Clyde v Annan Athletic

Recap

Clyde notched a routine victory in the Hamilton sunshine this afternoon, as they signed off on their last home league fixture of the season in style.

Darren Young opted to try and maintain his side’s momentum following three consecutive wins, with Brian Kinnear replacing Jay Hogarth in the only change to the starting eleven. There were welcome returns to the bench for Sam Campbell and Robbie Leitch following injury, with both getting minutes under their belts late on.

The home side started off brightly against a much-rotated Annan team which appeared to have conceded its extremely slim play-off qualification hopes, but couldn’t call Charlie Albinson into action. The game had a distinct end of season feel for much of the opening half hour, however, with both ‘keepers virtual spectators.

That all changed on the thirty-minute mark though, as a trademark Kyle Connell long throw yielded the opener. Logan Dunachie flicked goalwards at the near post and drew a save from Albinson, but the ball fell nicely to Kyle Fleming and the midfielder drilled it low and into the net to break the deadlock.

That goal saw the game swing completely in Clyde’s favour, and a second followed three minutes later. Connell showed lovely footwork to fashion himself a yard of space and curled a sumptuous ball in for Scott Williamson, who gladly fulfilled the simple task of bundling home from close range.

Further goals could’ve followed before the interval as the hosts threatened to run riot, but Aidan McGinlay and Marley Redfern both failed to hit the target from inside the visitors’ box.

Annan improved after the break with the help of half-time changes, but Clyde remained the side most likely and nearly added a third on the hour, when tidy build-up play down the left yielded a ball into the area for Connell. An excellent display to then had deserved a goal, but his final contribution saw a cute outside of the boot effort hit the crossbar.

Moments later, a long throw once more reaped rewards for The Bully Wee as they sealed the win. Dunachie again caused bother at the near post and Redfern’s close-range effort was superbly kept out by Albinson, but the ball dropped nicely to the alert Williamson who finished emphatically to bag his sixth goal in four league games.

Half a dozen second-half changes – with substitute Ross Lyon stretchered off with a head injury – disrupted Clyde’s rhythm, and the visitors threatened late on before pulling a goal back. A ball into the area wasn’t defended particularly well and bounced to Charlie Maxwell, who converted at the back post.

Clyde now face a trip to table-toppers East Kilbride next week, where they can help decide who wins the title. A Bully Wee victory at K-Park coupled with a Spartans win could see the Edinburgh side snatch the title on goal difference, but any other combination of results will consign the capital outfit to a play-off semi final against Darren Young’s men.