Match Report

Annan’s recent run of four victories that had seen them climb into the position of title contenders came to an abrupt end at Galabank on Saturday afternoon against a determined and well organised Clyde team. Jim Duffys side are proving a bogey team for Annan following their third straight league victory over the Galabankies this season. The victory keeps Clyde’s play off hopes firmly on target. Annan will no doubt look back on the game with some regret but on the day there were too many Annan players who fell below the mark and Clyde were worthy winners.

Annan boss Jim Chapman put his faith in the same starting eleven who had steered them to their last 4 victories but the manager included on the bench trialist Andrew Mitchell who has just been released by Rangers. It was however Clyde who controlled the majority of the first half and almost from the opening minutes after Annan conceded a needless free kick on the edge of the box that seemed to set the tone for the afternoon as Annan failed to dictate and penetrate a well organised Clyde defence

Kieran Macdonald’s early free kick from the edge of the box was well placed but the ball went narrowly past. Scott Ferguson then tested Kenny Arthur with a well placed shot from the edge of the box in the 12th minute with Arthur tipping the ball over for a corner. It came as no surprise when Clyde went ahead in the 13th minute when Stuartt McColm connected with Ferguson’s cross, Arthur managed to parry the shot but Steffan McCluskey was quickest to react to prod the ball into the net from 4 yards. The goal seemed to sting Annan into action and they started to ask a few questions of the Clyde defence. Steven Sloan had a net bound effort blocked in the 28th minute and when Scott Davidson was fouled on the edge of the box minutes later Annan were presented with an opportunity but Joe McGovern confidently saved Matty Flynn’s free kick. McColm set up Scott Ferguson in the 34th minute but the header was wide of the target. Josh Todd came close to scoring for Annan in the 35th minute when his looping effort from the edge of the box landed on the top of the net. Annan posed more of a threat in the second half as the game opened up but Clyde marshalled by Bryan McQueen were well organised and difficult to break down in defence. Ally Love had a good effort blocked in the 51st minute after Scott Davidson’s cross ball picked out Love. Davidson came close in the 59th minute with a spectacular effort from the corner of the 18 yard box. Kenny Arthur did not have a lot do in the second half but his 63rd minute save from Scott McColm’s low shot was brilliant when he some how managed to stop the point blank effort. Then at the other end Joe McGovern pulled off a superb save from Ally Love. Both teams made substitutions for different reasons. Jordan Moffat made an impact when he was introduced at the expense of Ally Love in the 80th minute but the Clyde defence stood firm to secure the victory.

Annan boss Jim Chapman commented “We can afford ourselves to be disappointed after the results of the last few weeks which was all built on hard work, grit and determination a little bit of quality but in football you sometimes work too hard and become too keen that you effect the quality, the effort was great the attitude was always first class but the quality was missing today because they were trying too hard .We gave ourselves a mountain to climb after conceding a sloppy goal. Its disappointing but the sign of a good team is how they bounce back, its not all doom and gloom the players have worked hard over the last few weeks, today they worked hard but the quality and decision making was poor, we will put the disappointment of today’s result behind us behind us and start preparing for the game at Stirling Albion next week. “

Clyde boss Jim Duffy was delighted to have put the disappointing results of the last few weeks behind him. “I thought we played particularly well in the first half and deserved our lead going into the second half, we knew that Annan would come at us in the second half which they did do but our keeper had a couple of great saves one in particular low down to the right which I thought was a magnificent save and we had a few blocks and incidents like that and just basically dug in, although Kenny Arthur had a magnificent save to deny Stuart McColm which would have given us a 2 goal lead. So overall to come down to Annan on the run of form that they’re on and to go away with a victory is a magnificent result for us”.

Annan – K Arthur, S Sloan, M McNiff,P Watson, S Swinglehurst, M Flynn ( S Black 89 min), S Davidson ( Trialist 69 min), K Brannan, K MacKay, J Todd, A Love ( J Moffat 80 min) Substitutes not used P Bradley, C Jardine, A Mitchell , D Wood.

Clyde – J McGovern, I Gray, K McDonald, G Capuano, D March ( R Francis h/t), B McQueen, S Ferguson (Trialist 55 min), J Sweeney, M Daly ( B Coyne 91 min), S McCluskey , S McColm, Substitutes not used P Scullion, G Young, J Barclay, F McGee.

Referee – D Somers Assistants – J McCrossan and S Graham

Crowd 456