Ferguson furious following loss to lowly Montrose
Bully Wee title chances take a brutal blow
Clyde boss Barry Ferguson labelled his side’s first half performance as totally unacceptable as battling Montrose gave their new manager Stewart Petrie a winning start.
Gary Parker and Peter MacDonald traded penalties before Graeme Webster netted the winner to lift their side off the bottom of League Two.
Ferguson said: “We dominated the second half, but we gave away two sloppy goals.
“Montrose were better than us in the first half. I gave my team a rollicking at half-time and it worked and we might have scored two or three.
“In circumstances like that we have got to come away with at least a point and I am not happy.”
Clyde had the first chance in six minutes when a shot from David Gormley was saved by Jordan Millar.
Ryan Ferguson was denied by John Gibson in 15 minutes, then a minute later, Millar dived to his left to push a Gormley shot round the post.
Montrose took the lead in 26 minutes. Callum MacDonald was pulled down in the box by Martin McNiff and Gary Fraser scored from the spot.
Four minutes from the break, Fraser had the ball in the net again, but Ballantyne was given offside.
Clyde meant business at the start of the second half and in 52 minutes Callum MacDonald handled and Peter MacDonald made it 1-1 from the spot.
Three minutes later, Ewan McNeil forced a save from Millar.
Millar was the home hero again in 57 minutes with a save from Scott McLaughlin, then he kept out a close range header from Sean Higgins.
Montrose went back in front in 71 minutes when Ballantyne crossed for Webster to score at the near post.
Montrose held on for victory and Millar made one final fine stop from MacDonald in the 90th minute.
The home side almost added a third in stoppage-time when Johnny Court shot just wide.
Montrose gaffer Petrie said: “It was a spirited performance. We weathered the storm in the second half and our keeper had several great saves.
“We scored a great winner. A great run from Cammy Ballantyne and a great finish from Graham Webster.
“We are off the bottom and that is good from a mental point of view.
“I have lots to work with here and it speaks volumes that we went on to win having been pegged back.”
Clyde will have the chance to bounce back from the defeat at home to Edinburgh City this weekend.
Gary Jardine’s rejuvenated side are on a sixgame unbeaten run in the league and jumped to seventh with a win over Stirling Albion on Saturday.