News

CLYDE performed a classic smash-and-grab act at Balmoral Stadium to extend our recent run in League One to a disappointing five games without a win.

Mark Lamont came off the bench to lash home a last minute winner for the Bully Wee when it looked as if the least we were going to get from an enthralling tussle was a point.

Up until that point it had been a tale of the two captains.

Mitch Megginson marked his return from a two game injury absence by lashing home a couple of stunners as we fought back from a goal down to go in 2-1 up at the interval.

Former Aberdeen and Dundee United striker David Goodwillie matched that by winning two penalties – then expertly despatching both – and looked to have rescued a point for Clyde until Lamont’s dramatic intervention at right at the death.

Megginson’s return was one of two changes made to the starting line-up from our previous match, away to Dumbarton, with midfielder Seb Ross coming in for his first league start

Despite facing the strong wind driving down Balmoral Stadium in the first half we actually started brightly and gave the Clyde defence a few worrying moments.

So it came as a bit of a shock to the system when Clyde were awarded the first of their penalties, in the 11th minute.

That came about after Fraser Fyvie had been slack in possession and when the ball ran on in to  our area Connor Scully tripped GOODWILLIE.

The experienced striker gleefully accepted the gift by finishing with a well placed drive into the corner of the net.

Far from being despondent, our lads responded with a gutsy show of character.

We went close in the 13th minute, after Blair Yule had played the ball down the right to Leighton McIntosh. 

His low cross sped across the face of the Clyde goal, just evading Megginson at the edge of the six yard box.

The equaliser came in the 26th minute, after Jamie Masson played a great reverse pass forward to MEGGINSON. 

He then displayed great close control as he darted into the Clyde area and finished with an unstoppable 16-yard shot that gave keeper David Mitchell no chance.

Our next opportunity came when Yule again fed McIntosh down the right.

His cross was going to Masson until Scott Rumsby made an excellent last-gasp tackle at the edge of the six yard box.

If our equaliser was an eye-pleaser, it has to said our second, in the 32nd minute, was simply out of this world.

It came after Fyvie fed the ball forward to Ross and he cleverly laid it back into the path of MEGGINSON.

He then unleashed a breathtaking 22-yard shot that rifled into the top corner to claim his seventh goal of the campaign.

It’s doubtful we will see many better goals at Balmoral this term.

Harry Milne went close in the 34th minute, with a low shot from the edge of the area that went inches wide of Mitchell’s right post and we went in at the interval looking reading to build on what had been an impressive comeback.

Instead we presented Clyde with a path to recovery by giving away the second penalty, in the 55th minute.

Strachan was incensed to see referee David Dickinson, point to the spot but GOODWILLIE was unconcerned as he got back up to give Stuart McKenzie no chance yet again with another well taken effort.

Clyde almost took the lead in the 57th minute when Goodwillie passed to Alastair Love and his shot was tipped over the crossbar by keeper Stuart McKenzie.

There was no lack of effort from our lads as they went in search of the winner.

Scully saw a 20-yard shot bounce wide and also had a 25-yard free-kick, from wide on the right, held by Mitchell.

Clyde got lucky in the 77th minute when another Scully cross from the right appeared to hit a defender and rebound off the inside of the far post.

That led to a proper melee as both sets of players tried to get to the rebound first, with some of our ours claiming the ball had actually crossed the line.

Referee Dickinson was having none of it and eventually calmed the situation by awarding a free-kick to Clyde.

Masson followed that with an 18-yard shot that was held by Mitchell and Daniel Higgins also hammered a 25-yard free-kick over the bar as we laid siege on the Clyde goal in the latter stages.

Lady Luck smiled on Clyde again in the 87th minute when Scully’s corner from the right reached substitute Rory McAllister beyond the far post and his shot was blocked right on the line by a defender.

The value of those let-offs was underlined almost immediately when LAMONT, who had only been on the pitch for a minute, was given far too much space at the edge of our area and used that freedom to lash a fantastic shot past the diving McKenzie.

It was a crueler ending than we deserved, but another reminder that we are now in a league where, if you make mistakes, you will get punished.

COVE RANGERS: McKenzie, Milne, Scully, Strachan, Yule, Megginson, Masson, McIntosh, Higgins, Seb Ross (McAllister 76),  Fyvie.

Subs: Watson, Livingstone, Semple, Brown, Graham, Demus.

CLYDE: Mitchell, Bain, Howie, Rumsby, Cuddihy, Syvertsen, Jack (Palmer 46), Goodwillie, Love, Cunningham (Lamont 88), Lang.

Subs: Vajs, Trialist, Henderson, Robertson.

Referee: David Dickinson.

Article Copyright © 2020. Permission to use quotations from this article online is only granted subject to appropriate source credit and hyperlink to www.coverangersfc.com

MATCHDAY 9 GALLERY | CLYDE »