Clyde v Motherwell

Recap

CLYDE: Cherrie, McGregor, Malone, Higgins, McKeown, McHale, Bryson, O’Donnell, Arbuckle, Hunter, Bouadji. SUBS: Bradley, McGowan, Dick, Hilland, Hutchison, Brawley, Masterton, J Miller, D Miller, Stirling, Sidibe.

Clyde fans were pleased to see the familiar figures of Eddie Malone, Craig Bryson and Gary Arbuckle as Graham Roberts’ first public starting line-up unavoidably contained eight new faces; another nine newcomers plus Joe Miller sat on the sidelines.

The game was dominated by changes in personnel but no matter which eleven were on the park wearing white, they showed many of the battling qualities of last season’s team and were unlucky not to equalise David Partridge’s first half volleyed opener through an Eddie Malone back-post header in the second half.

Not unexpectedly, premierLeague Motherwell’s control of the game increased as the game progressed but after the match Graham Roberts was quick to point out that his young team had attempted eight shots on goal to ‘Well’s two. Certainly it was Clyde who looked the more likely to score during the first half and the willingness to "have a go" was encouraging in itself.

Fourteen minutes from the end Clyde had another chance to equalise when former Well youngster Billy Brawley chipped over after turning inside Motherwell’s Mark Quinn.

Motherwell Assistant Manager Maurice Malpas, speaking after the game, was complimentary about the young opposition. "It was a very good work out. Clyde played very energetically and it took us a while to get used to how they played their five in the middle."

The general concensus amongst other observers was that the young Clyde players had shown commendable spirit and no little skill with Stephen O’Donnell’s prominence a notable feature of the match.

The first competive match, the Bell’s Cup tie against Brechin City at Glebe Park, is two weeks away and that will be the first real test for the "new Clyde".

For the match against Motherwell, the following players were listed for Clyde:
1 Peter Cherrie (Ex- Airdrie United and Ayr United)
2. Neil McGregor (Ex-Kilmarnock)
3. Eddie Malone
4. Chris Higgins (See photograph and website player profile)
5. Craig McKeown (See website player profile)
6. Paul McHale (Captain) (See website player profile)
7. Craig Bryson
8. Stephen O’Donnell (See above left photograph and website player profile)
9. Gary Arbuckle
10. Roddy Hunter (Ex-Ayr United and Clydebank)
11. Romuald Bouadji (Ex-Carshalton Athletic, Farnborough Town and Gravesend & Northfleet)
12. Kevin Bradley
14. Michael McGowan (ex-Dundee)
15. Andrew Dick
16 Paul Hilland (Ex-HIbernian, Cowdenbeath, Berwick Rangers and Queen of the South)
17 Steven Masterton
18. Billy Brawley (Ex-Motherwell, Partick Thistle and Selkirk)
19 John Hutchison (Ex-Hibernian and Falkirk)
Joe Miller
Darren Miller (Ex-Airdrie United)
Jered Stirling (Ex-Partick Thistle, Motherwell, Watford, Partick Thistle, Forfar Athletic, Stranraer, Albion Rovers, Clydebank, Swansea City, Albion Rovers).
Sidibi Moussa (Ex-Gravesend & Northfleet and Welling United)