St. Johnstone v Clyde

Recap

Three-nil was harsh on Clyde, especially as things could have been very different if referee Willie Young had given them a first half penalty but there was no doubt St. Johnstone were the better side.
St. Johnstone have been very inconsistent this season but have recently shown signs off getting their season back on track while Clyde haven’t looked anything like the side recently that did so well during the early half of the season and will need to raise their game considerably for the visit of league leaders Falkirk next week.

Clyde actually started the better and controlled the opening twenty minutes. Young Craig Bryson having the best chance on 21 minutes but his effort was unfortunately deflected wide by team-mate Ian Harty.

Bryn Halliwell has proved time and again he is the best keeper in the First Division and he had to use all his agility to keep out a Lee Hardy cross after it was deflected goalwards by Gary Bollan.

On thirty-seven inutes Clyde should have been awarded a penalty. Hardy sent Bryson crashing to the ground on the right hand side of the box and Referee Young’s bizarre arm-waving made it seem like he had given a penalty but a free-kick on the edge of the box was his decision.

Hardy who seemed to be involved in everything in the first half almost put St. Johnstone ahead four minutes from the break but his snap drive from a Peter MacDonald cut-back flashed inches wide of the post.

With seconds to go to half-time Alex Walker played the ball through to Harty but the normally reliable hit-man couldn’t quite take the ball in his stride and his shot drifted out for a goal-kick.

Five minutes after the re-start the Perth side took the lead. Ryan McCann crossed low for Michael Moore. His turn and shot was blocked by Simon Mensing but the ball fell to Paul Sheeran and the ex-Aberdeen midfielder rifled home his first goal of the season.

Sheeran obviously enjoyed his goal and was determined to keep his side in the lead and only his intervention at the other end prevented Harty getting a clear shot on goal.

Clyde were pushing for an equaliser but Saints’ keeper Allan McGregor, who looked pretty dodgy throughout, just did enough to keep out a Darren Sheridan shot after excellent interplay by substitute Mark Gilhaney and Harty had set him up.

Like Sheeran, Sheridan proved his worth in a defensive capacity clearing a Moore header off the line.

On seventy-nine minutes Chris Hay should have made it 2-0 but managed to head the ball away from goal instead of towards it after McCann had chipped a delightful ball onto his head. The goal was only delayed though, as one minute later. Moore made a great run to the near post to head in a McCann corner. The corner, however, should not have been awarded as the clearance by Potter had struck a Saints player but despite vehement protests Referee Young awarded the set piece.

The match was settled as a contest but the home side further rubbed salt into the wound by grabbing a third. A Hay cross from the left was knocked into the path of Moore by David Hannah’s left arm and the ex-Stranraer striker stuck it away.

Quite how Mr. Young didn’t see the handball is a mystery but then poor refereeing isn’t exactly something that Scottish football fans aren’t becoming increasingly used to.

Late efforts by Gilhaney and Aaron Conway almost grabbed a consolation for the Bully Wee but neither managed to beat McGregor and as the full-time whistle blew were forced to face the reality of losing their second game in three weeks.