League One: Kelty Hearts lose at home to Hamilton Academical

MICHAEL Tidser’s new look side slumped to defeat in their first home league game of the season with two second half goals doing the damage.

Hamilton’s subs made all the difference with the arrival after the break of Ryan One, Euan Henderson and Lewis Smith signalling the end of Kelty’s challenge.

The Accies finishers were all involved in Reghan Tumilty’s opener and combined again when One added the second, with the Hearts response limited to a Tiwi Daramola effort that whistled just past the post.

It was a quick return to New Central Park for Jamie Barjonas, who left Kelty in the summer to join Accies who also fielded three former Pars players – Jackson Longridge, Kevin O’Hara and Kyle MacDonald.

Player boss Tidser made just one change to the team who won impressively at Montrose, with Stefan McCluskey starting instead of Ross Cunningham, who was on the bench.

And Barjonas got an early ‘welcome back’ from Adam Corbett with the defender booting the playmaker’s shins and conceding a free kick after the ex-Hearts man had cheekily put the ball through his legs.

Kelty took time to settle with Hamilton asking questions of the home defence, with two solid blocks preventing MacDonald and Andy Winter getting clean shots on Kyle Gourlay’s goal.

The Hearts stopper was the busier of the two keepers early on, parrying Winter’s drive after a botched free kick from Tam O’Ware and Reece Lyon’s mis-control allowing the visitors to launch a counter attack.

Daramola looked lively and he took aim and sent a swerving shot just past the post in the 14th minute.

Craig Johnston then took down Corbett’s mis-hit effort, turned and bashed an effort at goal that Jamie Smith had to get down smartly to stop.

Corbett then worked an opening on the edge of the box but his deliberate shot, trying to place the ball into the top corner, finished just off target.

Top defending by Jason Thomson then shut the door on O’Hara, just as he threatened to break clear, but moments later it was Barjonas’ trickery, quick feet and a step-over, that set up the Accies striker for a shot that Gourlay blocked at his near post.

On the half hour it seemed certain that Hamilton would score after Tumilty got in behind the defence and rolled the ball across goal for Dylan Tait.

He was just three yards out but Gourlay pulled off a tremendous save and Thomson smuggled the ball away for a corner.

In the 41st minute there was a great opportunity for McCluskey.

The ball rolled invitingly along the edge of the box, just begging to be hit, his eyes lit up but he smashed it high over the bar.

Barjonas was certainly in the mood and he got down the line again, pulling the ball back for O’Hara but his shot on the turn lacked the venom to beat the keeper.

In the 55th minute Tidser snapped into a challenge and broke clear, only to be tripped by Longridge.

The player boss swung in the free kick to the back post but Corbett just couldn’t get anything on it to beat Smith.

Hamilton made a triple substitution and it paid off instantly with the opening goal in the 59th minute.

One showed great trickery and pace, the ball was shifted quickly through Smith to Tumilty who, on his own and from a tight angle, sent a fierce drive across Gourlay and into the net.

Kelty tried to hit back immediately with Lyons pulling the ball back for Daramola’s first-time dig at goal but it was off target.

The roof fell in on the 68th minute when Kelty shipped another goal as the three Hamilton subs combined to rip the defence to shreds.

Henderson’s turn and run opened up space, Smith scampered down the line and rolled the ball across goal for One to rap the ball smartly into the net from close range.

Tidser rolled the dice, taking himself off and pushing Botti Biabbi on up front with Johnston, but most of the chances were still for the away side.

Another sub, Connor Murray, almost made it three with a bouncing shot that Gourlay had to dive full length to reach and push round the post.

In the very last minute there was an amazing save from the Kelty stopper.

One could have shot himself but unselfishly rolled it to MacDonald who looked certain to score. The ball was arrowing into the top corner but the goalie flung up an arm to make a super stop.