Kelty Hearts v Brechin City: Stats and information

Just 180 minutes - or potentially 30 more and penalty kicks - stand between Kelty Hearts and a place in the promised land of the SPFL.

Tonight, they take on Brechin City in the first leg of the pyramid play-off final, with the winners set to play League Two football next season.

There's no bigger incentive for either side and, ahead of the tie, we take a look at what you need to know.

Kelty are two games away from a place in League Two. Photo: Jim Payne.

When is the game?

The first leg takes place at New Central Park this evening, at 7.45pm, with the return at Glebe Park on Sunday at 3pm.

How can I watch or follow the game?

Kelty Hearts TV are streaming tonight's game live, and can be purchased here.

Press Sport will also be live with updates as they happen.

Are fans allowed to attend?

Yes.

Kelty have arranged for a maximum of 250 supporters to be inside to watch as Coronavirus restrictions have eased sufficently to allow it.

READ MORE: Fans to attend Kelty v Brechin play-off

What are the pyramid play-offs?

Introduced in 2015, the pyramid play-offs give an opportunity to the winners of the Lowland League or Highland League to progress into SPFL League Two.

How do they work?

In the first instance, the winners of the Lowland League and Highland League come together to face off over two matches.

This season, Kelty, Lowland League champions, took on Brora Rangers, who claimed the Highland League title.

The winner of that tie then goes on to play the side that finishes bottom of League Two, which this season was Brechin City.

What is the background to this season's play-offs?

Well, where to begin.

Last season, divisions across Scotland were called on a points-per-game (PPG) average due to the outbreak of Coronavirus, with it being decided that the season could not be played to a finish.

Kelty and Brora were both declared winners of their respective leagues using that method, but all play-offs across the divisions were scrapped, meaning that they did not have the opportunity to contest a shot at promotion.

Talk of league reconstruction - which had the potential to promote the clubs into an expanded League Two - were rejected, meaning they had to resume in their respective divisions.

Kelty were sitting top of the Lowland League when, in January, all football beneath the SPFL Championship was suspended due to concerns over a rise on Coronavirus cases.

Although League One and League Two were given the green light to resume - completing a less number of games, and by conducting weekly testing - in March, non-league clubs remained out of action.

The Lowland League then took the decision to call the season on a PPG basis to ensure they had representation in the pyramid play-offs, with Kelty, once more, finishing top.

Despite having only played three matches, Brora Rangers were declared winners of the Highland League in a similar manner.

However, they had to wait until April 29 for the play-off to be given the go ahead, as the clubs had to satisfy SPFL membership criteria.

In addition, Brechin had sent a letter to the SPFL suggesting that league reconstruction would have been a fairer solution, citing the number of games they had to play in a short period of time to complete their season, whilst Kelty and Brora were inactive.

How did the first part of the pyramid play-off go?

On paper, it looked like it would be a difficult tie for Kelty against a Brora side who had famously knocked Heart of Midlothian out of this season's Scottish Cup.

Barry Ferguson's side, incredibly, had two penalties inside the opening 10 minutes saved in the first game at Dudgeon Park, but a Dylan Easton wonderstrike, and a Kallum Higginbotham spot-kick, sealed a 2-0 win.

That meant they were in pole position going into the return at New Central Park last Saturday, but Greg Morrison's opener for Brora looked to have put the tie firmly back in the balance.

A quick-fire Nathan Austin (pictured below) goal, however, restored the hosts' two-goal advantage and they never looked back from there.

Austin headed in his, and Kelty's second, just before the hour mark and he quickly sealed his hat-trick with a fine free-kick.

Easton then completed a 4-1 win - and 6-1 success on aggregate - to set up the Brechin tie.

Photo: Jim Payne.

What about Brechin?

It's been a tough few years for the Angus club, who were competing against Dunfermline in the Championship as recently as 2018.

Having finished fourth in League One the previous season, they won promotion through the play-offs, famously defeating Raith Rovers and sending them down along the way.

However, the second tier proved a step too far and they became the first club in 126 years to fail to win a league match.

With just four points, they finished rock bottom and were sent straight back down.

Although they managed nine league wins the following season, their points total of 36 was not enough to prevent a second successive relegation, with City finishing one point below second from bottom Stenhousemuir.

Last season, they finished bottom of League Two - with a PPG of 0.63 - before again finishing at the foot this time around, with just 10 points from 22 games.

They also failed to win at Glebe Park in the league.

Can you tell us about their management team and squad?

I can, and their management team are no strangers to Dunfermline fans.

Their manager is Michael Paton, who spent three seasons at East End Park between 2015-18, winning the League One title in the first of those.

Former Dunfermline midfielder Michael Paton is in charge at Glebe Park. Photo: Craig Brown.

After leaving the Pars, he moved on to Dumbarton and Queen of the South, where he had returned for a second spell, before joining Brechin in October last year.

Following the departure of Mark Wilson, Paton was placed in interim charge, before being appointed on a permanent basis in November on a contract until 2023.

His assistant is one of Scottish football's most experienced figures - Gerry McCabe.

He also formerly worked at East End, serving as Jim McIntyre's number two during his tenure as Pars boss, the high point of which came with First Division title success 10 years ago.

Gerry McCabe (right) was assistant to Jim McIntyre when Dunfermline won the 2011 First Division title. Photo: DAFC.

McCabe continued in the role under his successor, Jim Jefferies, but left when the club went into administration in 2013.

He has worked at a wide range of clubs, including Kilmarnock, Hibernian, Queen of the South and Dundee, and has also had a spell in charge of Dumbarton.

City's current pool of players includes former Dunfermline players, goalkeeper David Hutton and centre back Jonathan Page; Luc Bollan, son of Cowdenbeath manager Gary; ex-Partick Thistle midfielder Abdul Osman; former Pars youth Gregor Jordan; and former Raith Rovers and Forfar Athletic winger Bobby Barr.

Ex Pars keeper David Hutton is in the Brechin squad. Photo: Craig Brown.

Any previous meetings between the clubs?

There has been and it came this season.

The clubs were drawn together in Group C of this year's Betfred Cup, alongside League One Peterhead, and Premiership duo St Johnstone and Dundee United.

Kelty were narrowly beaten by Saints and United - 2-1 at home and 1-0 away respectively - and drew 1-1 with Peterhead, losing 5-3 on spot kicks.

They played Brechin in the final game of the section at Glebe Park and emerged as 2-0 winners, thanks to goals from Dylan Easton and Robbie McNab.

Brechin lost all four matches, which included a 7-0 loss at St Johnstone, and 6-2 home beating by Dundee United.

Referee?

Gavin Duncan will officiate at New Central Park, while Craig Napier is in the man in the middle for Sunday's return.

They will be assisted by Andrew McWilliam and Paul O'Neill, and David Doig and Craig Ferguson, respectively.

The fourth officials for each match are Matthew MacDermid and Duncan Williams.