Clyde 4-1 Kelty Hearts
Clyde made it four wins from five unbeaten League Two matches this afternoon, courtesy of a commanding performance at the Hamilton Community Stadium.
Manager Darren Young made three changes from last week’s thrilling comeback win over Edinburgh City at the same venue; Liam Rooney, Barry Cuddihy and Nathan Cannon came in for Darren Hynes, Andy Murdoch (who missed out with a muscle strain) and Jamie Bradley.
The pattern of the game was set early on, with Kelty looking to play through the lines but often posing their own problems with cheap giveaways. The hosts enjoyed plenty of pressure and territory early on but couldn’t make it count, with Cannon and Kyle Connell both failing to test Jamie Smith with half chances.
The match appeared to be evening out somewhat when ex-Kelty man Scott Williamson produced a goal from the gods to break the deadlock. Smith and one of his defenders both went for a cross, and that afforded Clyde the opportunity to sustain the attack; Kyle Fleming fed Williamson in a wide channel, but the striker had a huge amount left to do. Do it he did, scampering past a man across the face of the box before whipping a wonderful curling finish inside the far corner of the goal.
The Bully Wee ought to have at least doubled their advantage in the remaining ten minutes of the first half, with Lewis Lovering having an effort blocked on the line before sending a header over the crossbar seconds later. Timam Scott should have scored after being teed up by Connell, but hesitated slightly and saw his shot blocked as the teams went into the interval with a single goal between them.
As has become a theme in recent weeks, Young’s charges started the second half strongly and another superb chance went begging when Rooney couldn’t get either of his two efforts past a ruck of defenders. From the resulting corner, however, any anxiety in the stands was allayed; Connell floated in a deep corner kick which was met by Craig Howie, whose powerful header back into the danger area was very well controlled by Cannon, with the winger directing it into the top corner with one of his own.
The Maroon Machine should’ve halved their deficit midway through the second period, but Robbie Cole was indecisive with his attempt from a dangerous free-kick delivery before an overload in the Clyde third was hopelessly wasted after Sam Campbell misjudged a long ball forward.
There was a sense that a third goal would settle matters and, with time running out, the home side grabbed it. It was another fine goal, with Kyle Fleming dinking a ball in behind the Kelty defence. Substitute Bradley scampered onto it as it held up on the turf, sliding the ball into the bottom corner to make sure of the points.
The visitors did pull one back late on when Thomas Falconer rifled into the roof of the net after Howie missed his clearance, but there was still time for the hosts to score another. With the last action of the match, Bradley’s corner found the head of Campbell, who escaped his marker to power home a header from point-blank range.