Livingston v Clyde

With Marvyn Wilson available for his first league match of the season, Clyde chose to change system to a 3-5-2, with Ohnesorge and Waddell operating as wing-backs. The extra man in midfield made a difference as throughout the game, Clyde were able to close down their opponents and stifle the creativity that Livingston have displayed in previous games this season.

 

A rampaging run by the Lions’ right back, David MacKay, almost took him through on goal but for a good tackle by Ricky Waddell but most of the play in the opening half hour headed in the other direction, with both Pat Clarke and Scott Gemmill causing problems for the home defence. Clarke was first to test Pierre Martini with a volley that the ‘keeper saved with his feet, although the Clyde striker may feel he should have netted given the time afforded to him by James McPake. Then, Chris Innes allowed a long ball to drop over his head and Gemmill had the opportunity to go clean through on goal, only to poke a poor effort wide of the far post.

 

After spurning two glorious chances, amazingly a third was offered up by more inept defending and on this occasion, Clyde took the lead. Gemmill was involved in flicking the ball on towards Clarke, who judged the bounce better than McPake before firing home a clinical left footed strike.

 

Livingston attempted to strike back immediately and Murray Davidson’s fierce shot from 25 yards thudded into David Hutton’s arms, after Clyde had failed to properly clear a long ball forward.

 

However, with five minutes to go before the half-time interval, the home side levelled as Anthony McParland pulled down a long ball and had time to hit an effort from 25 yards that Hutton perhaps should have kept out but in fairness to the Clyde ‘keeper, there was also a lack of closing down from the defence that also contributed to the goal.

 

The second half saw much less in the way of chances, with Clyde being restricted to a looping header from Chris Higgins that Martini did well to tip over his crossbar. Despite having an increased amount of possession, Livingston failed to create many chances but with five minutes to go, Clyde had to rely on a fantastic challenge from Higgins to deny Davidson when the midfielder seemed set to fire home from 7 yards.

 

However, within a minute, Livingston had netted their second as a headed ball forward from substitute Cuenca released Leigh Griffiths behind a square back line. The young striker thumped the ball between Hutton’s legs for a winner that the Clyde ‘keeper will feel he should have stopped and another away game yielded no points, despite a decent display.