Ross County v Clyde

Recap

Some weeks it is not easy to follow Clyde. Last week after a stunning game with St Mirren, the Bully Wee stopped playing before the final whistle and paid taking nothing from a match they should have got a draw.

Similarly this week after Jack Ross had put his side ahead with only six minutes left on the clock, he and his team-mates only had to keep it tight for those remaining minutes but for the second week running failed to keep the opposition out in the dying seconds and three points turned to one.

Alan Kernaghan started with new loan signing Colin Nish up front and with David Dunn, David Hagen and Mark McLaughlin all out, John Fraser covered the alien left wingback role.

It took ten minutes for a shot on goal to occur. A Ross ball over the top was cut out by County’s Brian Irvine and Andy Millen smashed the follow-up over.
County now started to dominate with Martin Wood and Don Cowie having the clearest cut chances in the first half hour and John Potter almost putting the ball into his own net.

On 37 minutes the best chance of the first half fell to Clyde. Nish who by this stage was starting to show some decent touches on the deck swung over a cross from the left. Ross headed back into the six-yard box but on-loan Dundee United man Stephen McConalogue contrived to volley wide.

Two minutes before the break Alex Bone thought he had given County the lead. His low drive beat Halliwell but after coming off the inside of the left post, Potter somehow managed to hack it clear.

In the first half County had had the benefit of the wind at their backs, however into the second half and this had turned into a swirling gale, which gave no advantage to either side.

McConalogue was again unlucky ten minutes after the restart. The ever-industrious Ross swung in a cross for the little striker but the ball caught the top off his head and flashed wide.

Ross would prove his worth at the other end five minutes later. County left-back Steven MacKay was about the pull the trigger on the left hand side of the box but a last gasp tackle by Ross denied him.

Seeing that the game needed a spark, Alan Kernaghan threw on Stephen Cosgrove for Fabian Bossy and Andy McLay for McConalogue and on the other side of another Cowie attempt on 72 minutes, Stevie Convery replaced Nish. In my opinion Kernaghan got it wrong after last week’s performance Pat Keogh was being looked upon but he never got into the game and his passing and heading were particularly weak. On the left-hand side Fraser looked done and for him to be hooked would have been a mercy killing.

Finally on 84 minutes, Clyde made the break-through. An Andy McLay corner caused havoc in the County defence; Keogh’s swivelled shot was blocked on the line but Ross who was hobbling on one leg following an earlier clash swept home.

58 seconds later County had a soft free kick on the edge of the Clyde box. Hugh Robertson drove the ball in wickedly but Bryn Halliwell was alert to tip over.

A Cowie corner was knocked back in and there was Martin Canning from two yards to head home.

KERNAGHAN’S REACTION

"I’m disappointed again. The conditions didn’t help today and both sides couldn’t get into a rhythm, with only 2 or 3 good passing moves by each team over 90 minutes. After taking the lead, we’ve once again lost concentration and let them back into the game. We seem to struggle to keep possesion after scoring a goal and we’ll need to sort it out. I thought Colin Nish did alright, but he looked a bit rusty. Leigh Hinds wasn’t involved in my squad today."