Fergy delighted as Brora buckle
Boss chuffed with Clyde’s Highland visit
Clyde booked their place in the third round of the Scottish Cup after two second-half goals from Sean Higgins and Matthew Flynn sank Brora Ranger.
The Highland side held out for the first hour but when Higgins broke the deadlock with his seventh goal in nine games there was only going to be one winner.
Bully Wee manager Barry Ferguson was delighted with the win and is hoping for a home draw in the third round.
He said: “It is a difficult place to come, they are a good team with a lot of good players and added to that it was a lengthy journey and the pitch was a bit heavy, so we are delighted to come away with a 2-0 win.
“We were solid and we looked the more likely team to score and I thought we deserved to win the game.
“I’m happy for the group, they work really hard.
“Normally we like to get the ball down and play but we played a different style which is not great to watch but it gets you a result and it’s credit to the boys.
“But overall we’re delighted to get into the next round and hopefully we will get a home draw.”
Brora forced the first corner of the game in the third minute but Ross Tokely’s downward header was blocked and Paul Brindle’s followup was parried by Clyde goalkeeper John Gibson.
Clyde threatened in the 10th minute when Paul Macdonald’s close-range header was brilliantly saved by Rangers keeper Joe Malin.
Play was pretty even after that initial flurry and the nearest Brora came to a goal came in the 24th minute when Steven Ross let fly 25 yards out but his effort flashed narrowly past Gibson’s right-hand post.
Brindle was almost clear on goal four minutes later when he pounced on a flickon from Ross in the centre circle but Clyde’s last man Ross Perry put in a vital tackle to put a stop to the move.
At the other end Scott Linton forced a good save from Malin as the Bully Wee pressed for an opener.
Martin MacLean replaced the injured Gavin Morrison in the heart of the Brora midfield at the start of the second half.
The home side enjoyed a spell of pressure just before the hour mark which ended with a Colin Williamson header dipping just over the crossbar.
But it was Clyde who broke the deadlock in the 60th minute when a Linton corner was smashed home from six yards by Higgins.
Brora had a chance to level six minutes later when Scott Lisle got on the end of a John Pickles cut-back but he scuffed his shot wide from 10 yards.
But the visitors secured the win with a goal 12 minutes from the final whistle when Ewen Hall tore down the right flank and his pinpoint cross was headed into the net at the near post by Flynn.
The Highland League side had a chance to pull one back in the final minute when they were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the area but Ally MacDonald’s effort flew into the Clyde wall.
The Brora Rangers manager, Grant Munro, was downcast over the manner of his side’s defeat.
He said: “We didn’t really cause them many problems. I can’t remember their keeper having any saves to make and that was disappointing. We went out with a wimper.”
Clyde entertain Stirling Albion at home in their next match.
Clyde FC lottery draw, October 19. Numbers: 4,10,13,19. There was no jackpot winner but 13 share the £500 second prize. The jackpot remains at the maximum £20,000.