Hamilton Academical v Clyde

Recap

Clyde’s exited the SPFL Trust Trophy this evening despite a spirited performance, as Hamilton Academical came from behind to book their place in the semi-finals at New Douglas Park.

Jim Duffy made two changes to the side, with Erik Sula, Nathan Nyamsi Hendji and Ross Cunningham coming in for Steven Thicot, Jon Craig and Euan Cameron.

The Bully Wee opened the scoring in the ninth minute when Cunningham struck against his former club. Nyamsi intercepted a pass and drove forward before playing it to Cunningham, who fizzed a shot into the bottom corner from 25 yards.

Erik Sula then saw his header form a corner bounce off the post and was cleared to safety, before Accies equalised just past the half-hour mark. After some pinball around the six-yard box after a corner Fergus Owens pounced to prod the ball home.

Lewis Smith then had a chance for Accies to take the lead moments later when one-on-one with Neil Parry but he slotted his effort wide of the post.

Clyde retook the lead nine minutes before the interval from a free-kick on the corner of the box. Paul Kennedy whipped it on target with his left foot and ‘keeper Jamie Smith came out for it, but bounced through and hit his leg before nestling into the opposite corner.

Hamilton made a quadruple substituion at half-time as they upped the ante in the opening stages of the second half. Sula and Nyamsi both had to be alert to stop dangerous crosses into the box, before Accies equalised for the second time in the 54th minute. A pass was played to Jean Pierre Tiehi on the edge of the box with his back to goal, and he took a touch, turned and sent a shot beyond Parry.

Both teams then had good chances with Kurtis Roberts playing a one-two with Euan Cameron before drilling a low shot on target which Smith held, and at the other end Parry got down low and quick to save a snapshot from Tiehi.

Accies went into the lead with eight minutes remaining after a corner floated to the back post was stabbed in by an unmarked Dan O’Reilly.

Clyde then came ever so close to sending the tie to penalties with the lack kick of the game. Roberts teed up a shot from the edge of the box which had Smith beaten but agonisingly clipped the inside of the post and bounced along the line and out of play, as the referee blew full-time.