Elgin City v Clyde

Clyde suffered another defeat on the road this afternoon, as a series of missed first-half chances came back to haunt them at Borough Briggs.

Darren Young was forced into two changes after Tuesday’s visit to Stranraer, with Craig Howie and Robbie Leitch both missing out through injury. They were replaced by Kyle Fleming and Mouhamed Niang respectively, whilst a tactical switch saw Aiden McGinlay start in place of Nathan Cannon.

The match got off to a dire start for The Bully Wee, as a loose pass in their own third gifted Elgin an opening inside the first ten minutes. The ball was played out wide and then across to striker Kane Hester, who made no mistake with a low finish into the bottom corner.

With the advantage of a strong wind at their backs, Clyde responded well and fashioned a trio of fantastic opportunities to restore parity before the interval. First, Marley Redfern skinned his man on the flank before bending a fine ball in to Kyle Connell, but the striker couldn’t get his header on target from close range. The second saw the pair link up again, but this time Redfern’s ball across the face of goal was perhaps slightly too strong on a bobbly pitch and Connell couldn’t convert at the back post. Finally, the ball was played across to the advancing Darren Hynes who smashed an attempt goalwards, but it battered off Connell and out for a goal kick.

The Bully Wee continued to push for an equaliser in an evenly matched second period but struggled to test home ‘keeper Tom Ritchie, before the result was put beyond doubt midway through the half. Having committed a great many men forward for a corner, Clyde were left short at the back and an incisive counter saw the rampaging Kyle Girvan bear down on Jay Hogarth, with the defender slipping a composed finish under the advancing stopper.

Little of note occurred from that point onwards, as Elgin settled for their lot. The damage of the result was mitigated, however, by fifth-placed Stranraer’s defeat, which means Clyde’s promotion play-off buffer remains at five points.