East Fife 0-1 Kelty Hearts– Match Report by Oli Anderson
🏆William Hill League 1
📍MGM Timber Bayview Stadium
🗓️Saturday 27th December 2025 | Kick-off: 3:00pm
Kelty Hearts won their first Fife derby of the season, at the fourth time of asking, as they beat East Fife 1-0 at the MGM Timber Bayview Stadium on Saturday. Lewis Moore’s strike at the end of the first half was enough to seal the victory.
East Fife’s first chance of the game came early on, from a free kick. Brian Easton marauded forward, before being brought down around 25 yards away from goal, with the challenge resulting in a booking for Kelty Hearts striker Ricco Diack. Michael McKenna stood over the free kick, although his effort was tame, and easily caught by Kyle Gourlay.
Kelty’s first chance of the half came also from a set play, when Craig Clay was first to a corner kick. He tried to dink Matty Rollo, but the young East Fife ‘keeper was alert and he made a great fingertip save.
Kelty continued to be the aggressors in the first half, with East Fife struggling to get a foothold on the game. After half an hour, a great cross from Kelty’s left hand side flashed past both posts, in what was without a doubt the best chance before the goal.
Five minutes before half time, Kelty Hearts found the opener. Murray Thomas hit a cross from deep on the right-hand side of the pitch which illuded East Fife’s defence. Lewis Moore timed his run perfectly and sent the ball back across Rollo handing Kelty the advantage.
Shortly after, Tommy Goss went close to levelling the game with an effort but was denied by a fine stop by Kyle Gourlay in the Kelty goal.
East Fife huffed and puffed in the second half, although if truth be told, never really laid a glove on the formidable Kelty back line. The pairing of player-manager Thomas O’Ware and Jack Brydon held firm and nullified any and every threat from the black and gold.
On the hour mark, Tommy Goss had a headed shot at goal, but it was once again easy for Gourlay.
With just five minutes to go, East Fife thought they had found the equaliser. Substitute Gregor Nicol whipped a ball in from the left, that Robert Jones leapt for. It looked as if East Fife’s number 27 would connect with the ball, although it fizzed past him just too quickly.
In the final minutes, it was Kelty who looked like they would kill the game off, and probably should have, only being denied by yet another great save from Rollo in between the sticks.
Post match, East Fife assistant manager Ian Campbell gave an honest account of the game, telling EFTV: “Kelty today seemed to be up to their work. Kelty deserved to win, we did not do nearly enough to get back into the game. We were very stretched today, but Kelty were the better side.”
Kelty Hearts manager Thomas O’Ware spoke with the Courier after the game and was full of praise for his side, who notched just their third league win of the season: “The difference today was that we enjoyed the suffering at times. I told the boys midweek, in games when you lead you will have to endure long balls, and the difficult parts in football. We enjoyed it today. To a man we were outstanding.”
East Fife – Rollo, Newton (Nicol 69’), Easton, Bah, Culbert, Millar, McManus, Peggie, Latona, McKenna, Goss (Jones 66’). Subs not used: Thomson, Linton, Fairley, Slattery.
Kelty Hearts – Gourlay, Thomas, Paterson, O’Ware, Brydon, Arnott, Murray, Clay, Moore, Diack (Johnston 68’), McCarvel. Subs not used: Armour, Carrol, Graham, Masson, Wyllie, Leitch, Young.
Referee – Iain Sneddon
Attendance – 830
