyle Connell’s corner was headed on by the Kelty defence but only into the path of Cannon. He looped a header into the back of the net leaving Smith no chance.

The third goal came in the 85th minute when a ball was dinked through by Kyle Fleming. The pass was ran onto by substitute Jamie Bradley who beat an on-rushing Smith and poked home.

There was a glimmer of hope for Kelty in the second half when Thomas Falconer opened his Kelty Hearts account. Good play down the left saw the ball switched to Kallum Higginbotham at the back post. He fizzed a cross in front of the goal where Falconer arrived late and dived in to emphatically finish.

The hosts’ three goal advantage was restored however in the third minute of injury time by defender Sam Campbell. From another corner, Jamie Bradley found Campbell arriving late who bulleted a header into the back of the net.

Clyde looked dangerous throughout the 90 minutes, Timam Scott was denied by a good save from Smith in the first half while Alex Ferguson made an important goal-line clearance early in the match.

Kelty’s best chances of the match came before Scott Williamson’s 34th minute opener. Jamie Hislop nearly scored directly from a corner, his in-swinging cross was tipped onto the bar by Clyde ‘keeper Jay Hogarth. Directly from that chance however, Thomas Falconer had to make a crucial challenge to stop Cannon on the counter.

Things went from bad to worse for Kelty when Jack Brydon was forced off due to injury in the second half. The Kelty captain came off worse in a challenge where he was also shown a yellow card.

Reflecting on the defeat to Kelty Hearts TV, Thomas O’Ware admitted: “I think we lacked belief, and that’s the bit that frustrates me.” He said: “There needs to be more pride, there needs to be more passion in the performances. At home we see that but away it was like we felt sorry for ourselves with the amount of players we have injured.

“I said them before the game, we win today we go a point off top but it’s still not enough. We were okay in parts in the first half but then it goes away again in the second half. We need to have more intent in our play. You’re not going to win games playing like that.”

Clyde starting XI: Hogarth; Lovering, Campbell, Howie, Rooney (Hynes); Fleming, Cuddihy (Forrest); Cannon (Anderson), Connell (Bradley), Scott (Redfern); Williamson. Unused subs: Inglis, Kiltie, Strachan, Terry

Kelty starting XI: Smith; T. Falconer, Brydon (Walker), C. Flatman, Davidson; M. Falconer (Lawson), Ferguson, Cunningham, Hislop; Murray (Higginbotham); Cole. Unused subs: Adamson, Z. Flatman, Hannah, Snoddy

Written by: Jamie Szmitz

Photography: Kevin Marshall (@KayemPhoto)