Stenhousemuir v Clyde at Ochilview Park, Stenhousemuir on 10.04.10

Irn Bru Scottish Second Division                     Att 482

Stenhousemuir 0 Clyde 3 [Lithgow 26, White 64, Strachan 78]

 

After the elation following victory at Peterhead things went flat rather quickly in this game against Clyde. Several changes were made to the starting eleven that had played at Balmoor as the manager tried to freshen up the team after he felt that the midweek game coupled with the long journey had taken its toll on a number of players.

 

The Warriors were favourites going into this game againsrt a Clyde side that had parted with manager John McCormick during the week and were virtually guaranteed to be relegated. Neil Watt the director of football took over the reins for this game and he managed to put his players in the right frame of mind for it by telling the players that there was no pressure on them and to just go out and enjoy it.

 

 

Clyde – Reidford, McLachlan, McGowan, Park, Lithgow, Gramovics [b34], White [b87], Stevenson, Sawyers [Higgins 75], Borisovs [Stewart 57] and Strachan. Subs not used – Cassidy, Lang and Allan

 

Referee – Kevin Clancy           Assistants – Graham Chambers and Steven Reid

 

It has to be said that the ‘Bully Wee’ took him at his word and the resultant score of three nil to Clyde was a fair reflection on the balance of play and put a smile on the faces of the Clyde faithful for the first time in a long while.

 

The warning signs were there from the early stages of the game and Clyde almost took the lead in the 7^th minute when a powerful long range effort from Willie McLachlan was tipped round the post by Chris McCluskey. Stenhousemuir’s response three minutes later called Callum Reidford into action when he stopped a Scott Dalziel effort after Craig Molloy had played a ball down the right channel.

 

Neither keeper had much to do after this until Clyde opened the scoring in the 26^th minute. The goal was a simple one as Alan Lithgow rose above the home defence to head a Dmitrijs Borisovs cross into the net after Stenhousemuir had struggled to clear a corner just before the goal. This was a fair reflection of the game up till that stage as Clyde had looked the more eager and sharper throughout the team. Three minutes later Clyde almost extended their lead with a flicked effort by Jordan White and only a superb save kept the score line as the status quo. The Warrior’s rarely threatened but Dalziel struck the bar from close range with a header from an Iain Thomson cross on the half hour and Jordan Smith should have done better with another header that missed the target from six yards out later in the first half.

 

Clyde continued to be on top in the second period and they doubled their lead in the 64^th minute when White sidefooted the ball home after he was picked out by a Connor Stevenson cross. The game effectively finished there and then as Stenhousemuir appeared to be lacking in all departments to try and get a goal back. If anything it was going to be Clyde who were going to add to their tally and they did so in the 78^th minute through Adam Strachan. His effort thundered into the net from a tight angle would have been a worthy winner at any level never mind the Second Division. After this it was just a case of hoping that the final whistle would blow without Clyde inflicting further punishment on a poor Stenhousemuir side that on the day outplayed and outfought as they looked to be physically and as the manager stated mentally drained as well.