Clyde 1 v 3 Partick Thistle

FIRST HALF LINE-UP

Morrison

Mensing Potter Kernaghan McGroarty


Ross Millen Gibson Hagen


Keogh McConalogue

SECOND HALF LINE-UP

Clark

McCracken Doyle Maguire Haliday


Marshall Fraser Leven (Trialist) Gilhaney


Smith Harty

SUBS: Bryson (McCracken).

REPORT

This friendly was put to good use for various experimental purposes, with the result being far more insignificant than the performance. The first half in particular was played very competitively and the different formation will have given the management something to think about before Friday.

After just two minutes, Jamie Mitchell had a good chance but his volley from inside the box was well taken by Allan Morrison. Thistle were on top in the early stages as Clyde tried to get to grips with the 4-4-2 system and Morrison again had to react to hold a low drive. Mitchell then found himself in space in the middle of the park and released his team-mate through the middle between Potter and Kernaghan, but the Jags' striker's attempted chip was a poor one. Against the run on play a quarter of an hour into the match, Clyde took the lead after some dreadful play by the Thistle defence. It was comic book stuff as they gave possession away following a short goal kick and Pat Keogh managed to nick in, round the keeper and slide the ball into the net. Stephen McConalogue was beginning to cause problems by this stage and he had two good contributions to moves that were unlucky not to produce an end product. Approaching the half hour mark, Jack Ross fired in a decent free-kick from the edge of the box that was well held by Kenny Arthur. Thistle equalised on 30 minutes with a looping header at the back post following a deep cross from the touchline. The competitiveness of the match was emphasised a couple of minutes later when things threatened to get out of hand following an innocuous looking tackle by Andy Millen; the referee was forced to step in between several players and calm things down. Two brilliant passes by Kernaghan and Gibson then turned defence into attack in an instance and almost released McConalogue but he couldn't quite get close enough to the ball to have an effort on goal. Thistle came back into the match and just before half-time Morrison held a low 20 yard drive comfortably.

Clyde changed their side entirely at half-time and a "reserve" side came out for the second period, which lowered the tempo of the match and gave Thistle a boost. Paul Doyle won a couple of crucial headers in the opening exchanges and was involved when Thistle hit the woodwork on 50 minutes. He managed to force an advancing striker wide but also past Clark who had left his line - luckily the angle was too tight and the shot hit the outside of the post. Seconds later it was 2-1 to the visitors, when a knocked down cross was smashed into the roof of the net from 10 yards for an all too easy goal. Clark made a decent save just afterwards, clutching the ball at the second attempt after blocking a low shot that Mitchell set up with a mazy run. Another loose ball at the edge of the box was again put past Clark and into the net on 62 minutes to make the score 3-1. Clyde's best move of the half involved Gilhaney and Graeme McCracken on the right wing, but after doing well to hit the by-line McCracken miscued his cutback with Harty waiting to pounce. With 10 minutes to go, the last chance of the half was created by Thistle who managed to carve open the young Clyde defence easily, but the final shot went just past the post.

Alan Kernaghan said, "It was a good work-out with everyone getting 45 minutes under their belt."