Clyde 4-1 Annan Athletic

Clyde maintained their perfect League Two home record this afternoon courtesy of a routine victory over bottom side Annan at the Hamilton Community Stadium.

Darren Young, taking charge of his 100th match as Bully Wee boss, was forced to make one change to the side which beat Dumbarton at the same venue last week; the injured Nathan Cannon was replaced by James Hilton, with fellow winger Marley Redfern also missing out. There was better news in defence, with Craig Howie returning from a minor injury to bolster the bench.

In a first half which lacked any real rhythm thanks to a succession of cheaply-awarded free kicks, it was the hosts who drew first blood in the 9th minute following edgy initial exchanges. Kyle Connell launched a trademark long throw into the visitors’ box which was only partially cleared; the ball was then chested down by captain Barry Cuddihy, whose spectacular half volley from around 25 yards looped over the despairing dive of Annan ‘keeper Charlie Albinson and into the top corner of the goal. Thrashing home an early goal of the season contender was a truly memorable way for the midfielder to round off a week which saw him awarded a testimonial year and make his 300th appearance for the club.

Clyde pushed for a second across the remainder of an opening period which they went on to control, with The Galabankies looking decidedly like a team low on confidence and unable to seriously threaten the home side. Hilton came closest to doubling the lead when he lashed powerfully at goal, but the ball whistled narrowly over Albinson’s crossbar.

Both sides emerged from the interval re-energised as they sought to find the game’s crucial next goal, and it would be Young’s men who snatched it within ten minutes of the restart. The ball broke out to Hilton on the left and he fired it low into the middle of the box, where Connell showed every ounce of his class to produce a controlled finish into the bottom corner. The strike took his personal tally to five goals in three matches against Annan this term, and saw him break into double digits for the season.

The away side did start to pose more of a threat in the second half, with Aidan Smith looking their most dangerous outlet down the left, and they soon halved the deficit. It came from nothing as a ball into the home box bounced off the seemingly-unsighted Lewis Lovering, with former Clyde man Mouhamed Niang directing the loose ball into the bottom corner to offer his side hope.

Any such hope soon evaporated. The Bully Wee mounted a strong response to that setback and reclaimed the lead a mere two minutes later; after a long throw was cleared back out to taker Connell, he lofted in a deep cross which was met by Logan Dunachie at the back post. He towered above the Annan defence to nod the ball back across goal and Scott Williamson got the faintest of touches – just barely visible on slow-motion replays – as it found the back of the net.

The Galabankies grew understandably and increasingly desperate in the aftermath of Clyde’s third, but continued to struggle to stem the tide as their hosts went in search of more goals. Hilton was the first to go close when his powerful drive from distance fizzed into the side netting, before Albinson pulled off two impressive saves in very quick succession to deny Williamson then Connell.

With full time looming, the hosts did eventually score a fourth goal and, unlike with the third, there was no doubt over who applied the final touch. A clever ball in behind was lapped up by Williamson who hared onto it, faced up Niang and cut inside his former teammate, before whipping a deadly finish inside the far corner to put the result beyond any doubt.

BULLY WEE FUND – DRAW NUMBER 6 WINNER – 68. Ross Paterson – £660