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Clyde 3-1 Airdrieonians

The Bully Wee earned their first three Ladbrokes League 1 points since October with a thoroughly deserved victory over Airdrieonians at Broadwood this afternoon.

Danny Lennon made three initial changes to his side, bringing Martin McNiff, Mark Lamont and Ally Love into the starting line-up, and an already injury depleted team suffered another blow just before kick-off, when Chris McStay injured himself in the warm-up. His place went to Tony Wallace.

Clyde took an early lead when Mark Lamont curled a free-kick into the box in the 7th minute. Bulgarian defender Alex Petkov rose highest in a crowd of players to head the ball into the back of the net.

Lamont came close shortly after from another free-kick from a very narrow angle. Whilst most players were expecting the ball to be delivered into the box, he tried to catch ‘keeper David Hutton off guard with a shot to his near post, but he was able to get down and make a good save on the line.

The advantage was doubled in the 21st minute following a Clyde corner. The ball eventually fell to Tony Wallace and he hooked it forward into the path of David Goodwillie, who acrobatically volleyed it over the head of Hutton.

Hutton was called into action again when he made another stop from Ally Love’s blistering effort from outside the box.

Airdrie tried to hit back and David Mitchell had to make a superb double save, first denying Ally Roy and then blocking the follow-up from Paul McKay.

The Diamonds did reduce the deficit four minutes before the interval. A corner was played into the Clyde box and after some pinball the ball fell to Dale Carrick, who blasted it into the net.

Airdrie somehow failed to go in at half-time on level terms. The ball was played to Callum Gallagher who looked to be offside in the six-yard box. He rounded Mitchell but couldn’t apply a finish, before Clyde cleared the ball to safety.

The Diamonds hit Clyde on the counter in the second half and Scott Rumsby and Martin McNiff both threw their bodies to block a shot from Gallagher and then Mitchell held the ball again after the rebound fell to the Diamonds forward.

Darren Smith came desperately close to scoring a third goal for Clyde with time running out. He got on the end of a through ball and hit a shot past the advancing Hutton from outside the box, but McKay was able to get back and clear off the line.

The points were sealed in the fourth minute of stoppage time with the last kick of the game. Mitchell’s long ball down the middle went to Goodwillie and he hit a fantastic shot from the edge of the box that sailed over the head of Hutton and into the net.

Referee John McKendrick blew for full-time as Clyde celebrated the goal. There was a flashpoint as the players made their way off the park, with a very angry Hutton having to be escorted down the tunnel by members of the visiting backroom staff and stewards after losing his cool, as The Bully Wee celebrated their first victory at Broadwood in over three months.

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.


BULLY WEE FUND – DRAW WINNERS: 116. DAVE SWAN, AND 153. ALAN HENDERSON – £1,170 EACH.