Clyde 3-2 Edinburgh City
Clyde returned to the top of the William Hill League Two table this afternoon, with a hat trick from in-form striker Scott Williamson securing victory at the climax of a crazy game at the Hamilton Community Stadium.
Darren Young was forced to make three changes to the starting eleven which drew away to The Spartans last week; Logan Dunachie served the first of a two-match suspension for a straight red card, whilst James Hilton missed out on the matchday squad. Keir Gilligan also missed out, having broken a bone in his foot, but there was welcome news elsewhere with Darren Hynes and Nathan Cannon both returning from injury. The former was to be a last-minute addition to the side – causing a delay to kick-off – after Liam Rooney failed to make it through the warm-up unscathed.
The Bully Wee had completed a clean sweep of wins against The Citizens last season, but soon came to learn that Michael McIndoe’s latest cohort represents a stiffer test. The home side threatened first when a long throw into the area found the head of Lewis Lovering, but the left-back’s header would only kiss the top of the crossbar on its way out of play.
Both teams looked to be somewhat vulnerable at the back with deliveries into dangerous areas going unpunished but, with half time looming, the goalkeepers were each waiting on their first serious tests. A mistake from either side seemed likeliest to break the stalemate, and so it proved; Hynes showed somewhat understandable rustiness in leaving his back pass to Hogarth short, with Edinburgh’s Murray Aiken stealing in to take the ball around the Clyde number one before rolling home.
Most would’ve expected the second half to be fairly even, as the first was; Young’s charges clearly had different ideas, though, seizing control of affairs and immediately taking the game to the capital side upon the restart. Despite this pressure, The Citizens should’ve doubled their advantage against the run of play. An excellent cross to the back post found Lennon Walker in space, and he really ought to have done better than head the ball within the proximity of Hogarth, who instinctively batted an arm out to divert it out for a corner.
Mere seconds later, Clyde equalised. Hogarth’s next involvement was just as telling, as his pinpoint long kick released Williamson one-on-one against his marker. The striker showed superb strength and balance to hold off the defender, before showing great composure to lift the ball over the onrushing Shea Dowie and into the back of the net.
The Bully Wee continued to pen the visitors in and only superb defending from an avalanche of balls into the area kept the scores level. A big call possibly went against the hosts, when Dowie rushed out of his box and cleared a bouncing ball, but in doing so catching substitute Nathan Cannon with a high boot. Referee Alastair Grieve was unmoved, though he was to be later in the contest. Lovering then rocketed a shot flush off the near post as Clyde turned up the heat, but there was a growing feeling that it was going to be one of those days.
That feeling only intensified when, again, the home side were once again the architects of their own downfall inside the final ten minutes. A loose pass from the hitherto excellent Craig Howie set the away side on the counter and, at the conclusion of it, Innes Lawson slid an inch-perfect through ball to Walker who made no mistake this time, coolly slotting the ball beyond Hogarth to restore his team’s lead.
Young’s men dusted themselves down and immediately went in search of another equaliser; minutes later, they found one courtesy of a well-taken Williamson penalty, awarded following a clear two-handed shove on Sam Campbell at a corner. That goal – scored in the 90th minute following a lengthy injury break – meant that Clyde’s number 9 had scored braces in each of his last three appearances.
That injury break meant there was still time for further drama – and further drama there was. Cannon had been a real bright spark since his introduction and he won what looked to be a fairly soft second penalty for his side, when his tireless running saw him get on the end of a ball in behind the visitors’ defence. Freddie Rowe raised his foot to head height in trying to clear and – after Cannon hit the deck – Grieve pointed to the spot again, to the delight of the home support.
Williamson made no mistake under pressure, expertly dispatching his second penalty kick into the opposite corner, thus securing the match ball and sparking jubilant scenes amongst players, bench, staff and fans.
BULLY WEE FUND – DRAW NUMBER 3 WINNER – 109. Alice Jones – £645