Stenhousemuir FC v Clyde

Match Report

MATCH REPORT

Stenhousemuir v Clyde at Ochilview Park, Stenhousemuir on 4.11.17

Ladbrokes SPFL League Two             Att 596

Stenhousemuir 1 [McGuigan 20 pen] Clyde 1 [Goodwillie 50]

Stenhousemuir – Smith, Meechan [Marsh 84], M.Dunlop, R.Dunlop, Paterson [Murray 76], Ferry, McGuigan [b20], Paton, Longworth, Ferns [McMenamin 84] and Donaldson. Subs not used – Gilmour, Scott, Allan and McMinn.

Clyde – Currie, Home, Lowdon, McNiff, Munro, Cuddihy, Wright [Breslin 72], Ramsay, Gormley [Osadolor 58], Goodwillie and Stewart [b20]. Subs not used – Wilson, Lamont, Warnock and Morrison.

Referee – David Dickinson    Assistants – Graham Chambers and Jordan Paterson

This was a tale of two halves with the Warriors having the better of the first half with the Bully Wee living up to their name in the second. Stenhousemuir had been hoping to build on their performance at Stirling whilst Clyde were hoping that a change in management would mean a change in fortunes after Jim Chapman had been sacked on Halloween. His replacement in the interim was Tony McNally who stepped up from the Under 20 development squad.

The early stages of the game ebbed and flowed but Stenhousemuir were given the chance to take the lead when Mark McGuigan was pushed in the box and although the referee wasn’t clear on the award he was advised by his assistant Graham Chambers to award a penalty when McGuigan duly converted. He was cautioned for his reaction to the Clyde rowdies behind the goal.

The award was of the soft variety but the home side were denied a more clear cut one on the half hour when McGuigan was caught by a two footed attempt to get the ball by keeper Blair Currie but on this occasion no award was forthcoming.

It wasn’t one way traffic and Clyde almost equalised in the 35^th minute when David Gormley had to be tackled by Chris Smith when through. The flag though had been raised and the Clyde player kicked an advertising board in frustration. In the 37^th minute Currie brought off a superb one handed save to touch a McGuigan strike round the post after the Warrior had spun his marker. From the corner kick Ross Dunlop had an effort cleared off the line.

Clyde were obviously given a talking to at half time and although Stenhousemuir came close with a McGuigan effort from a ball over the top by Jamie Longworth it was the visitors who got the next goal. David Goodwillie was the scorer as he latched on to a flicked header by David Gormley at a corner. This was the second time that Clyde have scored from a corner against Stenhousemuir this season. On the hour a dipping shot by McGuigan after good work by Harry Paton went just over but the best chance came Clyde’s way a minute later when Barry Cuddihy had freedom to run into the danger area where he linked up with Goodwillie before firing a shot that luckily for Stenhousemuir was straight at Chris Smith. To long range shots were Stenhousemuir’s response both from Mark Ferry with the first causing Currie problems with its dip and swerve.

Overall though Clyde were the more active going forward as they took over the midfield and this was highlighted when Ferry was dispossessed by Jordan Lowdon who then tested Smith with a shot that the keeper saved.

In stoppage time Stenhousemuir almost snatched a winner when a Paton shot beat Currie but took the slightest of deflections and therefore went just the wrong side of the post. Although a win would have been welcome especially as the top three all had victories it would have been hard lines on Clyde who did well to turn the game around and thus the spoils were shared between the teams for the second time this season.