Clyde v Raith Rovers

Recap

Clyde ended their home fixtures just as they had begun them back in August with a victory. Clyde dominated the game and could have scored lots of goals but it somehow seemed fitting to end the season with another 1-0 victory. Given recent events sadly the atmosphere was very flat and it was a disappointing way to probably say goodbye to some fine servants of the club.

Again injuries brought youth to the fore as Clyde fielded a diminutive side apart from John Potter. Chris Gardiner was given his first start at wing-back as once again Clyde opted for a 3-5-2 formation. With nothing the play for the game was suitably open with hardly a solid challenge in the entire ninety minutes.

With Burns and Harty up front Clyde were of course struggling for physical presence and it was often Gilhaney’s running that provided the real threat. Raith’s McMullan was proving a tricky customer too as he tormented Clyde down the right. In the twenty-eighth minute, following clear chances for Gilhaney, Bryson and Harty, Clyde eventually made the breakthrough. A simple ball over the top from Malone was latched onto by Gilhaney and he fired the ball beyond the keeper. Raith struggled to find any work for Halliwell as Clyde sat on their lead quite comfortably to the interval.

The second half mirrored the first as Clyde dominated and created most of the clear chances. Time and again Harty was being sent clear but a combination of poor finishing and good goalkeeping kept the score down.

Darren Sheridan received a standing ovation as he was replaced by Greenhill.

Frustration eventually got the better of Harty and he found his way into the book for dissent. For all Clyde’s inability to find more goals it was matched at the other end by another fine performance by the defence with Espinosa looking especially unruffled.

The curtain fell on another season at Broadwood with the realisation that many of the regulars might not be in Clyde shirts next season.

With a new Manager to find and probably a team to build from scratch it should be an interesting summer. Everybody expected this season to be a struggle but a fast start saw Clyde eyeing promotion once again. Just as a head of steam was building up the weather intervened and March’s fixture pile up put paid to any notions of glory. It may not have been the most exciting Clyde team to watch but they certainly were effective and achieved the main objective of staying in the First Division.

Clyde Star Ratings (*****)

Halliwell *** So little to do it’s hard to give him more.
Espinosa **** Very cool and composed.
Malone **** Usual combative stint from ‘steady’ Eddie.
Bryson **** Very energetic display in the middle.
Potter **** Dominant as he has been all season.
Sheridan ***
Burns ** Gave the ball away far too often.
Gibson *** Energetic but still struggling for form.
Harty ** Bad day at the office.
Gardiner *** Plenty of effort in an unusual position.
Gilhaney **** Much more positive and confident than last week.

Bradley ** Full of running but not seeing much of the ball.
Greenhill ** One for the future.
McKeever * Little chance to shine.