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Stalemates in the Highlands The olde training ground derby saga continued in the Highlands with Kelty Hearts visiting the Caledonian Sarens PSG Stadium. Up until this meeting, Kelty have struggled to make headway this season lingering near the bottom with the Caley Jags near the top end. Last time the clubs met here back in April Kelty went home with all three points. This term, we opened our League1 campaign with a 3-0 win at Kelty. Could we consolidate our League position, or will Kelty get back on track? All would be revealed at five o'clock. As it happened, it was a disappointing performance and result where we lost ground on Accies and Stenhousemuir after a frustrating 2-2 draw against a poor Kelty side who could not believe they took a two goal lead before we pegged them back. Two goals from Innes Murray, one of them from the spot gave Kelty something to defend. Danny Devine reduced the leeway just before the break and Chanka Zimba powered in a second half header but we were unable to breach the defence again and a share of the spoils was the end result. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Alfie Bavidge was preferred to Billy Mckay up front and Calum MacLeod was at right back in place of the injured Ross Millen. We looked to have plenty of attacking options with , Sole, Spoony, Longstaff and Allan all starting. Zimba, Mckay, Stewart and MacKinnon were all on the bench. Ricco Diack was suspended for the visitors with Innes Murray one of the main threats and on loan Aberdeen youngster Joe Teasdale starting. It was a tentative start from both sides as they eased into the game on a calm Saturday afternoon which should have been conducive to good football. Kelty were first to threaten when they benefitted from the break of the ball and Joe Teasdale was slipped in on the right side of goal, however, under pressure from Oscar MacIntyre, he scuffed his shot wide from a great position around twelve yards out. We failed to heed this early warning and eight minutes later Teasdale fed Innes Murray through and he was given the freedom of our penalty box to slot the ball in from just wide of the same area that Teasdale almost did. Shoddy defending and keeper Munro might want to sharpen up on his angles when he watches this one back. Calum MacLeod got himself into a great position on the end of a bit of team ball retention around the Kelty box, alas his neat turn and shot went high and wide. A blocked shot from Aaron Arnott had to be tipped out for a corner with the keeper and defender combining to keep it out. From the resulting short corner, Joe Chalmers was harshly adjudged to have fouled Alex Ferguson as he tried to dribble inside the box. It appears as though there was minimal contact but Ferguson made the most of is to go down spreadeagled and con the referee into awarding a penalty. Soft award but Murray cared not a jot as he stroked in his and Kelty's second from the spot. We had to wait nearly twenty minutes for a response and it came in the shape of Danny Devine. A deeeeep corner that Richard Hastings would have been proud of saw Danny make a late run towards the back post for him to half volley a first timer into the net for a well worked training ground goal. Kelty almost got another gift when Munro slipped as he went to gather a harmless ball forward to just outside the edge of the box. He slipped as he took the ball back into the box and was able to gather at the second attempt as the vultures closed in. Moments later we almost levelled after MacIntyre let fly from twenty-five yards, but Adamson was equal to it flying across goal to his left to claw the ball away one handed for a superb save. HALF TIME: 1-2 Longstaff had limped off badly at the break and was replaced by Chanka Zimba. He tried to make an early impact as he was played in on the left side of the box but his powerful low drive towards the near post was blocked away by the keeper and mopped up by the defenders with attackers in close attention. He would do better five minutes later when he got on the end of a brilliant reverse cross from Spoony to plant his header solidly behind Adamson. Liam Sole had been relatively quiet so far but he cut in off the left and brought out another blocked save from Adamson at his near post with around half an hour left to find a winner. Sadly, that winner was somewhat elusive as half chances came and went, mainly for the hosts. Sole, Devine and Zimba failed with headers as Inverness flattered to deceive and Kelty wasted more time than a Swiss watch factory. Billy Mckay fired one wide across the face of the goal. The closest we came to achieving our goal was in a frantic penalty box melee, when Alfie Stewart's snapshot was deflected agonisingly wide as it spun the wrong side of the post and out for a corner. MacKinnon and Stewart again had the final opportunities but we failed to find the net again on a frustrating afternoon for the home fans. FULL TIME: 2-2 A thoroughly disappointing result and a frustrating watch having helped Kelty to a two goal lead. We were cut open too easily for the opening goal and if you want my opinion then the referee could just as easily have booked the Kelty player for diving having left his foot in there to ensure he made contact with the defender (Chalmers). At the end of the day we lost ground on the top two and struggled to create clear openings. We also had too many passengers today. Accies pumped Montrose 4-0 and Stenhousemuir beat Cove 1-0, both away from home. East Fife drew with Alloa and in the late game, Peterhead beat Queens 3-0. Pos. P W D L GF GA GD PTS 1 Accies 10 6 2 2 22 7 15 20 2 Sten 10 6 2 2 13 8 5 20 3 ICTFC 10 7 1 2 19 8 11 17* 4 Alloa 10 5 1 4 10 8 2 16 5 P'Head 10 5 1 4 18 17 1 16 6 E Fife 10 4 3 3 13 15 -2 15 7 Queen 10 4 1 5 12 13 -1 13 8 Mont 10 3 2 5 11 19 -8 11 9 Kelty 10 2 1 7 9 19 -10 7 10 Cove 10 0 2 8 5 17 -12 2 Kelty Hearts Highlights>>> Date: 18/10/2025 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 2137 Referee: Jamie Wilkie Inverness CT: 2 Manager: Scott Kellacher Lineup: Munro; MacLeod, Devine, Savage, MacIntyre, Sole (Stewart 71), Allan (B Mckay 71), Chalmers (Alonge 95), Longstaff (Zimba 46), Wotherspoon, Bavidge (MacKinnon 87) Subs (not used): Ross; Clark, Robertson, Strachan Scorers: Devine (42), Zimba (54) Booked: none Sent Off: none Kelty Hearts: 2 Manager: Thomas O'Ware Lineup: Adamson; Carrol (McInally 82), Brydon, Clay, Thomas, Murray, Ferguson, Arnott (Wyllie 82), Teasdale (Callaghan 70), Johnston, Moore (McCarvel 56) Subs (not used): Bexfield, Campbell, Leitch, Miller Scorers: Murray (11, 24pen) Booked: Arnott (36), Adamson (78) Sent Off: none