Musselburgh’s 18th Superleague fixture of the season pitched them against table-topping Kelty Hearts, who’d suffered a shock home defeat seven days earlier at the hands of relegation-threatened Armadale Thistle.

Burgh were unbeaten in eight outings; indeed, they’d lost just once in 15 and hadn’t suffered defeat at Olive Bank since Lochee United won 2-1 on August 23. An interesting clash lay ahead, then, not least from the perspective of the league title – Kelty’s pursuers naturally favoured a home win.

Home boss Stevie McLeish made one change to the XI who’d started in the 5-1 win over Camelon Juniors the previous week, Stevie Thomson replacing Michael Hunter.

Though Burgh had a strong wind at their backs from kick-off, it was Kelty who started the brighter outfit and they could well have found themselves in front with less than a minute gone; O’Reilly, however, smashed the ball over the bar when in a great position to score.

The Fifers had two more clear-cut openings within the opening five minutes, then in the 10th minute O’Reilly hit the crossbar after Ally Adams, the busier keeper by far, dropped the ball.

Kelty’s pressure continued but they couldn’t capitalise in a goalscoring sense and Musselburgh got themselves in front against the run of play with 19 minutes completed – a neat move concluded with Ecky Christie providing the cross for Stevie Thomson to head past Kelty custodian Allison.

This, though, was little more than a blip from Kelty’s perspective as the visitors continued to enjoy the better of the play – they had opportunities to equalise but were unable to do so until the 34th minute when Courts found the net with a free-kick 20 yards from goal, surprising almost everyone when he hit the ball low towards the bottom left corner.

Musselburgh were unable to properly get to grips with thing, and Kelty continued to enjoy the upper hand until the interval.

Manager McLeish can’t have been happy with his players’ first-half showing and they came out for the restart with a renewed sense of purpose, creating a couple of half chances before on 48 minutes Lewis Turner, the hat-trick hero against Camelon, hesitated a moment too long when in on goal with only Allison to beat, allowing the keeper to come out and block with his feet.

Kelty were soon back on top and looked sure to score on 55 minutes but Burgh’s Andy Munro somehow managed to turn prolific goalscorer Cargill’s goalbound effort onto the crossbar. Burgh’s own goal machine Jordyn Sheerin then had a shot saved by Allison, before on 58 minutes Kelty struck what proved to be the winner – Greig dispossessed a home defender before sending a shot low past Adams.

It was no more than the Fife men deserved, and they were in no mood now to capitulate from a leading position. There was very little adventurous play evident over the course of the final half hour – Kelty closed ranks and denied Burgh real scoring opportunities, though the hosts kept striving for a leveller which in truth wouldn’t have been wholly deserved.

Disappointment, then, for Musselburgh as their lengthy unbeaten home record came to an end, but it has to be recognised that Kelty are a strong team who look now to be odds-on title favourites.

Burgh are away from home on Saturday for the first time in a month when they face Broxburn Athletic, who sit three points behind having played two games more. Goals from Thomson and Hunter back on September 13 gave Burgh a 2-0 win in the reverse fixture; a similar scoreline tomorrow would be pleasing ahead of their two-legged Scottish Junior Cup final against Linlithgow Rose.