Progress pleases Kelty boss despite battling Bairns loss
Falkirk ...................................... 2 Kelty Hearts .............................. 1
MICHAEL TIDSER believes that his side’s showing at the Falkirk Stadium is “testament” to the strides Kelty Hearts have been making since the start of the season.
The New Central Park outfit fell to a narrow loss at Falkirk on Saturday, with Ross MacIver’s header - which Tidser said was “unbelievable” - late on edging John McGlynn’s promotion chasers to all three points.
On-loan Aberdeen teenager Alfie Bavidge’s equaliser midway through the second half had cancelled out Aidan Nesbitt’s opener for the Bairns, who romped to a 5-1 victory the last time the teams met in September.
“I’ve spoken to you a lot and, from where the club was and where it is now, even from when we played them, I had full belief in the lads,” player / boss Tidser told Press Sport post-match.
“I thought the first game, albeit it finished 5-1, I still to this day, I could be wrong, don’t think it was a 5-1 game. They capitalised and punished us that day.
“Today I thought they had their chances first half. Obviously, they thought they should’ve had a penalty, we’ve maybe had a wee couple of half chances with Bav and stuff like that, nothing clear-cut.
“From the first half to the second half, night and day, but I said to them at half-time, look, let’s take the game to them and see how they handle it.
“I’m really pleased with that aspect, but disappointed to lose.
“CJ (Craig Johnston) has had a wee chance second half, a couple of wee strikes, and you could feel the goal coming. By the way, it’s a fantastic goal. Great play. It’s no coincidence - that’s stuff we work on in training, getting down the outsides, cutting back, and wee Bav’s went in and finished it.
“I thought we deserved it, but you’re then thinking, what do we do here? Do we go for it? We tried. We tried to just keep the pressure, but they’re a good side. There’s no denying it.
“They’re a very good side with loads of quality, and you can see that with their bench, the players they bring on. We’re down to the bare bones. We’ve got two on the bench who are injured that I don’t to risk, but it’s a real testament to where we’re at now, compared to where we were at the start of the season.”
Bavidge, along with fellow loanees Lewis O’Donnell and the colossal Fergus Owens, returned to the side having been inelgible for Kelty’s last outing, a 2-0 win at Hamilton Academical in the Scottish Cup.
They crossed the Kincardine Bridge having not lost on either of their two previous visits to the Falkirk Stadium last term, but were always in for a tough test against the second-top hosts, who were unbeaten in the league, winning allbut-one of their home matches.
McGlynn’s team were also eager to keep pace with Hamilton - who knocked them off top spot last week - and were on top throughout the opening 45 minutes, although Kelty did restrict their opportunities.
The visitors survived a penalty appeal 15 minutes in when MacIver, having picked up a loose O’Donnell pass back towards goalkeeper, Kyle Gourlay, went down under pressure from Jason Thomson, and was carded for simulation by referee, Ian Snedden.
The man in the middle would not prove to be popular amongst the home crowd, who saw Calvin Miller head in Brad Spencer’s cross on the half hour, only for the offside flag to rule it out.
Falkirk, though, broke the deadlock shortly before the break when MacIver did brilliantly to cushion Callumn Morrison’s centre, at an awkward height, into Nesbitt’s path, who finished well first time from eight yards out.
Kelty were much more of an attacking threat in the second period, and Craig Johnston had two good chances, side-footing wide from Jamie Walker’s fine pick-out, before being denied by home keeper Nicky Hogarth’s legs when put through by
Lewis Moore.
When the visitors’ goal did arrive, it was worth waiting for.
Johnston sent the ball wide for Walker and, after running into space, the full-back produced another superb ball, which Bavidge met inside the six-yard box before Hogarth to send home.
Unfortunately for Kelty, they couldn’t see it out as, 10 minutes later, MacIver bulleted home a header from Finn Yeats’ cross to restore Falkirk’s lead, which they came close to adding to in stoppage time when substitute, Jordan Allan, rattled the crossbar.
“First half, you could quite clearly see they were the better side. We got in at half-time, sat them down and had a wee word with them,”
Tidser continued.
“It’s difficult for me to see sometimes, because I’m on the park, in terms of the tactical side of it, but Geordie (Kevin McDonald, Tidser’s assistant manager) is very good at it. He’s switched on with stuff like that. He gave us a few wee tweaks here and there, and I just told them to believe in themselves more, in terms of in possession.
“Second half, I thought we were much better, more like us. We had them spooked for a bit, and then obviously we score a very good goal. At that stage, there’s probably 2025 minutes to go, do you stick or twist? But I just wanted to and be brave and try and win the game, or at least give ourselves a chance of winning it.
“I take responsibility for the defeat in terms of not sitting with a bank of four or five, and just try to hang in for a point. I’d rather just won games.
“Credit to the lads. I thought the second half was much more like us, really really good, but they go and score an unbelievable header from MacIver. Honestly, I’ve played football a long time, and it’s one of the best headers I’ve ever seen, in terms of playing. Sometimes you just need to hold your hands up.”
Kelty Hearts: Gourlay, Corbett, Walker, Thomson, F. Owens, Lyon, Johnston (Daramola 74), Tidser (McCluskey 81), O’Donnell, Bavidge, Moore. Subs not used: Cunningham, Biabi, L. Owens, B. Owens, Sylla, Cameron, Campbell.