Clyde v Airdrieonians

Recap

Clyde started the 2026-27 season in ideal fashion this evening, with Kyle Connell’s second half strike against his former club earning his current employers all three points in Group D of the Premier Sports Cup.

Darren Young and his men continue to work towards readiness for the new campaign, with several of the squad working their way to full fitness, but the Bully Wee manager was still able to name a fairly strong and familiar starting line-up. There were three competitive debutants in the starting eleven – Lewis Lovering and Liam Rooney in the full-back positions, plus Timam Scott wide right – with recent signing Bruce Strachan also making his bow from the bench.

An even and competitive affair throughout, there was little action to speak of in the opening twenty minutes of the game as the teams felt one another out. Airdrie had the first serious opportunity of the match when a ball into the box found the head of Matty Yates, but the striker failed to trouble Clyde number one Jay Hogarth with a tame effort. Scott, who tormented visiting left-back Henry James from the first whistle, looked to be the home side’s likeliest source of a goal but it was his defensive work which was the catalyst for their best chance before the interval. After winning the ball back deep in his own half, he played it to Kyle Connell whose floated ball forward was controlled by Nathan Cannon. He cut inside and struck powerfully at goal, but Ruaridh Adams got down sharply to push the ball to safety and ensure parity going into the break.

Scott had a good chance of his own shortly after half time when he got a volley on target, but it was neither powerful nor accurate enough to beat Adams. The Diamonds then exerted some pressure on the home defence, with Hogarth making a pair of strong stops from powerful efforts. The latter – from a heavily deflected free-kick – presented Gavin Gallagher with a golden opportunity to score on the follow-up, but his effort flew over the bar.

That miss was to prove costly, as minutes later Clyde scored the only goal of the game. Substitute Marley Redfern harried an Airdrie midfielder to steal possession and Scott Williamson then laid the ball off to Connell, who carried it forward before slashing a fine finish into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.

Save for one final stop from Hogarth after what appeared to be a foul on Craig Howie, the visitors only threatened an equaliser when the ball dropped kindly to an attacker in space, but another wild effort over the crossbar ensured that The Bully Wee held on to their clean sheet and, with it, a welcome victory.