Stenhousemuir 0 Kelty Hearts 1

KELTY HEARTS took a huge step towards the League Two title after Nathan Austin scored a last-gasp winner at Stenhousemuir.

The striker, on as a second half substitute, clipped home his 20th goal of the campaign to seal a priceless victory and send the visitors 14 points clear at the summit.

They still have a game in hand on nearest challengers, Annan Athletic, and the odds are stacked firmly in their favour to win a second successive promotion.

It wasn't a classic in the driving rain at Ochilview, particularly in the second half, and the Warriors will likely feel deflated that they didn't take a point from the game.

However, the sign of champions is a team that can dig results out, and Kelty did just that for a second successive match.

Visiting boss Kevin Thomson made two changes to the team that won Saturday's derby at Cowdenbeath.

Austin and Botti Biabi, a former Warrior, dropped to the bench, as Kallum Higginbotham - fit after an injury concern - and Alfredo Agyeman, who scored a double in Kelty's 4-1 win at Ochilview in August, came in.

The New Central Park side were looking to make it three wins from three this season against a Stenny side who came into the game in good form.

An unbeaten run of six matches - which included four wins - saw manager, Stephen Swift, named League Two's Manager of the Month for February, while Nicky Jamieson made it a double with the player award.

They were looking to move level on points with fourth-placed Edinburgh City in the chase for a promotion play-off place, while a win for Kelty would take them 14 points clear of second top Annan Athletic, still with a game in hand.

The stakes were high.

However, before kick-off, there was a much more important message than any football game as both teams came together in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

Holding up the country's flag, they, and the supporters, joined in with a minute's applause that also showed support for Kelty's on-loan player, Max Kucheriavyi.

He is from Ukraine, and has family in the country, and the PA encourged supporters to donate to the online fundraising page that he has set up to support charities that are helping those affected by the conflict.

The match, however, failed to sparkle inside the opening quarter of an hour, with the first chance arriving in the 18th minute.

Joe Cardle, who netted in each of the two previous meetings with the Warriors this season, clipped a lovely ball forward for Agyeman to chase.

The striker did well to get onto the ball, and shoot, while under pressure from a defender but the tight angle allowed goalkeeper David Wilson to block at his near post.

Moments later, Darren Jamieson had to be alert to back pedal and push over an Adam Corbett cross, which fortuitously headed towards the net.

Back at the other end, Jamie Barjonas had a shot deflected wide before Kucheriavyi tested the palms of Wilson after cutting inside the area, while Cardle also did well to work space for an effort from 18 yards, but it was comfortable for the home keeper.

Just short of the half hour mark, there was an opportunity for Daniel Finlayson, who headed wide of the near post after Tam O'Ware had won Cardle's inswinging free-kick in the air, before the latter came close to the opener.

It was lovely play by Kelty. Michael Tidser started the move, sweeping a pass out left for Kieran Ngwenya, who laid the ball off to the winger.

He took a touch, cut on to his right and, from the edge of the box, sent a vicious shot that only just crept past the far post.

Higginbotham had had a relatively quiet opening period by his standards but, as the half drew to a close, he sent a good strike narrowly over from 25 yards, whilst Barjonas was denied by Wilson after cutting inside the penalty area from the left hand side.

Stenhousemuir, though, served notice that they too were a threat when, right on the half-time whistle, Thomas Orr shot wide of Jamieson's right hand post from distance.

Within minutes of the restart, Orr had blasted wide after taking a lovely touch to move away from his marker, before Barjonas was denied by a block after a fine break from the visitors.

The midfielder then should have done better in the 54th minute when, after Kucheriavyi played a lovely pass into him, he didn't connect properly with his shot from 12 yards out.

Austin was introduced for Agyeman just before the hour mark and, within minutes, he had half a sight of goal before being crowded out well by the home defence, as well as sidefooting wide from an Ngwenya centre.

After that, a Cardle shot that was blocked aside, chances were at a premium for Kelty, but Cardle did head over from a Philp cross as the clock ticked down.

However, just as the match looked set to end scoreless, Austin latched on to Tidser's pass, beat the offside trap and clipped a fine finish over Wilson to give Kelty a priceless win.

Match stats Stenhousemuir: Wilson, Corbett, Yeats, Crighton, Jamieson, Wedderburn, Anderson, Miller, Forbes (Brown 54), Orr, Thomson (Christie 69).

Subs not used: Graham, Lyon, Hughes, Tapping, Moreland, Lyon, Smith.

Kelty Hearts: Jamieson, Philp, Finlayson, O'Ware, Ngwenya, Kucheriavyi, Tidser, Barjonas, Cardle, Higginbotham, Agyeman (Austin 59).

Subs not used: Peggie, Hill, Reilly, McNab, Biabi, Donaldson.

Goal: Austin (90).

Referee: Graham Grainger.

Attendance: 458.