DUNFERMLINE 1 CLYDE 1 Date: 09/05/09

Fixture: Irn Bru SFL Division One

Attendance: 2418, Kick Off: 3.00pm.

Referee: Stephen Finnie

MATCH PICTURES
For the last 90 minutes of the 2008-09 season Jim McIntyre made one change, Rory Loy taking the place of injured captain Scott Wilson. Clyde brought in Marvyn Wilson for Stuart Kettlewell.

Absolutely horrid conditions at East End Park for this final match of the season. A soaking wet pitch, pouring rain and a chilling wind. Dunfermline started with the weather at their back, attacking the goal at the Cowdenbeath end and enjoyed much of the early possession without troubling David Hutton in the Clyde goal.

In ninth minute Clyde won a corner when McCann was forced to turn the ball out from� a Waddell cross but Mark Brown hit the ball well over the bar from outside the box.� Next minute Dunfermline had their first chance when Loy headed a Ross ross at goal but Hutton gather easily.

There was very little by way of goalmouth incident but captain Wilson (heard that before somewhere) was shown a yellow card for his rather crude tackle on Nick Phinn.

Waddell played a good diagonal to play Willie McLaren through the middle and Scott Muirhead collected a yellow for his tackle on the Clyde man just 22 yards out. Fortunately the free kick was sent into the McCathie Stand.� The Pars went up the other end and Bayne collected the ball wide on the left side of the Clyde box after Burke`s drive from 25 yards was deflected. The striker made a good job of the cross but Phinn`s header was not full on and the ball was set wide left.

In 21 minute Pat Clarke burst through and he tried to chip Paul Gallacher from 15 yards out but the keeper parried the attempt and Greg Ross mopped up. Six minutes later a Tade tackle on Graham 25 yards out powered the ball upfield. Clarke was happy to treat it as an accurate pass and he wisely released Gemmill up the right. It was three on two as the full back squared , just 20 yards out, but Alex Burke managed to intercept and in the difficult underfoot conditions put the ball behind for a corner.�

McLaren took the corner from the left and Chris HIGGINS glancing header beat both Gallacher and the defender on the right post. It was Clyde who threatened next again - some ten minutes later - when Gregory Tade`s vicious ball in from the right byeline would only have needed the slightest of touch for Clarke to increase the lead.

The home support were happy to warm their fingers to applaud Andy Kirk`s 40th minute header on a Ross cross but Hutton was not bothered as the ball went straight to him. Then two minutes from half time cue "Glad All Over" and a solo effort from David GRAHAM running with the ball from the centre line, before releasing a 20 yards shot that beat Hutton.

Not the best of first halves but the soggy pitch and autumnal weather had a lot to do with that.

Half Time: Dunfermline 1 Clyde 1

The rain ceased for the start of the second 45 raising hopes that the game might brighten up as well. It took six minutes to raise a cheer but it was from the small band of away supporters.� McLaren, on the counterattack,� swung the ball in from the left and Gemmill arrived on six yard to head the ball but over Gallacher`s bar.

Ross tried a low drive at the angle but it waas the 60th minute before a Muirhead cross gave Hutton some more to do.� A bit unfortunate really that the ball was just too far ahead of the strikers.

Clyde broke again and Clarke got the better of Muirhead to test Gallacher.� The parry went to Tade but both his and Ruari McLennan`s follow ups were blocked. In 65 minutes Brown� became the third Clyde player to go in Referee Stephen Finnie`s book but Burke`s ball from the free kick failed to create any real danger in the opposition goalmouth.

Four minutes later a Graham corner from the left was met by the head of Austin McCann but his strong header was somehow kept out on the line. The Pars forced another corner but failed to make that count. Stephen Glass blasted a� 76th minute 19 yard free kick across goal and wide left.

The rain was back as Loy� battled to make ground up the left with the pitch cutting up particularly badly under the Main Stand. Tade`s sliding tackle on the on loan Ranger cetainly had a well lubricated basis. Paul Willis replaced David Graham and he almost provided Phinn with a chance to head the winner in 81 minutes but the midfielder was offside.

Next minute a Willis� delivery almost sneaked in at the far post and as the sun emerged in 88 minutes there was renewed interest from the home team.� Sub Mole, Bayne and Willis all tried shots but all that transpired was a corner on the right.

Burke`s corner was headed down by Muirhead and Phinn launched a fine shot on target but Kirk deflected it behind for a goalkick.� That kind of summed this match up. Nothing seemed to come off for either side and so ended another season.

No end of season celebration for the supporters and players. Dunfermline finish third, Clyde are relegated and there`s not that long until the start of a new season.

DUNFERMLINE: Paul Gallacher; Greg Ross, Austin McCann, Scott Muirhead, Stephen Glass (c); David Graham (Paul Willis 74), Nick Phinn, Alex Burke, Rory Loy (Jamie Mole 84); Graham Bayne, Andy Kirk .
SUBS: Greg Paterson (GK),� � Lee Graham, Scott McBride.
YELLOW CARD: Muirhead (17)
SCORER: Graham (43)

CLYDE: David Hutton; Scott Gemmill (Robbie Winters 86), Chris Higgins, Alan Lithgow, Stuart Kettlewell, Mark Brown, Ricky Waddell, Ruari MacLennan (Alan Trouten 71), Marvyn Wilson (c), Willie McLaren, Pat Clarke (Gary McSwegan 82), Greg Tade
SUBS: Connor Stevenson, Peter Cherrie (GK)
YELLOW CARD: Wilson (13), Lithgow (35), Brown (65).
SCORER: Higgins (27)

WEATHER: Rain 7C

MATCH PICTURES