Clyde v Forfar Athletic

Recap

For the second time in a week, Clyde crashed out of a cup competition as a poor second half display allowed Forfar Athletic to come from behind and win.

It was the Broadwood crowd’s first look at the team in competitive action and John Brown chose to make several changes to the side that lost to Stenhousemuir. Callum Reidford made his debut in goal, Mark Casey came into a revised back three, Paul Stewart started at left wingback and Connor Stevenson was given a start in front of the defence. There was also a return for one of last season’s players as Dave McKay took his place on the right wing.

The first half followed a fairly consistent pattern throughout, with Forfar seeing plenty of possession but Clyde looking more dangerous in the final third. The debutant Reidford, perhaps due to his recent thigh injury, didn’t taken any of the goal-kicks but had to look lively to punch clear under threat from Bryan Deasley. At the other end, Jamie Doyle moved the ball onto Paul McLeod who turned superbly past Andy Tod, only for Ally Brown to block his low shot.

McKay was next to threaten as he pulled down a loose ball on the edge of the box but his left-footed drive smacked against a defender, with Jay Lang screaming for a pass. However, Lang’s time was to come and in the 28th minute, he played a key part in Clyde taking the lead. A decent passing move saw Paul Stewart find the ex-Falkirk youngster and from his low cross, Tod cracked a clearance into his own net via the crossbar.

With the confidence of the side increasing there were chances to add a second. First, Alan Lithgow came within inches of heading home Lang’s corner and then from McLeod’s mis-hit shot, McKay thumped a close range strike against Brown. The same player was then inches away from converting Willie Sawyers raking cross. However, the Loons were still very much in the game and often looked to get in behind Clyde’s wingbacks. Their best effort saw Deasley try to find the corner of the net with a left-footed drive, only for Reidford to react well and tip the ball past the post.

At the interval, Clyde brought on Ally Park for Connor Stevenson in a change that saw Paul Stewart move into midfield and McKay go over to the left wingback position. However, those changes arguably led to the Bully Wee’s downfall as Forfar levelled in the 51st minute. Lithgow, who had perhaps overplayed on several occasions, sold Doyle short with a poor pass and the ball was quickly moved to the left side where McKay was caught out of position. With time to pick out a target in the middle, Darren Brady swung in a cross that was headed home from 8 yards by the unmarked Ross Campbell.

Deasley then threatened with a burst forward that ended with a shot past the post under pressure from Scott Gair. Clyde sought to changes things further by replacing the ineffectual Sawyers with Alan McFadden in a move that saw McKay move up front. However, the tide had turned and Forfar took the lead with another goal that was entirely of Clyde’s making. Once more, the Bully Wee were in possession of the ball but from Reidford’s sliced kick-out, Forfar had time and space to control the ball and slide it through the middle of the home team’s defence for Martyn Fotheringham to run onto and convert. Undeniably, the goalkeeper should have done better but similarily, he should have expected his backline not to leave a 20 yard gap in the centre of the pitch for players to run into.

The third goal, like the two previous, came despite Clyde being in possession of the ball at a throw-in. For some reason, the ball was launched into the middle of the pitch straight to a Forfar midfielder who then moved it on towards Deasley. The young striker, who this week completed a year long loan deal from Dundee, skipped past Lithgow and Lang before sliding a left-footed shot past a leaden-footed Reidford.

Jonathon Fisher was then given his debut in place of Lang, whilst Forfar were quick to give several players a run-out with the game all but won. All of the remaining chances fell to the Loons and Calum Smith was unlucky to see McFadden clear his low shot off the line.

The first half was a complete contrast to last week’s game against Stenhousemuir, with the midfield and strikers working the ball fairly well but the defence looking wobbly, perhaps down to the change in formation. The second half performance was very poor, with three goals gifted to the opposition and no offensive potency once Doyle started to tire. The opponents, like Stenny, were organised and looked like a team who had been playing together for a length of time. Unless Clyde get up to that standard quickly, it’s going to be a long season.