Dunfermline Athletic v Clyde

Recap

Clyde’s good away form continued with a battling point away to Dunfermline, in the Pars first game since the sacking of Stephen Kenny.

The away side recalled Neil McGregor after suspension and David McGowan replaced Kevin Bradley to start as the lone striker. McGregor took up an unfamiliar defensive midfield position along side Christian Smith and Ruari McLennan.

The Bully Wee started well and took the lead with a comical goal. A back pass by Dunfermline’s Scott Wilson slipped past his own goalkeeper, who had to slide back to clear from the line. However, the ball fell nicely for Dougie Imrie who squared for David McGowan to tap home.

The home side reacted well to this by forcing several corners and from one of these, they managed to level. Poor defending allowed Jim Hamilton flick the ball on and Mark Burchill was waiting at the back post to net his fourth goal against Clyde this season.

Play raged from end to end, helped by the horrific weather conditions that caused players to regularly make errors. Dunfermline created the better chances with Burchill being set through on goal, only to see his lob strike a post. Stephen Glass also hit the cross bar with a free kick but in general, Clyde were in charge of possession and had their own efforts on goal. Chris Higgins hit the woodwork with a cross and Craig McKeown saw a soft volley comfortably stopped by Gallacher.

Then came the defining moment of the match. Dougie Imrie raced clear behind the home defence and appeared to be barged over by Scott Wilson. The referee and his linesman somehow managed to neither award a penalty or a free kick for diving and waved play on to the bemusement of the entire crowd. To compound Imrie’s disappointment, he was then booked for diving in a separate incident. The final action of a frantic first half saw Michael McGowan pull the ball down at the back post but his volley was blocked by a defender.

The second half was a calmer affair, at least until the 63rd minute. Imrie had the chance to swing in a free kick from a dangerous position but succeeded in driving the ball straight into the wall. As Scott Morrison broke away, Imrie decided to foul him and as such, the referee showed him a second yellow card.

The Clyde team were left defending for their lives as the home team tried to earn a winner and Dan Kirkup was replaced by Gary Arbuckle as Clyde looked to tighten up at the back. Burchill was proving to be a thorn in Clyde’s side with his superb movement and the ex-Scotland international missed two good chances. First he fired wide when well placed before he hit a low shot straight at David Hutton when clean through on goal.

As the pressure continued Stephen Simmons hit the post with a header as the Clyde rearguard fought bravely to defend their goal. On the break Clyde looked dangerous and Arbuckle’s low cut back just eluded fellow substitute Kevin Bradley. However, in the last minute, it looked like Clyde’s hard work would be in vain, as Jim Hamilton pulled the ball down 6 yards from goal and picked his spot. Fortunately, David Hutton threw himself to his left to keep out the low strike and earn Clyde a deserved point.

Similar to most away displays this season, Clyde displayed a level of desire and organisation that has been lacking in home games. McGregor being played in an unfamiliar midfield role tightened up that area and McKeown and Smith both played important parts in defending their goal. Man of the Match though goes to Hutton for his late stop from Hamilton.