The first-ever competitive West Fife derby ended in a stalemate – but there were still plenty of interesting implications.
The Maroon Machine picked up their first point of the season while the Pars lost their perfect record after three wins from three in League 1.
It as honours even in the #FifeDerby yesterday. Check out some snaps of the action 📸#TheMaroonMachine pic.twitter.com/yxtr4QSwmE
— Kelty Hearts FC 🇱🇻 (@KeltyHeartsFC) August 21, 2022
Courier Sport looks at the main talking points from the 0-0 draw at New Central Park.
No major issues
For Dunfermline this is one of those results, the context for which will only become clearer further down the line.
Win against Airdrie in a top-of-the-table clash on Saturday and this will go down as a blip.
Even champions don’t go through the season with a 100% record.
The Pars created enough to win the match, even if Kelty shaded the first half.
James McPake has been critical of his side’s finishing on an almost weekly basis this season – though substitute Nikolay Todorov was inches away from winning the game.
Alternatively, if this were to spark a poor run of form, this result could be looked at differently.
After the disappointing Premier Sports Cup exit they bounced back with three wins from three – there is every chance they will respond again.
Signs that Kelty are starting to click
It was a grim-looking fixture for the Maroon Machine going into this one.
Bottom of the league, three defeats from three and the league leaders – with maximum points and a perfect defensive record – waiting.
Kelty started this season with a skeleton squad, with youth players filling the bench.
In the case of Scott Cameron it meant being thrown into a makeshift defence away to Premiership side Livingston.
That issue was addressed by the addition of Steven Bell who, alongside Jordan Forster, repelled the second-half onslaught from his former club Dunfermline on Saturday.
Fellow new recruits Scott McGill and Darren Lyon were given their first start and both were heavily involved when Kelty were on top.
Players still getting up to speed
There have also been constant fitness issues for John Potter.
Kallum Higginbotham played for the first time since the opening Premier Sports Cup match – he also had an operation less than two weeks ago.
Nathan Austin has also had a minor but persistent issue which has left them very short in attack.
Tam O’Ware has missed matches and captain Michael Tidser was out for three months recently.
The Kelty boss is now much happier with his squad and is now looking forward to gelling them together.
Light bench
Potter appears to be much happier with his squad than his Dunfermline counterpart.
Following the previous week’s win over Montrose, McPake said that he was so light on players he was struggling to put on 11-a-side training matches and was close to ‘crisis’.
On Saturday he named five subs to Kelty’s nine.
The three subs came on to great effect versus Montrose, and all did their bit here to varying degrees, but it didn’t bring the breakthrough.
It’s another point repeated weekly about the Pars but reinforcements are needed for the long season ahead.
The addition of Sam Fisher adds cover to the defence but the manager is working with one hand tied behind his back when it comes to making substitutions to change the game.
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