11/06/2026
Scone Thistle 2010’s played their final competitive match of the season this past weekend against league rivals Kelty Hearts in the Cup Final at Lochgelly Albert JFC stadium. It promised to be an extremely tight affair, given the two teams’ goalless draws in the league this season.
Scone almost arrived with a full squad but were dealt a significant blow at Thursday training when captain Andy pulled his hamstring. Andy is integral to the midfield and, along with Nischal, is the workhorse of the team. I can count the number of games Andy has missed on one hand, and we were all devastated that he was not going to play a leading role in this contest. Fortunately, Scone have their very own Kenny McLean in the form of Ethan, who is well versed in the holding midfield role.
The game kicked off at 10.30am, with Kelty winning the coin toss and opting to have the strong prevailing wind at their backs in the first half, giving Scone the centre. As anticipated, Kelty came out strong and pressed every ball at every opportunity, but it was Scone who had the first shot at goal early on. With Kenny, I mean Ethan, gathering the ball in midfield, he threaded a perfect pass between three defenders. Daniel, who had been pushed out to the left, struck the ball with the outside of his boot, forcing an excellent save from the Kelty keeper.
With Scone pushing hard, Daniel was clearly not used to the linesman and was trying to steal that extra inch, getting caught offside a few too many times early in the game. It was the finest of margins though, and we knew he was going to break through sooner or later. It came sooner than expected, with a perfectly timed run between the defence. A heavy touch from Daniel saw the Kelty keeper bravely charge out, smashing the ball, which struck his own player and rebounded over his head. Thankfully for them, a defender reacted quickly to clear it. Perhaps if the wind was going the other way, it would have found its way into the net.
Kelty were next to create a heart stopping moment. A ball over the top was expertly shielded by centre back Quinton for the keeper to collect. As it rolled towards the edge of the box, Angus was not taking any chances. Rather than smother it, he cleared it, hitting Quinton and sending the ball spinning sideways, just centimetres behind another Kelty striker. Thankfully, Charlie was there to clear it at the last second. Both keepers taking no chances but creating chances at the same time.
What a tense game this was becoming, with neither side willing to give an inch and both teams defending aggressively.
Scone was soon back on the front foot. Jamie made a run from defence and played the ball into Ethan Mclean in midfield. After beating one man and facing a circle of five Kelty players, he somehow weighted a perfect pass through the middle and in behind the back line to Jamie, who had continued his run. Striking it first time from the edge of the six-yard box, the keeper again produced a strong save to keep it level.
Twenty-five minutes in, Scone conceded a free kick around 25 yards out. With a wall of three and the distance involved, it did not seem overly threatening, but the Kelty player struck it perfectly. You know the type, the sweet spot, The part where the ball meets the 3rd cross on your boot lace, on the right side, which connects with the horizontal hexagon on the ball, where the stitching meets the adidas logo. It is like a cheat code on FIFA and very hard to replicate. The ball dipped and then swerved, crashing off the underside of the crossbar and into the net. What a goal, and 1-0 Kelty.
Scone went into half time disappointed but encouraged by their performance. They were still very much in the game.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with both teams aggressively chasing the game. Kelty knew they needed another, and Scone had to find an equaliser. It did not take long for Scone to get a big chance. Drew, who had come on for Torren at the break, played a perfect ball through the high Kelty back line to Nischal. It was three on one, and he had options. With the only defender closing him down and spotting the keeper off his line, he attempted to chip the keeper from 25 yards, but it barely got off the ground, much to the frustration of Ethan and Daniel, who were both wide open. We have seen him do it before and what a goal it was, but not today.
Then it happened, a moment of pure beauty, luck, and brilliance. From a free kick about 30 yards out, the Kelty keeper struck it straight to Ethan, five yards into the Scone half. Panic set in as the keeper scrambled back towards goal. Ethan, also known as Kenny McLean, looked up once, hit it from his own half, and watched as Casper desperately tried, and failed, to stop it crossing the line. What a goal. Scone was right back in it at 1-1.
Kelty raised the intensity, and Scone raised it further. Had this been the start of the season, both coaches might have been worried about injuries. Instead, being the final game, neither batted an eyelid, barely even blinking in case they missed something.
Kelty nearly silenced the Scone supporters again. A cleared throw in fell kindly to a Kelty midfielder on the edge of the box. Surrounded by bodies, he somehow found a gap that did not seem to exist. The shot was heading for the bottom corner, with Angus having a view that a blind man would not trade, he got down at the last second to push it wide. An excellent save from the young keeper.
With 20 minutes remaining, coach Sheils brought on the axe murderer, also known as Jamie, in defence, and pushed Angus into midfield. Scone began to pile on the pressure, but Kelty, like Scone, were defending well.
Time was running out and with ten minutes left, Scone were awarded a free kick in almost the exact same position as Kelty’s earlier effort. Finlay stepped up, as he always does, and struck it beautifully. The ball smashed off the underside of the crossbar, came off the back of the keeper’s leg, and somehow bounced across goal without going in. It was not over though. Angus followed up, smashing the rebound from close range, only for the keeper to recover and produce another outstanding save.
Scone looked to be taking control, but could not quite find the breakthrough, and time was slipping away. In the closing minutes, Scone was caught out playing a high line. Kelty played a ball down the left, and with the right back out of position, a cross was fired into the box. Had it not been for Nischal tracking all the way back from the Kelty box, it would have been an easy finish.
The final whistle blew, and it went straight to penalties.
As you will likely know, if you are a true Scone 2010’s fan, Scone lost on penalties. I will not go into who scored and who missed, but the shootout went into double figures, with both keepers producing excellent saves under immense pressure. Ultimately, it was Kelty who came out on top. It was heartbreaking for the Scone players, but they showed something special that day. A true camaraderie, built through countless hours on the pitch together. No one gave blame, and they can hold their heads high.
As for Kelty, congratulations on the victory and winning the cup. They are, in many ways, very similar to Scone. A small town in Fife, not too different from Scone itself. They have a great Junior side, in Kelty Hearts, as do we (Mon the Thistle) and they have a strong group of players and coaches who carry themselves well. The players are respectful young men, for the most part, it is football after all, and even Scone have their moments. The coaches show a level of integrity that is not always seen elsewhere. They have won games and lost games this season and lost games they probably should have won, just like Scone. With that, we genuinely enjoy this new rivalry (friendly) and are already looking forward to next season, when we fully expect to put three past them in our first game.
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