Kelty Hearts were defeated 2-0 at New Central Park by Alloa Athletic.  A first half goal from Luke Donnelly gave the Wasps the lead before a 95th minute penalty clinched all three points for the visitors.

After a scrappy opening to the game, Alloa took the lead through Luke Donnelly in the 39th minute.  A free-kick from Cammy O’Donnell tried to catch out Ruaridh Adams, the goalkeeper made the save but Alloa regained possession.  The ball was put back into the box and despite numerous attempts to clear the danger it fell to Donnelly, who struck past Adams.  

The final nail in the coffin for Kelty Hearts came in the 95th minute from the spot.  After giving the ball away in the midfield Tyrece McDonnell made his way into the box and was brought down by Scott Allan.  From the spot it was Alloa’s captain Scott Taggart who stepped up and fired to the right of Adams to secure all three points with one of the last kicks of the game.

Kelty Hearts struggled in the first half of this match, and Alloa could have taken the lead earlier.  Donnelly hit the post from a strike just inside the box and moments later a similar stramash to the goal occurred in the Kelty box before O’Donnell fired over the bar.

The closest the Maroon Machine came to an equaliser was in the 76th minute.  Ross Cunningham’s corner was cleared back to him and a looping cross was tempting for O’Ware.  The Kelty skipper leaped the highest but his header was onto the bar.

Reflecting on the match to Kelty Hearts TV, Michael Tidser admitted “we got what we deserved.  I thought we were really poor, especially in the first half we were lucky to only be 1-0 down.  In the second half we chapped on the door without making any real chances.  We need to move on quickly because it is a demanding league, we’ll put it behind us and move on to next week.”

Written by: Jamie Szmitz

Photography: Kevin Marshall (@KayemPhoto)