A point apiece

The sides have met twice this season already. An opening day 0-3 win for the Caley Jags back in August set us off on the road to recovery and a 2-2 draw in the Highlands showed that we can take nothing for granted. Jordan Alonge started after a great performance in midweek at Ayr United with Alfie Bavidge up front. Strong bench as back up as well although Ben Brannan was suspended. Kelty had re-signed Ross Cunningham from Stirling Albion and he scored a belter on his return last week. He will give the Maroons more potency going forward.

Not the greatest first forty-five of the season with defences on top although it was the visitors that had the better of it with the hosts keeper Gourlay the busier of the two shot stoppers. At half time this was the only League1 game without a goal with Stenny, Alloa, Peterhead and Montrose all ahead by a single goal narrowing the gap at the top to three points. The second half was more of the same and it ended goalless at New Central Park. Stenhousemuir Alloa and Peterhead all gained ground on us with Accies and Montrose sharing the points.

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New Central Park has not always generated full points for the Caley Jags who were hoping to make a better start to this game than they did when the sides last met in the Highlands, having to come from two down to earn a point back in October. Shoot on sight Alfie Stewart was first to have a go but his effort in the opening minutes was blocked. The early possession came from the visitors but there was little to enthuse over in the first fifteen minutes. Defences were on top and Kelty's Lewis Muir has his shot blocked inside the box, as did Innes Murray. Paul Allan glanced a header wide and with half an hour gone, neither keeper had been tested until Calum MacLeod brought Kyle Gourlay into action to deny the Caley Jags utility man with a save low down. The attempts were building now and Gourlay had to pluck a header from Jordan Alonge out of the air then Liam Sole shot wide following a swift counter ten minutes before the break. Ross Cunningham and Alfie Stewart exchanged blocked efforts and Adam MacKinnon joined the process, but his shot from distance was too high. Just before the interval we witnessed a save, Alfie Bavidge tested Gourlay in goal but a goal line clearance was the nearest we came just before the break when Sole fired off target from the clearance to sum up the first half perfectly, the ball landing in Old Central Park, Cowdenbeath

 HALF TIME: 0-0

 An early second half booking for Remi Savage and the misses continued with Alonge shooting high and Cunningham having his shot blocked. On the hour Sole shot wide as the game swung from end to end. At last some action for Ross Munro as he saved from Cunningham who fired goalwards from outside the box. On came the cavalry with Billy Mckay and Luis Longstaff replacing Sole and MacKinnon. Gourlay denied Alonge with twenty minutes left and Stewart went close with a free kick but it remained level ten minutes from the end. It would be an edgy last few minutes with substitute Cammy Cooper having an effort blocked, but the game ended goalless in Kelty.

FULL TIME: 0-0

A disappointing result against the bottom club but not an entirely unexpected scoreline. Will that be a crucial point come the end of the season? The best chances fell to the visitors. One just before the interval scooped off the line and Alonge might have done better than place his shot from 12 yards into the keepers midriff. A couple of inches away a few times from connecting with crosses but at the end of the day it was too little too late.

Yngwie on CTO: Struggling to think of a better example of ‘2 points dropped’. Scrappy first half with a handful of half chances for us. A more dominant second half with a handful of clearcut chances and it’s incredible that we didn’t put any of them away, but some of the finishing was really poor. Great away support but we all left disappointed.

Date:  28/02/2026  Venue: New Central Park, Kelty Attendance: 0526 Referee: Daniel Graves 
 
Kelty Hearts: 0

• Manager: Thomas O'Ware

• Lineup: Gourlay; Fisher, Brydon, Corr, Paterson, Ferguson (87), Clay, Murray (Graham 67),

• Cunningham (Pettifer 67), Moore (Cooper 84), McCarvel 

• Subs (not used): Adamson; Davidson, Leitch, Thomas, Wyllie

• Scorers: none

• Booked: McCarvel (59), Corr (77)

• Sent Off: none

Inverness CT: 0

• Manager: Scott Kellacher

• Lineup:  Munro; MacLeod, Devine, Savage, MacIntyre, Sole (B Mckay 67), Allan, Alonge (Willox 78),

• MacKinnon (Longstaff 67), Stewart, Bavidge (Zimba 78)

• Subs (not used): Ross; Robertson, Chalmers, Wotherspoon,

• Scorers: none

• Booked: Savage (48), Zimba (83)

• Sent Off: none