KEVIN THOMSON has described midfielder Jamie Barjonas as "a joy to watch" and hopes he can keep him at Kelty Hearts for their League One bow next season.

The midfielder, who joined the club in the summer on a one-year deal, scored a sensational goal in the champions' 1-1 draw at Edinburgh City on Friday night.

His ninth goal of the campaign, which saw him flick the ball away from a home defender before smashing home a superb volley, put Thomson's team ahead only for Ryan Shanley's penalty to cancel it out.

Barjonas was a standout performer for Kelty at Ainslie Park, and his manager - who worked with him during his time as a youth academy coach at Rangers - was glowing in his appraisal post-match.

"He's a big talent and he is a joy to watch," Thomson told Press Sport.

"When him and Kallum (Higginbotham) do click, and they play some of the play they play, they've got so much balance and such a good picture, especially in tight areas.

"They can just swivel away, they attract people to the ball, they've got the capabilities of pushing past them, so we're delighted with him.

"As everybody knows, I love him to bits, and we'll look forward to hopefully sitting down and having a chat for next season."

Despite the draw extending Kelty's unbeaten run to nine matches, there was frustration for Thomson after the game, in which Tam O'Ware was stretchered off and taken to hospital.

He was hurt in a challenge with Ben Stirling, who was booked, a fate less than Thomson suffered after he was sent off by referee Matthew MacDermid late on for arguing that some of his players needed better protection.

"Tam looks like he's got a bad one, so we'll keep our fingers crossed," he continued.

"I thought when we scored, we were well on top. We created some good openings, had some good play, and I thought we had them on the ropes really, just to go and score that second. I think it could've been whatever we wanted.

"But, ultimately, in football, if you don't put the ball in the back of the net and you give critical goals away, it bites you in the backside.

"I thought we were past being as naive in the schoolboy defending as what I saw tonight, but I have to say, Jordon (Forster) and Tam in the back four were very accomplished in the first half.

"Apart from a couple of wee long balls, picking up seconds, they never really caused us any problems. They had a few corners without really coming to anything, but I think in open play, they never really cut us open as such.

"Once we got hold of the game, I thought we started to poke and prod, and the right players were getting the ball in the right areas of the pitch without putting the ball in the back of the net.

"We're pleased with parts of it, but getting a red card, and then having one of our top boys potentially looking like he's got a bad ankle injury, is a kick in the teeth for us to be honest."

When asked about his red card, Thomson replied: "Max (Kucheriavyi) runs across the pitch and he had four or five people kick him. He (the referee) just played on and played on.

"I don't know if Ben's is a bad tackle or not, but we've got a player in A&E, and then Barjo skips by Innes Murray late on and he has another kick at him, and it's play on. But, then, surely it's a yellow card? You can't just kick people.

"There's a lot of frustration but it's amazing how many mistakes these referees make, I try and argue back, and you get a red card.

"There isn't any accountability. That is the harsh reality. You challenge them, they say sorry I made a couple of mistakes, but they make mistakes every week. It's frustrating.

"I've got no problem with people getting tight, getting stuck in and roughing us up. Our boys need to handle that, and we've got plenty that can get stuck in, but it's the referee's job to manage that.

"It drives me mad when people kick Barjo - I would kick him as well - but the harsh reality is I would be punished for it, or I should be punished for it."

On the penalty decision, which was given after goalkeeper Darren Jamieson challenged Ouzy See, after the Edinburgh forward had latched on to a long ball into the box by Callum Tapping, Thomson added: "It was soft but I don't know what DJ's doing and Danny (Finlayson) needs to deal with it as well.

"It's a criminal goal really for some of the inter-play that we have and the chances that we create, and then all of a sudden, a big long ball over the top and you concede a penalty.

"It's schoolboy. That's the harsh reality and I've said that to them. There's a few that are making too many mistakes too regularly for me, so they need to have a wee look in the mirror.

"If they want to be part of the team next year, they need to buck up their ideas."