Stenhousemuir v Clyde at Ochilview Park, Stenhousemuir on 12.12.09

Irn Bru Scottish Second Division                   Att 532

Stenhousemuir 1 [Molloy 78], Clyde 0

 

Stenhousemuir – McCluskey, Thom, S.Thomson, McLeod, Smith, Molloy, I.Thomson, Scullion, Dalziel, Bradley [b89] and Motion [Love 75]. Subs not used – O’Reilly, Stirling, Halpin and Bennett.

 

Clyde – Reidford, Park [Graham 61], Cassidy, Higgins [Casey 20], Lithgow, Stewart [b89], McLachlan, Howarth, Sawyers, White [McFadden 75] and Stevenson. Subs not used – Boyle and Allan

 

Referee – Callum Murray                   Assistants – Neil McLennan and Alan Newlands

 

After the previous weeks confidence lifting performance against Cove the Warriors went into the game against Clyde with a spring in their step. There was one chance to the starting eleven with Gary Thom coming in for the suspended Willie Lyle. Stenhousemuir took the game to Clyde at the start of the game in a match that if they lost could have seen them move down to the bottom of the table and they were determined that it would not arise. The nearest that they came to scoring though in the early stages was through a Pat Scullion effort from the edge of the box that flashed just past the post after Clyde had failed to clear their lines. Clyde were playing more football than in the last encounter between the clubs and an Alan Lithgow header was punched round the post by Chris McCluskey in the 11^th minute. Stenhousemuir continued to threaten and Scott Dalziel should have opened the scoring but he failed to get any power on Gary Thom’s cross three minutes later. In the 18th minute Iain Thomson found space down the right and advanced on goal but he failed to bear Clyde keeper Callum Reidford who saved his effort with his legs. The ball eventually broke to Kevin Motion but his effort was not up to his usual standard and missed the target. Kevin Bradley then escaped his marker despite being fouled and his effort went wide but eventually fell to Stephen Thomson who blasted his effort high and wide. 

 

 

 

At the other end McCluskey was called into action once again to clutch a Willie Sawyers header from close range in 25^th minute. Once again the Warriors went back up the park and an unmarked Scott Dalziel missed the target heading over. Dalziel came closer with a glancing header that went agonisingly just past the post from a Bradley cross.

 

Clyde were not creating as many chances but when they did they were causing problems and it took a superb save by McCluskey to deny Conner Stevenson whose long range effort swerved and looked to be sneaking below the bar until the keeper tipped the 35^th minute over. The best piece of play though came in the 39^th minute when Stenhousemuir a brilliant piece of footwork by Kevin Bradley set him free and although he beat Reidford with his effort it struck the post.

 

At half time the talk was about whether the game would be completed as the fog started to get worse and the dugouts were obscured from the stand. With both cubs falling victim of abandoned games recently there was a resigned air in the feelings of spectators that the game would end early. Despite the fog both sets of players continued to play positive football and Dalziel was given another chance to open the scoring with a free header in the 51^st minute but when he once again headed straight at the keeper it was clear that it was going to be one of these days for him, though to his credit he continued to get into good positions. Steven Howarth was to be denied by McCluskey two minutes later with his effort touched round the post. The Bully Wee suffered their second injury of the game in the 58^th minute as Ally Park was carried off the park when he tried to usher the ball out of play and Craig Molloy managed to sneak in a toe and have his effort saved. Park went down and although the play looked totally innocuous Park’s injury was the consequence. This followed the enforced substitution of Kevin Higgins in the first half.

 

Fears of the game being abandoned were not to come to be as the fog disappeared and that was to be a relief to the Stenhousemuir contingent as they took the lead in the 78^th minute. Kevin Bradley did not give up on what looked to be a lost cause winning the ball before playing the ball to Iain Thomson and he picked out Craig Molloy who stroked the ball past the keeper.

 

As the game drew to a close there was always going to be a few nervy moments but the defence held firm ably assisted especially at set pieces by Dalziel who won a number of encounters. As the game drew to a close the Warriors tried to run down the clock and took the ball down to the corner flag. This frustrated Clyde who saw Paul Stewart booked for a challenge as did Bradley for unsporting behaviour. In stoppage time Pat Scullion had a long range effort saved and this was followed by attempts by Bradley and Robert Love who came close to putting the game out of Clyde’s reach. Nevertheless it was a relieved Stenhousemuir when the referee blew the final whistle.