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Kelty Hearts
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Inverness CT
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Appearances & Goals To Date
Starting Lineup
| Youngest Player: | Roddy MacGregor (20 years 205 days) |
| Oldest Player: | Billy Mckay (33 years 268 days) |
| Average Player Age: | 25 years 169 days |
| Domestic Players: | 6 (54.55 % of starting eleven) |
Matchday Squad
| Youngest Player: | Lewis Hyde (19 years 364 days) |
| Oldest Player: | Billy Mckay (33 years 268 days) |
| Average Player Age: | 24 years 102 days |
| Domestic Players: | 9 (52.94 % of matchday squad) |
First Team Debuts
Milestones
By George! We are off and running
The first ever fixture between the sides ended with a 1-0 win for the visitors. It took a late strike from George Oakley to separate the sides as the Inverness pressure eventually paid off. Billy Mckay hit the post with a header in the second half and keeper Darren Jamieson pulled off a string of saves to deny the eager Inverness side. Agyeman came close in the first half when Delaney cleared away from goal but that was as close as it got for the hosts with Ridgers making some routine stops.
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Billy Mckay got season 22/23 underway and was soon working Jamieson in the home goal, the keeper tipping his effort over the bar in the eighth minute.
Max Ram's debut ended prematurely as he was injured and replaced by another debutant in Zak Delaney. He was called into action moments later to clear Agyeman's effort off the line. What an introduction for the Irish defender.
In the seventeenth minute a great ball from Doran picks out Mckay going through on goal. He gets his effort away but it is blocked. Likewise, Aaron Doran and Roddy MacGregor also saw efforts blocked by the under pressure home defence.
Lewis Martin had a couple of attempts as the interval approached, one saved by Ridgers, the other fired over, both from a narrow angle and at the other end Austin Samuels fired over the bar. Doran shot over from a direct free kick just before the break, and MacGregor shot wide as we ended the half with a wee flourish, however it ended goalless at the interval.
Half Time: 0-0
Kelty's best spell came just after the break and when Agyeman broke forward on the right. He found Reilly who in turn fed Higginbotham who brought out a diving save from Ridgers who palmed the ball away, and the defence were first to react to clear the loose ball. This was soon followed by Reilly getting a free header on target, but again Ridgers matched the effort to tip the ball over the bar. Minutes later Forster headed wide from a great position. Agyeman also shot wide from an even better position when he should have made the keeper work.
Doran then volleyed a tremendous dipping shot from thirty yards that Jamieson tipped over. Inverness had upped the tempo and a Cammy Harper cross was headed onto the base of the post by Billy Mckay.
A series of half chances saw the visitors build the pressure on the home goal and it paid off on the last minute when substitute George Oakley beat the offside trap to slot the ball into the net from fifteen yards. great wat to get your account started for the season.
As expected, it was a hard fought encounter against a well organised team who will do well in league one.
Good to get the win in a competition we have not done well in over the last few seasons.
Six new players all getting some game time and no shows from Danny Devine or Sean Welsh.
Ridgers was solid in goal and Allardice, Harper and Boyd performed admirably. Billy Mckay was unfortunate not to grab a couple of goals, but they will come.
Match report written by tm4tj
