New Central Park

Kelty Hearts 2-0 Cowdenbeath

31st July 2021

When the Scottish Football League (or Scottish Professional League, or SPL, or whatever) finally, almost grudgingly, allowed the introduction of play-offs into and out of League Two, I am sure few would have predicted Kelty Hearts would be the first former junior club to attain league status.  Linlithgow Rose, Bonnyrigg Rose or even one of the big chaps from through the west would have been most folks' guess. 

But what Kelty Hearts succeeded in rather smartly doing was stealing a march on their former junior colleagues by transferring to the East of Scotland League in 2017, at a point when pretty much all other junior clubs were either actively resisting, or just beginning to mull over the the idea of a possible switch.

Kelty won the EoS title that first season, losing just one league match all year.  Consequently were early invitees to join the newly formed Lowland League; in the process avoiding any potential log jam caused by the mass influx to the EoSL of former East Region Junior clubs in the Summer of  2018.

The club finished third in the inaugural Lowland League season.  And, although they were declared Champions of the Covid-shortened 2019/20 competition, they were denied the opportunity of entering a play-off for a place in League Two.  Champions again the following year, in an even more truncated season, this time around however, the authorities decreed the play-offs must go ahead despite Brechin City's bleating of "It's no fair".

And it was at the latter club's Glebe Park ground that Kelty Hearts achieved SPL status in May 2021.

Fast forward just over three months, and here we had the club playing their first ever Scottish League match, against near neighbours Cowdenbeath.  

I have to say, I cannot recall Kelty Hearts ever being called
The Maroon Machine, when they were in the Juniors.

New Central Park - Kelty Hearts

New Central Park - Kelty Hearts

Entering New Central Park this afternoon, my unavoidable first impression was the someone had very patently spent a lot of their (or perhaps someone else's) money on the place.

I had first attended a match at the ground way back in January 1988, where I think the only facilities were a couple of wooden huts, and a modest little shelter on the school side of the ground.  I took some video footage of the place (link below) some eight years later, which shows the extensive brick built pavilion which had been erected in 1994.  But the rest of the ground at the time could best be described as basic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu8G7frw5zA&t=17s

Today New Central Park is fully fenced-in, with two enclosures and a neat little stand which looks to hold around 300.

One thing which clearly has not changed since the juniors days,
is someone having to ferry hot water/tea to the pie hut in a kettle.

...and with Thomas Reilly's kick-off, Scottish league football has a new member.

Well, in the end Kelty celebrated their entry to the Big Boy club by taking all three points.  But, it was by no means an easy baptism.  They had to weather a spirited second-half display by Cowden.  And who knows how things may have panned out, had Liam Buchanan not missed a 52nd minute penalty with the scoreline at 1-0.

The hosts had dominated possession during the first spell, and visiting 'keeper Cammy Gill had had to make a string of smart stops to keep the scoreline blank.  Until the 37th minute that is, when Kelty went ahead in slightly contentious circumstances.  Cowdenbeath's Craig Thomson appeared to take a whack after making a clearance.  But the ref Calum Scott waved play on, and Reis Peggie found Joe CARDLE, whose quick feet outfoxed Craig Barr, before finding the far corner of Gill's net.  Cue even more Blue Brazilian unhappiness.

I have no idea what visiting manager Gary Bollan changed at the break, but it was an energised Cowdenbeath side who began the second-half, as they actually began to complete in midfield.    

Around the 50 minute mark, we had a bout of pin-ball in the Kelty box featuring three  increasingly vehement shouts for "Hand Ball", as the thing pinged off various pieces of Kelty anatomy.  The ref waved them all aside (rightly in my opinion), but his decisions clearly irked visitors Craig Barr and Kris Renton sufficiently for each to be booked for their impassioned ranting.

A few minutes later, however, the ref was their best buddy, when he awarded the visitors a penalty-kick following a foul on Bobby Barr.  I am not saying it was not a foul, but it was soft.  And definitely one which came into the category of a "penalty won".  I am sure you know what I mean.

Unfortunately for the Blue Brazil, Liam Buchanan saw his effort well saved saved by Darren Jamieson.  

The visitors kept going, prompted by the ever-willing Bobby Barr, but it was Hearts' Ross PHILP who wrapped up the points twenty minutes from time.  

So honours to Kelty in the first ever Parish of Beath League Derby.

Panorama of New Central Park, Kelty.

 

Kelty Hearts v Cowdenbeath - July 2021

Kelty's number 14 is Ross Philp, who had played with the club back in the Juniors days.

Cowdenbeath's self-proclaimed irony-laden nickname is The Blue Brazil.
I first heard it used during season 1991/92, when the club
won promotion to Division One (tier two) for the first time in over twenty years. 

Liam Buchanan's 52nd minute penalty would have drawn his side level...

....but Darren Jamieson had other ideas.

Ross Philp's shot has just put Kelty two up.

Fraser Mullen, Bobby Barr & Kris Renton

I am fairly sure this is former Hibs and Dundee player Jordan Forster. 

Thank You For Visiting New Central Park