Kilmarnock pay the penalty as they suffer Premier Sports Cup shoot-out defeat to Kelty Hearts

Daily Record

23-07-2025

Killie were edged out on penalties by Kelty Hearts at New Central Park
Kilmarnock boss Stuart Kettlewell bemoaned his side's lack of cutting edge as they suffered a penalty shoot-out defeat to Kelty Hearts in their Premier Sports Cup clash.
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The visitors created a slew of chances - and had multiple strong penalty shouts turned away - as the two sides played out a goalless draw in Fife.
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Connor Masson's missed penalty for the hosts ensured it was advantage Killie in the shoot-out but Ryan Adamson's saves from Jamie Brandon and Marcus Dackers saw the home side prevail 4-3 on penalties and pick up the bonus point.
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The draw does at least mean that Kilmarnock's hopes of qualifying for the knock-out stages are still in their own hands as they sit atop Group H heading into Saturday's final game at home to East Fife.
Kettlewell said: "We deserve everything we get at the end of it. We create enough chances to win and don't convert so ultimately full credit to Kelty Hearts.
"I believe we should be winning the game, and that's no disrespect to them whatsoever. We've had good enough chances and if you don't convert them, we've seen it round the country that nights like this can be really difficult."
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He added: "In the first half we needed to be a bit more forceful. In the second half we did start to hurt them but we just didn't have that end product or final decision to kill off the opponent. Kelty deserved the point and also their penalty shoot-out win.
"You have to have enough quality to open up the opposition - and I think we did that plenty in the second half - but we never had that final action to convert. We were creating enough chances and we need to take ownership of that."
He made wholesale changes to his line-up with only keeper Max Stryjek and defenders Lewis Mayo and George Stanger retaining their place in the starting line-up from their win over Livingston last week.
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There was a first start for Tom Lowery, while Corrie Ndaba made his first appearance of the campaign after recovering from injury.
They controlled much of the play in the early stages but created few clear cut chances. Ndaba's back post header from a corner-kick that was palmed wide by Adamson on 11 minutes was the best they offered in the opening exchanges.
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At the other end, a George Stanger slip could have proved costly as Luke McCarvel raced through on goal, but Brandon bailed out his teammate with a fine block to prevent any danger.
Killie started to get on the front foot and were twice thwarted by Adamson in quick succession midway through the half when Bruce Anderson fizzed a strike from the edge of the box before Ndaba once again saw his header saved.
The second half started off in similar fashion with the Premiership hosts on top but unable to find a breakthrough. Anderson spurned a glorious chance in the early stages after being teed up by Scott Tiffoney.
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Kelty, though, weren't just content to defend and they went close to a shock opener when Innes Murray's curling effort from the edge of the box went narrowly wide.
Tiffoney impressed down the left flank and was the source of most of Killie's positive play during the second 45 minutes. He drove to the line on 65 minutes before sending in a delivery that was fired inches over the bar by Brandon.
Lowery was next to have a pop as he drove through the Kelty defence but could only send his effort straight at Adamson while Kelty breathed a huge sigh of relief 12 minutes from time when Marcus Dackers' powerful strike hit the inside of the woodwork but somehow stayed out as the visitors went searching for the breakthrough.
The frontman then lacked composure at the death as he blazed over in injury-time as the game went to penalties before then missing the final spot-kick as Kelty picked up the win.