Kelty make it double trouble for the Bairns
Falkirk 2 Kelty Hearts 3
FIVE years may not seem a long time ago but, in football terms, Falkirk and Kelty Hearts were once poles apart.
The ‘Maroon Machine’, under the guidance of Tam Courts, were embarking on their first East of Scotland League campaign, having made the bold move from junior football, while their opponents on Saturday were battling in the Championship.
When he emerged to speak after his team’s stunning triumph at the Falkirk Stadium, Joe Cardle suggested you’d be “in a world of your own” if you told supporters that, fast forward to 2022, the clubs would be going toe-to-toe in the same division.
It is further indication of the upward direction of travel Kelty have gone in, underlined emphatically with a second win from as many meetings with the Bairns, which provided the added bonus of a first away League One success of the season.
Any doubts John Potter’s team may have had over whether they can compete at this level will surely be diminished after ending Falkirk’s six-game unbeaten run in all competitions, and inflicting their first home loss of the season. They deserved it, too. A lightening quick start that saw Alfredo Agyeman score twice inside the opening eight minutes set the tone for a first half in which Kelty could have been further ahead.
The visitors had to dig in either side of Darren Lyon’s third, with Juan Alegria and Rumarn Burrell replying for the hosts, but this was a well-earned and notable scalp.
Although they had lost all five of their previous away games in the league, Kelty had won three of their last four – and made a stunning opening.
Jamie Barjonas, after collecting the outstanding Kallum Higginbotham’s flighted pass, forced a great block from Bairns keeper, Nicky Hogarth, before picking up the rebound and laying it off to Agyeman.
The 22-year-old moved away from Liam Henderson before firing the ball beyond the goalkeeper from inside the box to give his team the lead.
Three minutes later, it got even better as Kelty seized on a loose ball before Higginbotham slipped Agyeman behind the defence, where he did the needful and fired under Hogarth.
It was an incredible opening and, although Brad McKay hit the outside of the post with a header for the hosts, Barjonas and Nicky Low in particular had further chances to extend the visitors’ advantage.
They were well on top, which led home boss, John McGlynn, to make three half-time changes, and they paid off when Alegria scored from close range 11 minutes after the break.
However, after Agyeman had again ran in behind the home defence and forced Hogarth to save, Lyon restored the two-goal lead when he picked the ball up from the resulting corner and, via a deflection, found the bottom corner of the net from just inside the box.
Burrell set up a grandstand last 20 minutes with a close-range finish, but Kelty saw it out to record a famous win.