Clyde 2-1 Annan Athletic
A ten-man Bully Wee side showed tremendous spirit to bag three points against an extremely physical Annan Athletic at Broadwood, thanks to a stoppage time winner from Martin McNiff.
Danny Lennon brought Kieran Duffie and Mark Lamont back into the starting line-up, with Scott Banks and Jack Boyle dropping to the bench.
Clyde had a chance to take an early lead when John Rankin curled a cross into the box for David Goodwillie, but the striker was unable to make a proper connection and the opportunity was lost.
Annan’s first shot on target came through the lively Chris Johnston, but Blair Currie made a good save in the Clyde goal, holding on to the attacker’s volley.
Goodwillie was then left wondering how he was unable to find the back of the net, after his initial shot and three subsequent follow-ups were foiled by the Annan defence.
Johnston had another opportunity when he got on the end of a flick-on from Tommy Muir and drove forward, but dragged his shot across the face of goal.
Just prior to the interval Rankin whipped a free-kick from the edge of the area just past the post.
The opener came in the 66th minute when Scott Banks challenged for the ball, which then broke to Mark Lamont on the edge of the box. He took a touch and curled the ball across Alex Mitchell and into the back of the net.
The game was starting to get heated with a series of off the ball blocks and pushes by the visitors going unpunished, and Steven Swinglehurst somehow escaped without any sanction for an off the ball elbow into the back of David Goodwillie, despite the incident taking place right in front of assistant referee Stuart Hodge.
There was another flashpoint in the 83rd minute after Clyde cleared the ball upfield following pressure in the box. On advice of his assistant, referee Alan Newlands showed Blair Currie a red card for an off the ball incident, and Annan were awarded a penalty. Tony Wallace subsequently dispatched the spot kick beyond sub ‘keeper Kieran Hughes.
Despite being a man down The Bully Wee had no intention of settling for a point and there was one final twist in the tale, as Tom Lang and Scott Rumsby were thrown forward for Martin McNiff’s long throw in the third minute of injury time. The ball went across the box but was hooked back in by Goodwillie, with Lang and Rumsby both getting their heads on it, before McNiff crashed a header into the roof of the net from close range, prompting huge celebrations on the park and in the stands.
If you were at today’s match and are a CIC owner with a website account, you can vote for your top three performers in the Man of the Match vote.
200 FUND – DRAW WINNER: 62. CALUM FLETCHER – £1,085