Dundee v Clyde

Recap

With eleven minutes to go in this match, and leading 3-1, Dundee appeared to have a much needed three points in the bag. It seems no-one told the Bully Wee! Two goals from Stephen O’Donnell earned Clyde a share of the points and stunned everyone associated with the Dens Park club.

“That was ten minutes of absolute madness” claimed ex-Clyde manager Alan Kernaghan after the match; Graham Roberts and Clyde’s travelling support saw things somewhat differently!

Clyde had begun the match in determined fashion and within twenty-four seconds Dees’ keeper Derek Soutar was under pressure when Eddie Malone found space on the edge of the area and aimed for the roof of the net but his shot, which Soutar appeared to have covered, skimmed the top of the crossbar.

The rain-swept conditions were not going to do either goalie any favours and Paul Jarvie fluffed his attempt to gather Steven Robb’s free-kick and Simon Lynch should have done more with the opportunity.

The Dundee man made up for things in the twenty-second minute but again the sodden conditions contributed as Chris Higgins untimely slip allowed Lynch to race on to Robb’s long ball, before drawing Jarvie and cleverly chipping into the Clyde net.

Dundee supporters are far from convinced that any match in this Division is going to be easy and so it proved. Clyde’s youthful exuberance and indomitable spirit was again in evidence and was rewarded in the thirty-sixth minute when Tom Brighton levelled. The Scotland Under 21 international outpaced Callum Macdonald on the left and his angled drive squirmed under Soutar’s body.

Tom McManus restored Dundee’s goal advantage three minutes before the break. Bobby Mann’s low free-kick skidded across the wet surface as the Clyde defence pushed out. In doing so McManus was left unmarked, in a suspiciously offside position, and he steered the free kick beyond Jarvie, and a goal was given.

It began to look like one of those nights for Clyde and the losing margin doubled in the fifty-first minute. Simon Lynch astutely created space for Scott Robertson, whose rising shot came back off the bar, leaving poacher-in-chief Tom McManus perfectly placed to stroke home the rebound from six yards.

Dundee then gave every impression that the game was won. It was an attitude which cost them dearly in the seventy-ninth minute when Mann’s ill-judged tackle on Craig Bryson presented Stephen O’Donnell with the chance to score from the spot, which he duly did by sending Soutar the wrong way.

3-2 and game on! Game on for Clyde that is, as the Bully Wee seized the initiative in the last ten minutes. With just four minutes left when substitute Kevin Bradley’s cross caused panic in the home defence and Stephen O’Donnell swept home the equaliser.

Graham’s Gems continue to shock the so-called better teams and the manager was not slow to point to the reason why. “These players don’t know when they are beaten,” he beamed. “It feels like a win after the way things went.”