DALKEITH THISTLE 2 - 4 KENNOWAY STAR HEARTS

KSH recorded their first away win of the season in some style thanks to a terrific performance from a depleted squad.
They were lucky not to be two goals down early in the first half as Dalkeith spurned two golden chances.
The first, a rebounded header after a freekick breached the defensive wall, in which Owen Martin seen late and could only parry into danger.
The second, a free header at the back post which was glanced wide from about 6 yards.

The first goal came for KSH as the defender could only loop a header over his own goalkeeper into the net from a long throw in by Sean Johnstone.
The second goal quickly followed when Daniel Meldrums recycled freekick was lobbed over the outrushing Chris Malcolm by Andy Cameron, with the referee waving away the home sides claims for offside. HT 0-2

The second half started in frantic fashion with chances from each side looking to either get back into the game of kill it off.
Dalkeith got one back when a slick move down the right hand side was dealt with poorly by KSH allowing Jack Clark to pull one back.

KSH then went down the other end and responded in fine fashion grabbing two quick goals.
Sean Johnstone scoring the first, drilling his rebound right into the corner after a shot from Evan Stanfield was parried onto the post.

The goal of the game saw KSH extend their lead with a fine passing move. Starting from goalkeeper through to Meldrum into Johnstone who played the ball into the feet of Black. Black switched the play to Wilson who interchanged a few passes with Stanfield before rolling the ball across the six yard box for Nugent to fire his shot into the top corner.

Lewis Russel added a second for Dalkeith but it was KSH who were to hold on and record an excellent away victory to remain unbeaten in the second division. FT 2-4

Owen Martin

Daniel Meldrum (Jamie McLelland 71')

Andy Cameron 

Logan Young

Brooklyn Mair 

Ronnie McGill (Liam Gartshore 83')

Lewis Black 

Declan Nugent 

Sean Johnstone 

Evan Stanfield 

Myles Wilson (Trialist 87')

 

Liam Gartshore 

Dale Prattis

Trialist 

Ben Duffield 

Jamie McLelland

WHITEHILL WELFARE 2 - 0 KENNOWAY STAR HEARTS 

KSH bow out of the Challenge Cup in Rosewell at the first time of asking despite showing a positive performance with only a 13 man squad.

KSH started the game on the front foot and were looking for a penalty kick after only a few minutes when Declan Nugent was wiped out by the outrushing goalkeeper, the fact that he had already gotten his shot away the saviour for the home side.

Whitehill Welfare took the lead on 9 minutes after coming into the game and what an opener it was. Mason Renton curled a lovely shot from 25 yards right into the top corner leaving KSH goalkeeper absolutely no chance. The home side looked to have doubled their lead when Lewis Walker pounced on a short pass back from Lewis Black, forcing a great save by Owen Martin to keep the score at 1 - 0.

Cammy Dawson eventually sealed the tie on 76 mins when he slotted home a Kevin Keane cut back from close range, leaving the depleted away side no chance of recovering the deficit.

Massive credit has to be given to the 13 man squad who all put in a shift and even though a heavy defeat could easily have been imminent, stood up and played some great football of their own.

KSH travel to Dalkeith on Saturday 24th August to try and maintain their unbeaten start in the league, kick off 2:30pm

KENNOWAY STAR HEARTS 3 - 1 STIRLING UNIVERSITY 

KSH recorded their first win of the season at Treaton Park but had to work hard and come from behind to do so. Stirling Uni took the lead on 17 minutes when a ball over the top was dispatched with a first time finish from the number 9 who looked a constant threat on the evening.

Declan Nugent quickly replied making it four goals from as many games when he headed home a Daniel Meldrum free kick into the bottom corner from 15 yards.

Dylan Walker then played a smart one-two with Sean Johnstone, and peeled off his man to slot home with his right foot from close range.

The pick of the bunch came when KSH made a move down the right hand side. Meldrums pass into new signing Evan Stanfield started the move, with a lovely nutmegged lay off setting up the in form Nugent, who then took a touch then dispatched into the goalkeepers far corner from the edge of the box. A commanding lead at the break.

A solid second half performance limited the away side to only one half decent chance ensuring an impressive 5 points from 3 games given the run a fixtures and personnel missing.

Starting XI

Owen Martin

Daniel Meldrum

Andy Cameron 

Logan Young (c)

Brooklyn Mair

Ronnie McGill (Callum Anderson 81')

Grant Allan (Andy Malcolm 19')

Declan Nugent

Evan Stanfield 

Dylan Walker 

Sean Johnstone (Myles Wilson 81')

Subs:

Callum Anderson

Myles Wilson

Ben Duffield

Andy Malcolm

KSH face another difficult game in the shape of Bathgate Thistle this weekend at Treaton Park 2:30pm.

Come out and support your local team. 🫡

KENNOWAY STAR HEARTS 3 - 3 WEST CALDER UNITED 

KSH rescued a point from the jaws of defeat in their league opener after going down three goals to inform recent third division champions West Calder United. The away side took the lead after 38 minutes when Jason Gregory smashed the ball into the top corner from just inside the box. In the 42nd minute, Jamie MacAllister beat the offside trap much to the home sides protest, to smash into the bottom left corner under the leg of Owen Martin, to double the deficit at half time. If not for the first half performance of Owen Martin the score could have been a lot worse. Cue the half time hairdryer treatment.

If the managers words of "start the second half strong" were given to the players, they were certainly soon forgotten after the in form MacAllister beat Logan Young to a ball over the top to slot under the outrushing Owen Martin, to add a third. Surely no way back for the home side. 

After trying various different passing moves to break down the stubborn West Calder United defense, KSH finally got a goal and probably a shot on target in the most simplest of fashion. Sean Johnstone picked up the ball deep in his own half to smash a diagonal pass into the path of Dylan Walker, who controlled nicely and slotted over the outrushing West Calder goalkeeper. Consolation goal surely? 

Well, 3 minutes later it was game on at Treaton Park after new signing Evan Stanfield swung a set piece into Andy Cameron, who's crossed header was met with a Grant Allan flick into the bottom corner.

In the 86th minute, the comeback was complete after a Sean Johnstone lowly driven corner was dispatched into the net by a Declan Nugent boot. All in all, to rescue a point after the first half performance was downright miraculous, but KSH fans couldn't help but be optimistic that a winning goal was coming. All in all the referee blew time on a frantic afternoons football at Treaton Park.

You can catch the managers reaction as he caught up with KSHTV after the match 

Team News

Owen Martin

Daniel Meldrum

Andy Cameron

Logan Young (c)

Myles Wilson (Brooklyn Mair 55')

Ronnie McGill (Sam McMeechan 87')

Callum Anderson (Evan Stanfield 55')

Grant Allan (Andy Malcolm 87')

Sean Johnstone 

Dylan Walker 

Declan Nugent

Subs:

Brooklyn Mair

Sam McMeechan

Evan Stanfield

Andy Malcolm

Ben Duffield (GK)

KSH host Stirling Uni at Treaton Park on Tuesday 6th August at 19:15pm

HARTHILL ROYAL 5 - 2 KENNOWAY STAR HEARTS 

KSH fans were suffering from de ja vu yesterday evening as they watched their respective steam spurn a 2 goal lead to exit the EoS Qualifying Cup. They got off to a dream start as Dylan Walker thundered a left footed strike into the top corner from 20 yard in the third minute. Ronnie McGill then took the acclaim for the second goal in the 36th minute from a headed corner to give KSH a two goal lead at the break.

The second half commenced, and with a few tactical changes from the home side they came out the traps flying. Daniel Strickland rounded the goalkeeper in the 54th minute to reduce the deficit after being caught in no man's land. I'm sure Mark Smith was in the dressing room trying to convince his team mates his goal was deliberate, his cross come shot evading everyone including goalkeeper Ben Duffield who was caught under it routed to his goal line. Jeremiah Otonti certainly had more joy up front than on the wing, after putting his team 3 - 2 up from a corner. His second and third goal, almost carbon copies of each other, nipping in ahead of the outrushing Duffield to finish into an unoccupied net. With the comeback completed, Ally Griffin had the following to say.

"It was certainly a game of two halves. We found ourselves in a very comfortable position at half time and looked solid defensively. In the second half, we were punished by individual errors that gifted them the goals and therefore the confidence to go on and win the match."

Asked if he was concerned about failing to win despite being two goals in front for the second time in 5 days:

"Yes and no. It's a cup game, and one we were probably not going to win. I've made some changes in order to give other players a chance to come in and prove themselves. The score line suggests a heavy defeat but I'm sure if you look back through the goals we conceded it's easy to pinpoint the errors that were made, and how preventable each of the goals were."

KSH play West Calder at home on Saturday, 3rd August kick off 2:30pm

Dylan Walker is kindly sponsored by Forth Maintenance

Ronnie McGill is available for sponsorship please contact the page for more information

Team News

 

Ben Duffield 

Brooklyn Mair (Daniel Meldrum 88')

Logan Young (c)

Andy Cameron 

Myles Wilson

Ronnie McGill

Sam McMeechan (Andy Malcolm 67')

Declan Nugent (Callum Anderson 79')

Sean Johnstone (Evan Stanfield 79')

Dylan Walker 

Lewis Bennet

Subs:

Andy Malcolm

Daniel Meldrum 

Grant Allan

Owen Martin

Callum Anderson

Evan Stanfield

Harthill Royal vs Kennoway Star Hearts 

KSH face a difficult away tie in the shape of Harthill Royal on Wednesday night as they kick off their EoS Qualifying Cup campaign. It will no doubt be a very difficult Cup tie, with the Gibbshill side recently enjoying promotion to the second division at the end of last season. Speaking to manager Ally Griffin, he anticipates a significant challenge for his side.

Ally Griffin

"Tomorrow night will be a difficult tie but I have no doubts the players will be looking forward to getting off the mark for the forthcoming season. As for the players that were unlucky to miss out on Saturday, this will no doubt be an excellent opportunity for them to step up and prove why they should be in the starting eleven come Saturday."

You can follow the live updates on social media and match highlights will also be available courtesy of KSHTV

OAKLEY UNITED 2 - 2 KENNOWAY STAR HEARTS 

It was a bittersweet afternoon at Blairwood Park at KSH squandered a two goal advantage despite playing 72 minutes with 10 men. Declan Nugent opened the scoring on the 14th minute mark after a defensive error gifted him the opportunity to slot home under the goalkeeper early on. 

No sooner had Lewis Bennet celebrated the opening goal, he found himself at the centre of a controversy 4 minutes later after a tussle off the ball with the Oakley left back. The refereee after waving away the Oakley rear guard, went straight to his back pocket and produced the red card, dismissing Bennet just 18 minutes into the 2024 - 2025 league campaign. Not many chances followed and the first half faded out into anonymity.

The second half started the same as the first ended, with the game more likened to a tennis match than football, with physical aerial battles the weapon of choice for both teams. KSH found themselves in a promising area after Brooklyn Mair was savagely hacked down in the 79th minute, yellow card given. The resulting free kick crossed into the mixer for skipper Logan Young heading right into the corner leaving the goalkeeper routed to the spot with little chance of doing anything about it. 

Forced defensive changes disrupted the KSH back four and allowed Oakley right back into it however. The first headed home on 86 minutes, and the equaliser despatched right into the top corner, following defensive squirmishes for both. 

All said in done Ally Griffin was disappointed having conceded two late goals, but delighted with how defensively resolute the back line had been for the majority of the game.

"I thought we looked steady defensively and didn't really look like conceding, however the forced defensive changes definitely impacted the game and looking back we will take the point and move onto next week."

KSH open their Treaton Park league campaign at home to West Calder next Saturday, 3rd August at 2:30pm

Declan Nugent and Logan Young are both available to sponsor, with further details to be published in the next week.

All thoughts immediately after the game went straight to Jamie McLelland who sustained a head knock during the game after a stray elbow, with the hospital admission the resulting outcome.

Apologies to Oakley United for our media team not picking up their first goal, owing to updating the twitter feed after substitutions.

Team News

Owen Martin 

Brooklyn Mair 

Logan Young 

Andrew Cameron 

Jamie McLelland (Myles Wilson 78')

Grant Allan (Callum Anderson 62')

Declan Nugent 

Ronnie McGill (Liam Gartshore 85')

Sean Johnstone (Evan Stanfield 78')

Dylan Walker (Sam McMeechan 85')

Lewis Bennett

 

Subs

 

Evan Stanfield

Liam Gartshore

Myles Wilson

Daniel Meldrum

Sam McMeechan

Ben Duffield

Callum Anderson