The Maroon Machine suffered a narrow defeat at the hands of league leaders Inverness Caledonian Thistle. A corner bundled in off Alex Ferguson just after the hour mark separated the sides on an afternoon which had huge impacts on the league table.
The breakthrough came after 61 minutes from a messy corner. Paul Allan’s corner was looped into the six yard box where it was contested by a number of Kelty and Inverness players. Alfie Bavidge and Remi Savage rose high to bundle over the line ahead of Kyle Gourlay, with the final touch appearing to come off Kelty midfielder Alex Ferguson.
The second half was much improved by Caley Thistle, after an opening forty-five minutes which frustrated the home fans. The league leaders struggled to break down Kelty, with high pressing from Luke McCarvel and Cammy Cooper often returning fruitful with half chances.
Kelty’s best chances came in the first half, with Lewis Moore finding space in the box but seeing his shot sail over the bar. Arran Pettifer stood over a free-kick around 25 yards from goal, however he saw his effort sail past the post agonisingly.
Kyle Gourlay was called into action on numerous occasions. In the 14th minute, he got down low to keep out Chanka Zimba’s effort from the bottom corner. He was kept busy in the second half, with substitute Adam MacKinnon posing a threat from midfield.
Despite Kelty’s pushing in the closing stages, Caley Thistle held on for a vital three points. The win sees them open a five point lead over second placed Stenhousemuir thanks to their loss against Cove Rangers.
For Kelty, wins for Cove and Hamilton mean that the Maroon Machine would have to win both of their remaining games with Hamilton losing theirs to avoid automatic relegation.
Reflecting on the defeat to Kelty Hearts TV, a disappointed Thomas O’Ware said “ultimately, we’ve conceded a goal that’s criminal and we’ve done that too many times this season. I don’t think we threatened enough and ultimately we fell short.”
Written by: Jamie Szmitz
Photography: Kevin Marshall (@KayemPhoto)