Clyde v St. Johnstone

Recap

St. Johnstone’s Steven Milne grabbed the only goal of the game as nine-man St Johnstone held out for victory at Broadwood.

Until the nineteenth minute neither ‘keeper had a save to make, then Saints’ Kevin Cuthbert was first in action with a relatively easy save from a Stephen O’Donnell drive.

Man of many clubs Scott Paterson was deservedly booked in twenty-seven minutes and then a free kick from ex-Clyde man Darren Sheridan was knocked on by James, allowing Steven Milne to try an overhead kick which Paul Jarvie saved well.

The goal that was to prove the difference between the sides in the end came in the thirty-second minute. It started at the halfway line where Kevin Rutkiewicz won the ball and released Ryan McCann to race down the right. McCann’s shot across goal was pushed away by Paul Jarvie but Steven Milne was on hand to fire the ball into the roof of the net from close range to make it 1-0.

This breakthrough immediately raised the standard of play shown by both teams as the level of incidents markedly increased. Firstly Stephen O’Donnell fired in a snapshot which was straight at Cuthbert, then the visitors’ Paul Sheerin went narrowly over with a diving header from a Stanic cross. SPL refugee Jason Scotland hit a low, long-range effort and just before the interval Eddie Malone hit a powerful drive narrowly over from the edge of the box after he got the better of a challenge from Sheerin.

Ex-Clyde man Darren Sheridan came close to making it 2-0 just minutes after the re-start when Milne’s persoistence in the penalty box saw the ball laid back to the veteran Englishman whose effort went just wide of the far post.

The Perth team continued to create most of the chances. Sheerin fired a twenty-two yard free kick over the bar after Scotland had been fouled. Then in the sixty-second minute Steven Milne cleverly anticipated that a bouncing ball would cause problems for Clyde’s Chris Higgins and Craig McKeown. Milne latched onto the resultant loose ball but his half-volley went screaming over the bar. Another chance missed bt the Saintees.

Saints’ Scott Paterson collected his second yellow card after seventy-five minutes, then Simon Mensing was red carded six minutes later for an off-the-ball incident with Clyde’s Alex Willliams.

Clyde weren’t at their best, but at one down they still had a chance. Michael McGowan burst down the right before sending in a dangerous low cross which unfortunately had no takers. At the other end danger man Milne had a right foot shot which went just wide of the goal.

In the seventy-fifth minute the game turned. First of all Peter MacDonald replaced a disappointing Jason Scotland but within seconds Scott Paterson was sent off when the ex-Dundee United defender brought down his former Tannadice team mate Stephen O’Donnell just outside the area but Clyde failed to take advantage of the free kick..

Steven Milne was booked in the eighty-first minute for a foul at the halfway line but while the referee was about to show him a yelllow card an off-the-ball incident some fifteen away caused Simon Mensing to lash out at Alex Williams. A red card was the result; St. Johnstone were down to nine.

Not surprisingly the game ended in one-way traffic towards the Saints’ goal. Craig Bryson hit the bar then Cuthbert made a magnificent stop from an O’Donnell long-range driv.

Clyde were disappointing after their mid-week Ibrox heroics whilst Saints looked to have some way to go before they could be considered promotion possibiles.