Kelty Hearts 0 Montrose 2

KELTY HEARTS were knocked off the top of the League One table and leapfrogged by their opponents as Montrose continued their remarkable winning record at New Central Park.

Substitutes Matheus Machado and Ben MacIver-Redwood struck within a six-minute period in the second half to take top spot ahead of the late kick off between Stenhousemuir and Alloa Athletic, who sat second and third at the start of play.

The visitors also made it five wins from five league visits to New Central Park, with their other trip to Kelty Hearts ending in a draw in a 2021 Scottish Cup tie, as Michael Tidser's men fell to a third defeat of the campaign.

A disappointing day was made worse when skipper, Tam O'Ware, was sent off late on for a second bookable offence.

"I thought Montrose deserved it," Tidser said.

"They probably schooled us in terms of, not so much football, because they didn't really play a lot of it, if truth be told, but in terms of that other side of the game. You'll get more of that in Scottish leagues than you will anywhere else, just that picking up second balls, or turning down channels, or pressing at the right time, being defensively resolute.

"I thought they managed the game better than us, and the first goal's always crucial."

Home player / manager Tidser, who remained sidelined, having missed last week's encounter with Dunfermline in the SPFL Trust Trophy due to a calf issue, made three changes to his starting line-up from that match.

On-loan goalkeeper Ruairdh Adams and centre back Sam Cleall-Harding, who were both cup-tied for the game at East End Park having played for parent club Dundee United's 'B' team in a previous round, returned to the team, as did Connor Allan, with the on-loan Rangers player having missed out for the same reason.

The trio replaced Ryan Adamson, Callum Flatman and Billy Owens, who all dropped to the bench, as the hosts sought to increase their lead at the top.

A superb start to the campaign saw Kelty sit proudly at the League One summit with 15 points from their opening nine games ahead of kick-off, one clear of Stenhousemuir and Alloa Athletic, who were meeting in a televised 5.30pm kick off at Ochilview, and fourth-top Queen of the South.

However, Stewart Petrie's Gable Endies, with whom Kelty drew at Links Park on the opening day of the season, arrived fifth but just two points off top spot themselves.

They also boasted an impressive record against the 'Maroon Machine', winning six and drawing two of nine league meetings between the clubs, and had not tasted defeat at New Central Park, winning on each occasion, aside from a scoreless Scottish Cup draw in 2021.

Early on, there was plenty of commitment from both sides, but little goal threat, although Kelty's Scott Williamson did have a couple of efforts blocked.

Robbie Cole fired wide of the near post after being played in on the left by impressive on-loan Hibernian midfielder, Jacob MacIntyre, before the hosts wasted a great opportunity midway through the opening half.

Former Montrose forward, Craig Johnston, did really well to win the ball on halfway from Blair McKenzie, and his efforts sent Williamson running in on goal.

However, his touch when he reached the penalty area was too heavy, allowing goalkeeper, Cammy Gill, the opportunity to race from his line and block.

Williamson sent a teasing delivery across the face of goal, with no takers, from another fine MacIntyre pass, but Kelty conceded a penalty at the other end in the 29th minute.

There were few complaints as Cleall-Harding upended Kane Hester, but Adams spared his team-mate's blushes, diving to his left to push away Webster's effort.

Then, as the opening period drew to a close, home skipper O'Ware headed off the upright, before Cole's follow-up was blocked, from a vicious Ross Cunningham free-kick, whilst Webster had a goal disallowed for the Gable Endies, after Adams had palmed out a Craig Brown free-kick.

The teams continued to stifle one another after the break, with the first effort at goal in the second period coming just after an hour, when Michael Gardyne curled over from the edge of the box for the Mo.

And it was they who made the breakthrough with little more than 20 minutes remaining.

They moved the ball well down the left, with Blair Lyons freeing Andrew Steeves, with the full-back sending a fine ball across the box.

Although it evaded Hester, Machado, who had replaced Webster just six minutes earlier, was in the right place, at the right time, to sweep home from around 12 yards.

That goal gave the visitors a lift, and Brown came close to adding a second, denied only by a smart stop by Adams at his near post.

However, a second goal for the away side did come with 16 minutes to go, when another substitute, MacIver-Redwood, headed in from close range from a Gardyne corner.

That wrapped up the points for the away side, and Kelty's day went from bad to worse when O'Ware, having been booked for a foul four minutes prior, was shown a second yellow card for a challenge inside the Montrose box with seven minutes to go.

Kelty Hearts: Adams, Mercer (Thomas 72), Cleall-Harding, O'Ware, Paterson, Allan, MacIntyre (B. Owens 56), Williamson, Cole (McCarvel 60), Cunningham, Johnston.

Subs not used: Flatman, Bryce, Adamson.

Sent off: O'Ware (83, second yellow card).

Booked: Johnston (24), Cleall-Harding (45), O'Ware (79).

Montrose: Gill, Williamson, Dillon, Brown (Shrive 84), Steeves (Watson 84), Masson (Hannah 84), Webster (Machado 62), Lyons (MacIver-Redwood 70), McKenzie, Gardyne, Hester.

Subs not used: Quinn, Watson, Hannah, Smith, Bertie, Matthews.

Goals: Machado (68), MacIver-Redwood (74).

Booked: Masson (39).

Referee: Gavin Duncan.

Attendance: 500.