Barjonas double keeps keen Kelty on title track
KELTY HEARTS 3 ALBION ROVERS 1 Kelty continued their march to the title and maintained their 14-point lead over Annan thanks to a fine brace from Jamie Barjonas.
Kelty got a dream start with a goal in the first minute when Nathan Austin fired low into the net from 20 yards.
In the fifth minute, the visitors had a chance, but Kyle Docherty’s shot went over. Albion were giving as good as they got and Charlie Reilly was just off target with a 22nd-minute shot.
Soon after, a Barjonas shot was just inches past the post and Kallum Higginbotham did the same on the half-hour mark.
The hosts scored again on 36 minutes when Barjonas fired in a left-foot shot from an acute angle after accepting a through-ball from Reilly.
A Kieran Ngwenya shot was stopped by the Albion keeper Cameron Binnie five minutes after the turn and, in the 53rd minute, Albion’s Callum Wilson came close with a drive from fully 25 yards.
Then, in the 59th minute, Wilson got his side back into the game when Charlie Reilly set him up and he shot home from 10 yards.
In the 84th minute, the Fifers put the game to bed when Barjonas got his second goal of the afternoon, finishing off a Nathan Austin cross from 12 yards.
STRANRAER 3 COWDENBEATH 0
Stranraer enjoyed most of the opening stages and it took a great save from Cameron Gill to turn Sean Burns’ shot from outside the box over the bar.
Burns did not have long to wait for his first Stranraer goal, though, as he headed home Dean Hawkshaw’s cross from the resultant corner.
Less than five minutes later, the hosts doubled their advantage. Again, Cowdenbeath failed to deal with a setpiece and it was Craig Ross with a diving header from Anton Brady’s cross.
It took a brilliant last-ditch challenge from Sam Denham to deny Broque Watson, before Tommy Muir came close. The striker was perfectly placed for a Paul Woods cutback, but fired his shot straight at Gill from eight yards.
With just over 20 minutes left to play. Woods capitalised on a defensive mistake and took a touch before squeezing the ball under Gill for 3-0.
ANNAN ATHLETIC 2 ELGIN 1
Elgin had an early chance when Rabin Omar headed narrowly over. Then, at the other end, Tommy Goss saw his header saved by keeper Daniel Hoban.
Cameron Clark tried a volley in the 20th minute but it went over the bar.
Midway through the first half, Russell Dingwall brought a fine save from Annan keeper Gregg Fleming and, two minutes later, Fleming had to make a tremendous save from Kane Hester.
Annan broke the deadlock a minute into the second half when Goss headed in a ball from Kyle Fleming.
Elgin fought back and, in the 55th minute, they were level when Kane Kester hit a ball from 12 yards into the bottom corner of the net.
It was Goss again who sealed it for Annan in the 90th minute when he met an Owen Moxon cross in the centre of the box and headed in strongly.
FORFAR 0 STIRLING ALBION 1
Forfar’s flat first-half performance allowed Stirling Albion to claim the initiative, although it was the hosts who had the first opportunity.
Scott Shepherd forced his way through, rounding keeper Blair Currie, but he was crowded out before he could convert.
The visitors, though, were in control throughout the opening period and took the lead in the 32nd minute. Jack Leitch won the ball and fed Akeel Francis. He steadied himself and converted expertly from the edge of the box.
The Binos almost doubled their tally just five minutes later. Yussuf Hussain was pickpocketed after being caught napping, but Dylan Mackin’s shot was turned away on the line by Andy Munro.
Forfar were on top in the second half, but could only carve out one real opportunity. Gary Harkins’ cross was headed on by Stef Mccluskey, but Matty Aitken could only volley straight into goalkeeper Currie’s arms from four yards.
STENHOUSEMUIR 0 EDINBURGH CITY 0
Edinburgh City maintained their position in the play-offs with a hard-fought point against their closest rivals for fourthplaced Stenhousemuir.
The visitors will have been the happier of the two teams with the result as they were reduced to 10 men in the 14th minute when James Farrell fouled Tom Orr and was deemed to have stopped a goal-scoring opportunity.
Thereafter, they set out their stall to defend in numbers and try and make the odd breakaway.
The Warriors struggled to break down the City defence, despite no lack of effort in doing so, and they were frustrated in their attempts for the rest of the game, with only the odd effort especially from Adam Brown coming closest to making the breakthrough.
The Citizens’ keeper Brian Schwake, in particular, incurred the wrath of the home support for his time-wasting.