Lady Luck has a part to play in Stranraer looking to get their season up and running.
Performances have, largely, been positive for Chris Aitken’s side in the opening 11 fixtures of the 2025/26 campaign.
However, the best results have come in cup contests, with the Blues travelling to Kelty Hearts on Saturday for a KDM Evolution Trophy encounter.
Among those looking to impress is Mark Russell, who has been a regular in the starting line-up since joining the club from Portadown last summer.
He said: “The season has been tough to say the least.
“Obviously, we seem to be doing well in the KDM Evolution Trophy but we just cannot seem to get that win over the line at the minute in the league.
“I just think it is hard with a lot of new boys coming in, a lot of new players coming into the team and things like that.
“It takes time to gel as well.
“Hopefully, things will turn for us and we get a wee bit of luck.
“As soon as we get that wee bit of luck, we can drive forward.”
Russell and his team-mates put in a decent showing last time out at Forthbank Stadium.
The Blues led the way in terms of possession, shots, shots on target and corners against Stirling Albion.
However, the all important statistic – the scoreline – was in favour of the home team.
Russell said: “You pick up the paper on the Sunday morning and it says ‘Stirling Albion 1 Stranraer 0’ so it is just one of those things.
“We need to take it on the chin, move on and hopefully we can turn it round.”
Now, attention turns to New Central Park where there will be a familiar face for Russell in the home dugout.
Kelty manager Thomas O’Ware spent seven years at Greenock Morton, with Russell a regular at Cappielow for five years during his first spell with the club.
He said: “They will be a good side.
“Obviously, I played with their manager for many years when I was at Morton.
“They will be well organised, that’s for sure, and they will be another tough test.
“They are in the league above us so will be a tough test for us.”
Former Falkirk and Finn Harps man Russell finished top scorer for Stranraer last season with 10 goals.
However, in his 10 appearances this campaign, he has found the net just once – a penalty in the 2-1 defeat to Edinburgh City last month.
Now, he is targeting getting back to his best in a Stranraer shirt.
He said: “I have been a wee bit up and down, as most of us have been.
“I have played a few different positions and things like that so I am hoping I can just keep my head down, keep working hard and hopefully I can step it up a wee bit.
“Everybody will drive forward together.”
Last meeting
It was another cup contest when Stranraer visited New Central Park just over two years ago.
The home side took the lead when Tiwi Daramola seized on a slack header from Kyle Fleming to run through and score.
It was not until late in the second half that the game was decided. Fittingly, Daramola was involved as his low cross into the box was turned home by Craig Johnston.
Kelty Hearts: Gourlay, Corbett, O’Ware, Thomson, Cunningham, Tidser, B Owens, Moore (Biabi 68), Daramola, Johnston, McCluskey.
Not used: Lyon, L Owens, Cameron and Campbell.
Stranraer: McDonald (O’Connor 89), Robertson, Girvan, Ross (Williamson 54), McIntosh, Hughes (Gallagher 54), Dolan, Forrest, Fleming (McKane 89), Armout, Orr (Phillips 89).
Not used: None.
Last five meetings
- Kelty Hearts 2 Stranraer 0 (Daramola and Johnston) at New Central Park on July 25, 2023
- Stranraer 0 Kelty Hearts 3 (McNab, Reilly and Higginbotham) at Stair Park on April 16, 2022
- Kelty Hearts 3 Stranraer 2 (O’Ware, Barjonas and Austin; Muir and Hilton) at New Central Park on January 29, 2022
- Stranraer 0 Kelty Hearts 4 (Own goal, Forster and Austin x2) at Stair Park on December 18, 2021
- Kelty Hearts 1 Stranraer 0 (Austin) at New Central Park on September 25, 2021
Last five games
Stranraer
- LOSS v Stirling Albion (A): 1-0
- WIN v Rangers B (H): 4-1 (Sharp, Stuart, O’Donnell (Pen) and Rough)
- DRAW v Clyde (H): 1-1 (O’Donnell)
- LOSS v East Kilbride (A): 3-1 (Turay)
- WIN v Alloa Athletic (H): 2-1 (Dolan and Turay)
Kelty Hearts
- LOSS v Queen of the South (A): 2-1 (Arnott)
- LOSS v Celtic B (H): 0-1
- LOSS v East Fife (A): 2-1 (Graham)
- WIN v Annan Athletic (H): 1-0 (Murray (Pen))
- WIN v Montrose (A): 1-2 (McCarvel and Teasdale)
Last time out
Stranraer
Lineup v Stirling Albion: Lane, Reid, Rough, Dunne (Docherty 69), Coll, Stuart (McManus 69), Dolan (Lang 72), Quigg (Hunter 87), Russell, Turay (Sharp 87), O’Donnell.
Not used: Ecrepont, McKnight, Edgar and Henderson.
Kelty Hearts
Lineup v Queen of the South: Armour, Paterson, Clay (Mercer 83), Wyllie (Carrol 86), Brydon, Ferguson (Teasdale 67), Arnott, Masson, Johnston, Murray, Graham (Thomson 86).
Not used: Campbell, Leitch, Bexfield and Adamson.
Ins and outs
Stranraer
Ins: Beejay Coll (St Cadoc’s), James Dolan (Unattached), Evan Dunne (Beith Juniors), Ewan Henderson (Whitletts Victoria), Ronan Hughes (St Cadoc’s), Lewis Hunter (The Spartans), Josh Lane (Hamilton Academicals, loan), Daniel McManus (St Cadoc’s), Corey O’Donnell (Stenhousemuir), Lewis Reid (Queen’s Park, loan made permanent), Scot Rough (Beith Juniors), Tommy Sharp (Livingston), Jordan Stuart (Beith Juniors) and Sallu Turay (Partick Thistle).
Outs: Tomas Brindley (Cumnock Juniors), Adam Cummins (Irvine Meadow), Grant Gallagher (Cumnock Juniors), Matty Grant (Johnstone Burgh), Dean Hawkshaw (Hurlford United), Craig Ross (Airdrieonians), Max Guthrie (Ayr United, end of loan), Sam Kane (Queen’s Park, end of loan), Josh Lane (Hamilton Academical, end of loan) and Scott Robertson (retired).
Kelty Hearts
Ins: Aaron Arnott (Bonnyrigg Rose), Jack Brydon (Queen of the South), Craig Clay (Dunfermline Athletic), Alex Ferguson (St Johnstone), James Graham (Stirling Albion), Kai Kirkpatrick (Albion Rovers), Innes Murray (Arbroath), Corey Armour (Kilmarnock, loan), Lewis Carrol (Aberdeen, loan), Cooper Masson (Aberdeen, loan), Joseph Teasdale (Aberdeen, loan) and Jack Wyllie (Rangers, loan).
Outs: Ross Cunningham (Stirling Albion), James Lyon (East Kilbride), Rudi Bryce (Bonnyrigg Rose, loan), Corrie Fellows (Bonnyrigg Rose, loan), Kai Kirkpatrick (Dumbarton, loan), Ruaridh Adams (Dundee United, end of loan), Connor Allan (Falkirk, end of loan), Jacob MacIntyre (Hibernian, end of loan), Blaine McClure (Rangers, end of loan), Liam McLeish (Queen’s Park, end of loan), Scott Allan (retired), Kirk Broadfoot, Liam Brown, Adam Corbett, Roy Garvie, Murray Miller and Billy Owens.
Five facts
- Stranraer’s only win over Kelty Hearts came in the Scottish Cup in January 2021. The win, which came during the coronavirus pandemic, also took place at the neutral venue of Stark’s Park. Nathan Austin and Kallum Higginbotham had the Fife side two goals up at half time before Tom Orr, Scott Robertson and Ruari Paton turned the game on its head.
- Defender Ryan Kennedy will turn 38 on Saturday. The centre half joined Stranraer on loan from Shettleston in March 2011 and would make a total of 11 appearances. That included scoring the opener in a 2-0 win over East Stirlingshire, with Sean Winter also on the scoresheet. The home team that day was: David Mitchell, Kurakins, Kennedy, D Gallagher (Nicol 82), Murphy, Noble, G Gallagher (Danny Mitchell 52), Agnew, McColm (One 72), Malcolm, Winter. Not used: Sharp and Marshall.
- All four of Stranraer’s wins this season have come in cup competitions. The last time they won five cup contests in a season was 2020/21, which included the 3-2 win over Kelty Hearts. The other wins were on penalties against Annan Athletic after a 1-1 draw (Ruari Paton scored), Hamilton Academical 2-1 (Tom Orr and Darryl Duffy scored), Spartans 5-0 (Duffy, Paton, Adam Cummins and a double from Matty Yates) and Brora Rangers 3-1 (An own goal, Yates and Orr scored).
- The last time Stranraer played on September 6 was also a League Challenge Cup encounter when Falkirk visited Stair Park in 2014. The Falkirk side, which contained Wigtownshire’s own Rory Loy, would lose 1-0 thanks to Anthony Marenghi’s only goal for Stranraer.
- Saturday’s trip to New Central Park means Stranraer and Kelty Hearts will have faced each other in Scotland’s three cup competitions and the league.
Admission
You can pay at the gate or online via Kelty Hearts’ Fanbase site:
- Adult £10
- Concession £5
- 12-16 £5
- Under 12 Free
Coverage
If you’re further afield, follow our live matchday updates on X (formerly Twitter).
The manager’s post-match reaction will be available via YouTube on Saturday evening.
Club 1870 subscribers will get a first look at the goals later in the evening, along with full match footage.
Our extended YouTube highlights will be available on Sunday morning, with Laurence Nelson and Brian Martin back on commentary.
Photos: Bill McCandlish, Colin Poultney
