Match Report

Annan not for the first time this season missed out on going to the top of the league when they were defeated by the odd goal at Broadwood on Tuesday evening. It was a second half double from Stuart McColm which clinched the points for the Bully Wee cancelling out Annan’s half time advantage through a 42nd minute opener from  Kenny MacKay .

Chances were few and far between in the opening half with both defences curtailing scoring opportunities to a premium. Annan’s increasing injury list was not made any easier when Steven Black had to leave the field of play in the 25^th minute with a cut to the head to be replaced by Peter Bradley. Neither keeper had been really tested until the 42^nd minute when Ally Love released Kenny MacKay who cut in from the left finishing with low shot and although keeper Rajovic took the sting out of the ball he could not stop the ball from going over the line to give Annan the lead going into half time.

Clyde started the second half on top and within minutes they were level. Stefan McCluskey done the damage when he skipped past the challenge of Peter Bradley and finishing with an inviting low cross to the back post where Stuart McColm’s half volley found the corner of the net. Ex Annan player Michael Daly was introduced at the expense of Skullion in the 51^st minute and minutes later Annan introduced Matty Flynn for Ally Love as both teams made changes in an effort to secure the points. Andrew Mitchell 64^th minute free kick from the edge of the box after Davidson had been fouled tested keeper Rajovic who saved low down at the post. Josh Todd was introduced in the 75^th minute for Scott Davidson and the game appeared to be heading for a draw until Clyde scored the winner in the 83^rd minute. A quick free kick was picked up by Stuart McColm and his crisp shot flew into the corner of the net to wrong foot keeper Kenny Arthur. Annan finished with a late flurry with Mitchell’s 20 yard effort going narrowly over the bar and Kenny MacKay’s hurried shot in injury time was skied over the bar.

The victory extended Clyde’s unbeaten run to 10 matches and they now sit proudly at the top of the league for the first time this season. Clyde boss Jim Duffy was delighted with the victory. “We did not create too much in the first half and were unfortunate to go behind we made a couple of changes in the second half and played better using the width of the pitch and scored 2 terrific goals. It was a tough match there is only fractions between the teams and it worked in our favour tonight”.

Annan boss Jim Chapman pulled no punches. “We were miles off it tonight but we grinded away with one or two bits of quality, we find ourselves in the lead come out in the second half and warn the players about the dangers and sometimes they don’t pay attention and it costs us.  I could talk all day and pick faults in our team but Clyde were a hungry team full of confidence and full of desire and thoroughly merited the three points but there was a wee bit of me thinking we
were going to get a point out of the match when we did not really do enough to justify it. Sometimes you just have to give credit to the opposition who outfought and outplayed us and deserved their victory”.

Annan – K Arthur, S Sloan,  M McNiff, A Mitchell , P Watson, S Swinglehurst, K Brannan, S Black (P Bradley 25 min), S Davidson ( j Todd 75 min), K MacKay, A Love( M Flynn 57 min)  Substitutes not used G Black, G Anderson, J Moffat, D Wood.

Clyde – N Rajovic, G Brown, K McDonald (G Capuano 80 min), I Gray, D Marsh,  B McQueen, K Watt (S Ferguson 61 min), J Sweeny, P Scullion (M Daly 51 min), S McCluskey, S McColm,  Substitutes not used  K Watt, G Dickie, N Rajovil, D Marsh, R Macbeth.

Referee – E Anderson   Assistants               G Drummond and D Ingram