CLYDE 1 DUNFERMLINE 4 Date: 21/03/09

Fixture: Irn Bru SFL Division One

Attendance: 1109, Kick Off: 3.00pm.

Referee: Scott MacDonald

MATCH PICTURES
Dunfermline brought back David Graham who was cup tied for Wednesday night`s cup tie against Aberdeen with Jamie Mole dropping out.Clyde keeper David Hutton and striker Willie McLaren both served a one match suspension. Peter Cherrie and Pat Clarke came in, just two of five changes to the Bully Wee team.� Also dropping to the bench were Alan Lithgow, Marvyn Wilson and Stuart Kettlewell.

Nick Phinn and Graham Bayne got the game underway and the opening three minutes were tame but when Austin McCann sent in the first cross of the afternoon, PHINN had the easiest of tasks to head the ball into the net from six yards. Keeper Cherrie stood motionless as the ball hit his net and the Pars were off to a great start.

It was 11th minute before Cherrie had something else to do. Bell laced the ball to Phinn as he ran in to the right side of the box but the keeper easily held Bayne`s header from the goalscorer`s cut back. Two minutes later Phinn was gesturing for the ball from a Glass corner but it was defended out to the left from where Bell eventually found Alex Burke. He hit a fine effort from 25 yards but unfortunately right of target.

It was all Dunfermline and Bell had a header wide, Phinn a drive wide and Glass one over the top.� A short free kick from Calum Woods to Bell was returned for Woods to pump across the Clyde penalty box but unfortunately nothing could be made of it.

It was 27th minute before Gallacher was forced to save at the feet of Gregory Tade but even that did little to warm up the hero of Pittodrie as he remained in the shade of the empty South Stand. The home support were not at all pleased with their sides first half hour with calls not to be so negative in amongst a great deal of whinging.

Stephen Glass curled over a free kick from the right but it bent too late and slipped past the far post. After a string of Pars passes another free kick was awarded on the left after Mark Brown flattened David Graham but Glass put too much on this one and no one had to worry as the ball went behind. Next however Burke was close in to force a save out of the keeper but the Pars found the net again in 37th minute.

A good pass right by Phinn was controlled by WOODS before he smashed the ball passed the helpless keeper. The two goal cushion lasted just 60 seconds however.� A suspect back pass from Glass put Gallacher in trouble.� Pat Clarke`s effort rebounded right to Ruari McLENNAN who had a simple job to slot the ball home from 16 yards.

So the visitors were only one up at the break but really they should have made much more of all their possession and territorial advantage.� Paul Gallacher had a very quiet first half and had it not been for the mistake, Clyde would surely not have scored. At the break the 350 or so Pars fans at least had much more to be cheerful about than their opponents supporters.

Half Time: Clyde 1 Dunfermline 2

Clyde introduced David Mackay for Scott Gemmill at half time and it was the sub that restarted with Clyde attacking the goal at the north end of the park. Phinn flashed the ball across the face of goal within a minute but Mackay created a bit of problem for the Pars defence and Gallacher had to hold from a free kick and a corner.

The Pars increased their lead in 51 minutes after Bell worked the ball in the box, taking a return from Graham to pick out BURKE with a square ball and the wee man drilled it into the far right of the goal to make it 3-1.

The ball looked as though it had crossed the line three minutes later when Thomson headed down a corner from the left� but Cherrie grabbed it on the goal line. On the hour a pass from McCann� found Bayne unmarked on the far side of the Clyde box. The striker laid the ball off for Bell� but his low shot was wide of target.

A fourth Pars goal followed when a� break down the right channel by Phinn was switched right to Woods.� The right back� had sprinted into a good position and his cross hit the crossbar bouncing back inviting PHINN to ram the ball past Cherrie from close range.

Scott Muirhead replaced Stephen Glass for the final quarter of the match and the Pars continued to look comfortably ahead. Clyde were kept well away from Gallacher`s goal.

Rory Loy who had replaced Burke had a corner punched away, Graham tried a shot but there was dearth of goalmouth incidents. Loy accepted a Bayne flick on just six minutes from time and then released Graham for another pop at goal but this time the attempt was straight at Cherrie.

Steven Bell was subbed by Greg Ross and he was disappointed not to get more on a Loy corner that Thomson returned from the right of the box into a central area but the midfielder`s header just did not have enough purchase on it to beat the keeper.

Four goals against Clyde in each of the last two league matches and a vital win for the Pars.� Probably just as well now that the games will come thick and fast.

CLYDE:� Peter Cherrie, Tony Stevenson,� Mark Brown,� Ricky Waddell, Chris Higgins, Billy Gibson, Scott Gemmil (David Mackay HT)l, Alan Trouten,� Gregory Tade (Marvyn Wilson 74), Pat Clarke,� Ruari MacLennan.
SUBS: Alan Lithgow, Stuart Kettlewell, Gerry McLaughlin (GK)
SCORER: McLennan (38)
YELLOW CARD: Trouten (42)

DUNFERMLINE: Paul Gallacher, Calum Woods, Scott Thomson, Scott Wilson (c), Austin McCann; Steven Bell (Greg Ross, 86), Stephen Glass (Scott Muirhead 67), Nick Phinn, Alex Burke (Rory Loy, 80); David Graham, Graham Bayne.
SUBS: Greg Paterson (GK), Paul Willis.
SCORER: Phinn (4, 62), Woods (37), Burke (51)
YELLOW CARD: Bayne (29)

WEATHER:� Sunny 15C
MATCH PICTURES

NEXT MATCH (away) First Division v Ross County
Tuesday 24th March 2009, kick off 7.45pm