Falkirk v Clyde

Recap

Clyde look to have lost any slim hopes they had of the title as for the fourth game in a row they failed to score and in monsoon conditions only came away from Falkirk Stadium with a point.

On a happier note, that point means it is now mathematically impossible for the Bully Wee to be relegated; it also means that even if Clyde fail to pick up another point this season, they will still finish above Partick Thistle!

With Ian Harty and Jimmy Gibson missing, and Mark Gilhaney dropping to the bench from the side that lost to Queen of the South, Scott Wilson, Graham Jones and Gary Arbuckle were added to the line-up.

Indeed Arbuckle was a livewire throughout and on thirteen minutes he got down the inside left channel but over-ran the ball and failed to test Alan Ferguson.

Falkirk hit back a minute later and only the superb reflexes of Bryn Halliwell tipped a John O’Neil effort round the post, and from the resultant corner Gary Bollan was in the right place at the right time to head a John Hughes header off the line.

Falkirk were in the ascendancy and Halliwell once again showed his worth to deny Daniel McBreen. However, on thirty-three minutes it was Clyde who came closest to scoring as Simon Mensing powerfully met an Alex Burns cross, but Ferguson tipped the ball onto the bar.

Falkirk were shocked but the closest they came in the first half was a Russell Latapy shot which deflected off of John Potter, but Halliwell, who was going the wrong way, was able to recover.

After half-time it was the visitors who took control. Once again Arbuckle was a thorn in the side of the Falkirk defence, which included former Clyde manager Alan Kernaghan.

Arbuckle bustled his way into the box but was eased out of it by another ex-Clyde man, Craig McPherson, although how ""Hagi’s"" pass back to Ferguson wasn’t deemed to be a pass back by referee Stuart Dougal is a mystery.

Next Burns had an effort that just flashed wide as Clyde looked to be gaining some momentum. However, up at the other end on the best chance of the match fell to McBreen on seventy minutes.

Falkirk sub Ryan McStay’s shot was clearly handled by Bollan but the ball ran kindly for McBreen so the referee allowed play to continue. The young striker had time but Halliwell had more composure and pulled off a great save to deny the hosts the lead.

Clyde manager Billy Reid threw on Gilhaney for Jones and Kevin Bradley for Arbuckle as he looked to find a way through. However, at this point with the larger frame of Jones off the pitch there suddenly seemed to be rather a lot of high balls being played up to the diminutive front pair, who standing on each others shoulders would still probably see them being a head shorter than Kevin James!

Ex-Clyde man Colin Marshall replaced O’Neil for the last eight minutes but the only thing he did of note was show a bit of petulance by trying to pick a fight with Potter and was rightly booked.

So 0-0 it finished and with it potentially the league title, as Clyde once again appear to be looking at a season of being the bridesmaid but never the bride of the First Division.