Middlesbrough XI v Clyde

Recap

LINE-UP

Halliwell

Potter Kernaghan Mensing
Ross McLaughlin

Fraser Millen
Harty

Keogh Gilhaney

SUBS: Reid (McLaughlin 45), Clark, McConalogue (Gilhaney 60), McBride (Harty 65), Doyle (Potter 65), Baird (Keogh 80).

REPORT

Clyde completed their pre-season preparations with a satisfying draw against a talented Boro reserve side at Middlesborough’s excellent training complex, Rockliffe Park. David Hagen’s eye injury sustained against Bristol Rovers prevented him travelling. Otherwise, boss Alan Kernaghan selected his strongest squad for the trip to the North East.

In a very even and competitive first half, Clyde’s main threat came from the right flank where Jack Ross picked up from where he left off on Thursday night. He almost opened the scoring in just eight minutes with a brave header which was forced for a corner, for which the referee astonishingly awarded a goal kick. The Bully Wee had to wait until the half hour mark before troubling a very competent home keeper. Following a good move down the left, Mark Gilhaney angled a cross for the incoming Jack Ross who headed powerfully to the far post only to be denied by the woodwork. In between times the home side had a flurry of attempts, none of which troubled Bryn Halliwell. Another fine delivery from Ross set up a great chance for Keogh who shot weakly from eight yards. Then on the stroke of half time, Mensing missed a great chance to give Clyde the lead, but his downward header from a Ross corner bounced and skimmed over the bar.

Clyde replaced Mark McLaughlin with Billy Reid jnr at half time and the Bully Wee went on to dominate the early stages. Potter, Keogh, Mensing and Gilhaney all tested the keeper before a Jack Ross piledriver crashed off a Boro defender. On the hour mark, Clyde put together their best move of the game. It began on the right hand side and ended on the left when Simon Mensing blasted a shot which the home keeper did well to parry from point blank range. Clyde should have taken the lead from the resultant Billy Reid corner but Boro somehow cleared the goalmouth scramble. Clyde then made a series of substitutions with McConalogue replacing Gilhaney, McBride coming on for Harty and Doyle replacing Potter. Pat Keogh then came close on two occasions within four minutes, his first a header from a deep Jack Ross cross and then a fierce drive which the keeper palmed away for a corner. John Baird came on for Keogh in the 80th minute and Bryn Halliwell made his first serious save of the mach. Carlos Marinelli, who spent last season on loan to Torino, cleverly put his striking colleague through only to be foiled by a brave diving save by our keeper. Towards the end, Paul Doyle made an impact with some timely defending.

The match ended 0-0 and, despite our missed chances, Boro were a very impressive side who would not be out of place in the bottom half of the SPL.

REACTION

ALAN KERNAGHAN – "We’ve played better with the ball but it was an excellent test of our workrate when the opposition were in possession. We changed things around a bit at half time and increased the tempo in the second half. Boro were fit, talented and well organised and although we could have scored three from set pieces alone, it was exactly the workout we needed at this stage."