Match Report

CLYDE 2 ANNAN ATHLETIC 3

Annan Athletic finished the year with an important victory over title contenders Clyde to lift the doom and gloom that has surrounded Annan’s difficult period in this seasons league campaign. Successive victories over Berwick and now Clyde have given Annan a platform to lift them away from the bottom half of the league and certainly for the time being given them breathing space to even contemplate a top four finish going into the second half of the season when a couple of weeks ago it looked like Annan were in serious trouble at the bottom of the league. The margins between success and failure at this level are minor.

There were a healthy number of Annan supporters who turned out to support the team at Broadwood Stadium against a Clyde team who have suddenly hit the rocks and the victory for Annan gives them another important result with back to back victories over the Christmas and New Year period.

It was an close match played in atrocious conditions and the game was peppered by defensive blunders from both teams which made it an exciting encounter and in the end it took a late winner from on loan Queens striker Aiden Smith to grab the points away from Clyde to make it a miserably new year for the Bully Wee.

The home team had Annan pinned back for the opening 10 minutes forcing numerous corner kicks but it was a simple ball played over the top of the Annan defence which once again exposed Annan’s defensive frailties, when Phill Johnstone’s long pass was played on by David Gormley into the path of Peter Macdonald who lobbed the ball over the advancing Blair Currie. It was a simple goal and one Annan would want to forget in a hurry.

Macdonald went close to doubling the Bully Wee’s advantage when he headed past on the 19^th minute but gradually Annan got back into the game with their only chance of the half when keeper John Gibson let a long range shot slip through his hands for a corner kick.

Clyde’s David Gormley however had the perfect opportunity in the 21^st minute to increase the home teams advantage when once again Annan’s defence was opened up with a simple ball played over the top of the their defence which left Gormley one on one with keeper Blair Currie but once again the Annan keeper showed his value to the team holding his ground to pull off an important save to deny Gormley.

Annan were exposing Clyde down the right with Omar and Flannigan looking menacing and Omar’s superb low cross in the 25^th minute was begging for someone to get a touch on the ball. Max Wright set up Omar on the edge of the box but the effort went wide of the upright. Gormley looked in menacing form for the home team and he was a constant threat up front for Clyde and he almost doubled Clyde’s advantage in the 40^th minute when his overhead kick went straight into the arms of keeper Blair Currie. Again it was another warning for Annan.

Annan started the second half on the attack and they squared the match in the 54^th minute. It was keeper Blair Currie who created the opening after he shelled the ball the length of the park and the Clyde defenders failed to deal with clearance and the ball bounced perfectly for David McKenna who headed the ball over the stranded keeper form 10 yards. It was a similar goal to the one Annan conceded but all of a sudden they started to look menacing. Annan continued to push forward and in the 65^th minute they took the lead. Annan were awarded a free kick 30 yards out and once again questions were asked about keeper John Gibson who could only parry Rabin Omar’s shot into the path of top goal scorer David McKenna who side footed the ball into the net from 8 yards.

Annan held on to their lead until the 80^th minute substitute Scott Ferguson and Gormley combined with Ferguson being brought down by Jean Guy Lucas and Peter McDonald made no mistake from the spot to square the match.

The ascendancy had swung back in favour of the home team who had claims for a penalty brushed aside by the referee before another calamitous blunder by the home team in the 88^th minute ended with Ewan McNeil’s attempted back being intercepted by Aiden Smith who latched on to the ball and rounded keeper to secure the points for Annan.

CLYDE : John Gibson, Phil Johnston, Michael Oliver, Ross Perry, Scott Linton, Darren Miller ( Scott Ferguson 60 min), Ewan McNeil, Matty Flynn (Scott Tiffiney 70 min), Scott McLaughlin, Peter McDonald, David Gormley. Substitutes not used Dylan Caddis, Sean Higgins, Robbie Davis,

Annan Athletic : Blair Currie, Callum Home, Jean Guy Lucas, Peter Watson, Steven Swinglehurst, Barry Cudihy , Rabin Omar (Aiden Smith 77 min), Nathan Flannigan, David McKenna (Darren Ramsay 90 min), Max Wright, Gavin Skelton. Substitutes not used – Alex Mitchell, Adam Asghar, Przemyslaw Dachnowicz, Ryan Sinnamon.

Referee Scott Millar.         Crowd               467             Crowd 134