Match Report

Annan and Clyde served up a keenly contested match played in atrocious wet and windy conditions at Galabank and it was Annan who lifted the points in a five goal thriller with the result in doubt until the final whistle. Annan’s promising youngster Rabin Omar grabbed the winner in the 82nd minute with a well executed goal which unlocked the Clyde defence for the third time.

After their poor performance at Berwick the previous week there was some apprehension about what team would turn up for this match but the home fans were left in no doubt that Annan were up for this game against the bookies title favourites.

The Annan team showed two changes from the previous week with Rabin Omar and Barry Cuddihy given starting positions at the expense of the injured duo Aiden Smith and Willie Robertson. The visitors started promisingly and in the opening minute Peter McDonald drifted behind Raffi Krissianan but his shot rifled over the bar to send out a clear warning to Annan. Annan replied almost immediately when Rabin Omar homed in on keeper John Gibson who saved the day for the Clyde.

Neither keeper was seriously tested in the opening 15 minutes, the visitors were forced to make a change in the 15th minute when Jordan Lowden had to leave the field injured. Matty Flynn making a return to Galabank along with Martin McNiff tested Currie in the 25th minute but the well struck shot was easily saved by the Annan keeper.

Annan went ahead in the 38th minute with a well constructed move with Rabin Omar flicking the ball into the path of David McKenna who sent in a low screamer into the bottom corner of the net from 22 yards past the outstretched left arm of keeper John Gibson. Clyde finished the half pushing forward forcing a couple of corners which were well defended by Annan.

Clyde made a promising start to the second half taking the game to Annan and they squared the match in the 51st minute after Raffi Krissian misjudged the pace of Dylan Easton’s through ball leaving it for keeper Blair Currie but Peter MacDonald took advantage of the situation to pick up the through ball to finish with a clinical low shot past the advancing Blair Currie .

The visitors were on the ascendancy and in the 56th minute Blair Currie pulled off a stunning double save to deny Easton and McDonald when it looked odds on that a goal was on the cards. At the opposite end of the park Annan created a good opening ending with a disappointing shot from McKenna straight into the arms of Gibson.

Barry Cuddihy was replaced in the 60th minute by Adam Asghar and in the 71st minute the home team went ahead for the second time in the match and once again it was another wonderful strike, Max Wright broke free to send an inviting ball for Darren Ramsay, with Ramsay’s low raking shot from 25 yards nestling into the corner of the net once again past the keepers outstretched arms.

Annan came very close to increasing their lead 5 minutes later when Rabin Omars header from Ryan Finnie’s cross went narrowly past the upright. Annan conceded a free kick from the edge of the box in the 78th minute and it was to prove very costly with Watsons rash challenge on McDonald and from the resulting free kick McDonald’s well flighted shot beat the wall and keeper Blair Currie to end into the net via the underside of the cross bar.

Both teams were going all out to secure the victory and the pendulum finally swung again in Annan’s favour in the 82nd minute and it was another well worked goal by Annan ending when Max Wrights perfectly weighted pass picked out the run of Rabin Omar who guided the ball past the advancing keeper to secure the points for Annan.

This was by no means a classic with passes going astray throughout the match, no doubt due to a large extent on the atrocious conditions that the players had to contend with, however it was highly entertaining and had the fans on their seats until the end of the match.

Annan were clinical where it mattered in the final third of the field, Clyde on the other hand played neat controlled football mostly in their own half but Clyde did not contain the same threat that Annan carried up front.

Annan Athletic : Blair Currie, Steven Black, Jean Guy Lucas, Raffi Krissian , Peter Watson, Barry Cudihy ( Adam Ashgar 60 min) , Rabin Omar, Ryan Finnie, David McKenna ( Liam Park 69 min), Max Wright, Darren Ramsay . Substitutes not used – Alex Mitchell, Aaron Bradbury, Tony Ribeiro, Przemyslaw Dachnowicz , Stuart Sharkey.

Annan Goals- McKenna (38) Ramsay (70) Omar (82)

CLYDE : John Gibson, Ewan McNeil, Jordan Lowdan, Martin McNiff, Scott McLaughlin, Scott Linton, Dylan Easton, Matty Flynn (David Massay 87 min), Phill Johson, Peter McDonald, Sean Higgins ( David Gormley 82 min). Substitutes not used Mathew Cregan, Michael Oliver, Chris Smith, Watson, Michael McGinty.

Clyde Goals- McDonald (51) (77)

Referee Craig Napier : Assistants Willie Conquer and Jordan Paterson..

Crowd 421