CLYDE 0 DUNFERMLINE 2

Tuesday, 18th Oct 2022

cinch League One: Craig Wighton starts, Chris Hamilton on the bench. Craig Wighton (15) 0-1: Matty Todd (90+3) 0-2:

A third win in a row, the third in a sequence of three away wins and three league points courtesy of two good goals that kept the Fifers on top of League One.

Dunfermline’s game in hand gave them the opportunity to extend their lead at the top of League One to four points. The opposition was ninth placed Clyde who were trying to avoid an eighth successive league defeat.

It was a fine October evening at the ZLX stadium home of Hamilton Academical where Clyde are ground sharing for this season. James McPake made one change to his starting eleven with Craig Wighton starting in place of Chris Hamilton. The visitors wore their away shirts with white shorts and white socks.

Clyde manager Danny Lennon made three changes – Liam Scullion, Paul Kennedy, and Euan Cameron making way for Peter Grant, Ross Lyon and Jon Craig. Chris Mochrie kicked off for the Pars attacking the goal at the open end of the ground.

Right from the start Clyde found themselves under pressure and in fourth minute a strong Matty Todd run from half way allowed him to try and find Wighton’s blue boots on the edge of the box but he was closed out.

At Dunfermline corners in 8th and 9th minute, Joe Chalmers deliveries successfully picked out Sam Fisher but he could not get his efforts on target. Clyde tried their best to get out of their own half and when they did they paid the penalty. In 15th minute Todd won the ball off Morgaro Gomis in his own half and drove forward playing the ball of Wighton inside him and gaining more ground before slipping it back to WIGHTON now outside him to finish from 15 yards out. 0-1

Aaron Comrie produced a couple of useful crosses into the Clyde box and Wighton and Todd continued to trouble the home defence. Clyde forced a 29th corner on the left and initially disappointed their fans by not launching the ball into the Pars box. After a fairly circuitous route Jordan Allan eventually got a header on target but it was never going to beat Deniz Mehmet.

Raymond Grant was shown yellow three minutes later as he cut down Mochrie 40 yards out but although Kyle Benedictus was on the end of Chalmers ball, his header dropped wide right. A Mochrie cross then won a corner on the right but keeper Neil Parry fisted that away.

Eight minutes from half time Mehmet was called upon to make a good save from a powerful Ross Cunningham effort. The former Hamilton youth was given another opportunity from a 44th minute free kick but from 27 yards out he drove the ball into the four man wall.

It had been a first half where Dunfermline had controlled the game for most it and it felt like maybe they should have been more than just one goal up. Unfortunately only one of their five shots was on target.

Half time: Clyde 0 Dunfermline 1

The second half was only minutes old when Peter Grant was shown yellow for a challenge on Mochrie down by the left corner flag and when his cross came over Benedictus header was kept out by Parry. Next in 50th minute an Edwards cross found Wighton and he made a great curling effort that Parry kept out low to low left and then blocked Comrie’s follow up.

Wighton was desperately unlucky with a 55th minute shot that escaped narrowly wide right after Mochrie had played a beautiful ball for Edwards to catch on the byeline and cut back for his striker.

Dunfermline had really turned the screw on Clyde but in 62 minutes they earned a corner off Fisher that released the pressure somewhat. Danny Lennon and Allan Moore then tried to change it with a double substitution introducing Kurtis Roberts and Olly Macdonald. Dunfermline also took the opportunity to bring on Lewis McCann for Nikolay Todorov.

McCann’s first involvement won a corner on the right but sadly that did not alter anything. Two further Dunfermline corners followed both from the right but the defence held out. Mochrie was pushed forward after Craig Wighton was replaced by Chris Hamilton in 71 minutes but it was a McCann break that created the next chance but when he met Comrie’s cross his overhead kick was maybe just too optimistic.

Nine minutes from time Robbie Mahon had to come on for Lewis McCann. The Pars sub sustained a hamstring injury and was assisted off with the physio and coach on either side of him just 17 minutes after coming on.

Fisher was well up for an 85th minute Fifers corner from the left but his header landed beyond the far post. Clyde made a valiant effort to find the equaliser but in the third minute of added time were caught out on the break. Keeper Neil Parry was in the centre circle to head the cleared ball back for his forwards. Unluckily for him he found Comrie and his pass was perfect for TODD to find the Clyde net with a left footed shot from 45 yards even though the keeper had almost made it back to his penalty box. 0-2

What a finish! The result places Dunfermline four points clear of Falkirk at the top of League One.

CLYDE: Neil Parry: Ross Lyon (Erik Sula 86), Brian McLean (c), Peter Grant, Steven Thicot (Kurtis Roberts 63): Jon Craig, Barry Cuddihy (Euan Cameron 78), Ray Grant, Morgaro Gomis (Olly McDonald 63): Jordan Allan, Ross Cunningham
SUBS NOT USED: Liam Scullion, Nathan Nyamsi, Ryan Mullen (GK).
YELLOW CARD: Gomis (31), R Grant (32), P Grant (48), Lyon (73)

DUNFERMLINE: Deniz Mehmet: Sam Fisher, Kyle Benedictus (c), Rhys Breen: Aaron Comrie, Joe Chalmers, Josh Edwards: Chris Mochrie, Matthew Todd: Craig Wighton (Chris Hamilton 71), Nikolay Todorov (Lewis McCann 64 (Robbie Mahon 81)).
SUBS NOT USED: Kyle Macdonald, Kane Ritchie-Hosler, Sam Young, Andrew Tod, Michael Beagley, Max Little (GK)
SCORERS: Wighton (15), Todd (90+3)
YELLOW CARD: Chalmers (28), Comrie (42), Fisher (70), Todd (90+1)

REFEREE: Chris Fordyce
WEATHER: Dry 11°C
ATTENDANCE 1208