Kelty Hearts 0, Cove Rangers 1.
KELTY Hearts boss Michael Tidser was "hugely frustrated" after seeing his side go down by a single goal at the hand of Cove Rangers.
His side lost out to a 17th minute goal from Rumarn Burrell in a game which saw plenty of possession for the home team but few scoring opportunities.
Cove now leapfrog the Fife side in the table and go up to third after extending their unbeaten run to seven games.
Despite the disappointment, Tidser was heartened his team's performance.
"I thought for large spells we were the better team and anyone watching it would probably agree," he said. "We were on the front foot, passing the ball, we just lacked that real cutting edge in the final third.
"You come away with a defeat which is really disappointing but you know that is life. You just need to dust yourself down, keep performing the way we have and hopefully the tide turns and we can start picking up more points.
"Adam comes in and hits a shot, Jamie comes down the line and fizzes one across the six yard line, we got a few stramashes, a few shots at the edge of the box, but they are a full-time team.
"They can work on shape, they can work on their back fours, they are fitter because they should be fitter because they are full-time.
"I don't like to go on about it but they can buy decent players with a decent budget and they have come here and we have taken the game to them and we have dominated for large spells. That might sound disrespectful but it is not. The players may look at it and think, we got away with one there.
"The lads just need to keep performing. We will keep training the way we are training, keep rotating and hopefully we will get the wee rub of the green one day and we can win more games than we lose."
Tidser praised the way his side are playing but knows improvements are still needed.
"I said lads I cannot come in and rant and rave and shout and bawl because you are doing everything I ask apart from that wee 15 minute spell.
"They started a bit sharper, a wee bit brighter than us and they managed to get a goal from that and that kind of woke us up a bit which is part of the frustration for me.
"You cannot wait till you go a goal behind or someone hits the post or the bar. You have got to wake yourself up. You play like we did the last 60 or 70 minutes like we did there.
"I can count on one hand the amount of times I have really had a pop at them for not performing. They have been great for me and I said that to them. I am nit-picking at wee small things, maybe playing things quicker, sharper.
"The reason why people are at this level is because of that. If you go to the next step where I have been, myself as a player, you just need to do things that wee bit quicker and use your imagination that wee bit quicker but that is just football. The boys have been great. I said that to every one of them. Even the boys that came off the bench.
"They are all buying into how we want to play. It is just frustrating we haven't got anything to take from it."
The first half was edged by the visitors who created the majority of chances, although Kelty still kept themselves in the game.
A fast and furious start for Peter Hartley's men saw Blair Yule force Kyle Gourlay into early action with a long shot within the opening five minutes.
Just on 15 minutes, Michael Doyle looked dangerous on the edge of the Kelty box, but after teeing up a long-range strike, his effort was way over.
Two minutes later, Cove took the lead when Burrell picked up the ball in the box, turned and slotted past Gourlay.
Soon after, Jamie Walker came close for Kelty when the ball came to him in the box. He turned and shot but the ball crept just wide and went out for a goal kick.
The Kelty keeper was called into action just before the 40-minute mark when Fraser Fyvie curled in a free kick which he tipped round the post.
The first half finished with a half effort from Kelty when Jason Thomson got the ball in the box but he couldn't quite connect and his effort went out for a goal kick.
The second half saw Kelty assert more pressure but they were unable to capitalise and break the deadlock.
Cove came close on 55 minutes when the ball was floated into Burrell in the box, who flicked his header wide.
Mitchell Megginson was next to shoot wide just before the 70 minute mark after he was put through by Burrell.
Kelty had the closest chance soon after when Adam Corbett received the ball from Lewis O’Donnell. He fired in a shot which Nicolas Suman did well to tip over the bar.
The closing minutes were packed with Kelty advances but they were unable to break through the Cove defence.
Kelty Hearts: Gourlay, Corbett, Walker, Thomson, Owens F, Lyon, Johnston (Biabi 65), McCluskey (Cunningham 75), O’Donnell, Bavidge, Moore. Subs: Daramola, Tidser, Owens L, Owens B, Campbell, Cameron, Sylla.
Bookings: Corbett, O’Donnell
Cove Rangers: Suman, Jones, Doyle, Scully, Gillingham, McGowan (Connell 85), Yule, Megginson (Darge 85), Burrell (Niang 79), Fyvie, Reynolds. Subs: Demus, Kerr, Mykata, Stewart, Williamson.
Goal: Burrell (17). Bookings: Doyle
Attendance: 501
Referee: Stewart Luke
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