KEVIN THOMSON is hopeful that his team have "captivated" the imagination of the community as he revelled in Kelty Hearts' cup glory.

The New Central Park manager paid tribute to the backing his side received on Saturday, with a sell-out crowd watching them stun holders St Johnstone in the Scottish Cup fourth round.

No Kelty team has ever ventured as far in the competition and Thomson, who revealed at the weekend that he had been interviewed for the managerial post at Championship Kilmarnock before they appointed Derek McInnes earlier this month, hopes that even more of the 2,000-plus attendance will come along to watch more regularly.

"It's great isn't it? Hopefully, when they see the performance that we put on, the energy from the boys and what we're trying to do here," he said when asked if his team's effort could encourage even greater support.

"There will be a lot of people that have probably never been here before, or come for us. Hopefully, that's captivated their imagination in how we try and play, the energy the boys have got, the passion they've got, the quality they've got. There's nothing better than seeing wee towns being successful.

"I'm delighted for everybody involved at the football club.

"It's easy to say sometimes when you have big results, but the energy ... I said to them before the game, listen, trust the shape. Be patient without the ball. We have got the quality when we string a couple of passes together, and when we string a couple of passes together and we show a bit of composure, we will get chances.

"I tried to say to them that, just because St Johnstone are on a bad run, they're a good team, a Premiership team. We've got no given right to be beating them but, at the same time, I didn't want the mentality to be that this is a free hit for us. We genuinely believed we could give them a hard time.

"Aye, we had to ride our luck at times. We had to defend really well, DJ (goalkeeper Darren Jamieson) had to make good saves, the team had to dig deep. But, I have to say, over 120 minutes, being a part-time team and to go toe-to-toe with a Premiership team, was unbelievable really, from every single player."

Thomson lavished praise on his team's decision-making in extra time, and ability to manage the game after Kallum Higginbotham's winner, a player he described as "a diamond".

When it was put to him that the Englishman was the coolest man in Fife as he placed the ball beyond Saints keeper Zander Clark, Thomson laughed: "He was cooler than me and Geordie (Kevin McDonald, assistant manager) anyway because, when he chopped back, it felt like slow motion. That's why he scores goals and I was a tackler, eh?

"You always hope that, when your chance comes, it falls to the right people. Maybe there would be a bit less composure from a defender or whatever, but when it falls to people like Kallum ... he needs special recognition. Unbelievable.

"Thirty-two years old, his energy, his drive, his decision-making on the ball, his wee bit of quality. I've been saying to him that he's due us a goal, and he's an angry bugger at times, Higgy, but I have to say we love him to bits. He's a diamond and we're lucky to have him.

"He deserves that goal because his overall performance, for me, was miles ahead of everybody."

Attention turned back swiftly to League Two business with a trip to Elgin City, which ended in a disappointing 2-0 defeat, on Tuesday night, with Stranraer visiting New Central Park this afternoon.

"We want to keep on winning," Thomson added. "I'm not going to apologise to anyone for wanting to win games of footy; it's why we're here. It's why the players are here, it's why we signed that calibre of player, but at the same time, we're massively respectful to everybody."

Tickets are available on the gate for today's game.