Clyde 2
Arbroath 5
Scottish League (League Two)

Match Report

Arbroath travelled down to Cumbernauld today which must feel like a second home to Manager Allan Moore and his assistant Todd Lumsden as they both work at Cumbernauld College. Our opponents have had a tough start to the season but with Barry Ferguson and Bob Malcolm perhaps still finding their feet in League 2 it wasn’t going to be an easy game.

Todd Lumsden was on his own in the dugout today and led the team out with a few tweaks to the starting line-up. David Crawford start in goal with the same back four which faced East Fife with Whatley, Nicoll, El-Zubaidi and Johnstone but one major change was in midfield with the absence of Adam Hunter. He was replaced by on loan Dundee player Dylan Carreiro making his first start for the Lichties and he was joined in midfield with Linn and McBride on the wings and Kieran Stewart who had managed to recover from the injury he sustained against East Fife. Simon Murray came in to replace Kevin Buchan to partner McManus up front.

Johnny Lindsay did recover from his groin injury to make the bench alongside Buchan, Travis, Little, Birse, McWalter and Morrison. Jack Lowdon and Michael Wallace still remain side-lined with injury as does Jack Smith with his dislocated elbow but great to see his father and Dunfermline legend Andy Smith in the large travelling Arbroath support.

Clyde kicked off the game on a very warm and bright afternoon in which Arbroath were in their change strip of Black and Maroon. It was Clyde who took the early initiative and got in an early header which just over Crawford’s goal, but Arbroath came back and won corners in a good early spell, but again at the other end Clyde start to push hard and from two corners they came close before a free kick from about 20 yards out from Andrew Gibson had David Crawford scrambling as it came inches away from curling in around the wall. The Bully Wee’s momentum continued and another effort hit the post but moments later the first major twist in the game happened.

Keiran Stewart came running out of his half with the ball and was taken out by Brian McQueen which produced a yellow card by referee Mike Taylor. From the free kick Johnstone picked out McBride who used trickery and pace to beat his defender to cross into the box for McManus but his shot just missed. However a break by Bobby Linn who found Carreiro who found McBride on the wing allowed a cross into the box which Paul McManus bulleted past Barclay in the Clyde Goal.

As the clock hit the 27th minute Clyde were reduced to 10 men. To the shock and surprise of both sets of players and supporters McQueen was shown his second yellow card. It was a matter of confusion as Clyde actually had won the free kick but for the second week in a row Clyde found themselves playing with 10 men. Another flash point and moment of controversy followed as Murray burst in from the wing and just as he was away to shoot it looked like the leg of Marsh who had slid in took Murray out but the referee or his assistant waved play on.

Clyde reshuffled their shape as Euan Murray who had played for Arbroath when they faced Berwick came on for McLeish just as Kevin Nicoll was booked for a foul on Scott Ferguson on the edge of the Arbroath box. Ferguson took the free kick himself and curled into the top left hand corner which left Crawford helpless.

However Arbroath pushed up the pitch after kick off and Simon Murray crossed in from the right and found Scott McBride who smashed in put Arbroath back up front. Arbroath tried to kill the game off with efforts from McManus, McBride, Carreiro and Linn but couldn’t find the crucial goal and they were to pay as in stoppage time at the end of the second half Simon Ferguson scored his second of the game with a header.

Half time – Clyde 2 –2Arbroath

Arbroath kicked off the second half knowing that if they continued to press like they had in the first half they would hopefully be able to get back on the score sheet and obviously Todd Lumsden had fired them up with 3 corners in the first 3 minutes of the second half. Bobby Linn who was having a fantastic game had an effort after a free kick by Johnstone before two players blocked McBride who had got into a great shooting opportunity. Moments later Arbroath had a great shout for a penalty kick as the ball came back out from an original save by Barclay and as McManus and Murray tried to pounce it was Marsh who seemed to punch the ball away from the head of McManus as he leapt up with the keeper and defender.

Scott Ferguson took out Bobby Linn as he sprinted forward with the ball and was subsequently booked before Murray had another good shout for a penalty as substitute Euan Murray took him down as he ran in from an acute angle. The pressure continued as Bobby Linn had two shots from almost identical positions as he ran towards goal but his luck just seemed to be out as his attempts were either blocked or saved. Marsh was booked for a foul on the edge of the box for taking out McManus before McBride took the free kick. It was Dylan Carreiro who did find the net as he cut in from the right and unleashed a shot from 20 yards out before running towards the Arbroath fans and then being leapt on by nearly every one of his team mates as he scored his first competitive goal.

Paul McManus had an incredible volley but as Arbroath pushed and Clyde started to tire you could sense it wasn’t going to be long before Arbroath added to their lead and Bobby Linn again was unlucky as his volley couldn’t find the back of the net. It was Mark Whatley who sprinted down the wing and he found Carreiro who fired in his second from the very edge of the box to put Arbroath 4-2 up and celebrated with a little dance in front of the ecstatic Arbroath fans.

It was only to get better as Carreiro found Murray unmarked in the box who took the pass and smashed it home on the volley before celebrating with the Arbroath fans. The Lichties really in dream land! Carreiro had a sneaky effort as he pushed for his hat trick before Arbroath switched Murray and Linn for Buchan and Travis. Arbroath kept possession and a cheer went around the stadium as a series of passes played out the last remaining seconds.

Match report written by Arbroath FC Official Website