HAIL OF THE UNEXPECTED
Berwick ...................... 1 Clyde ........................... 1
John Coughlin praised his Berwick Rangers players for grabbing an unexpected point against Clyde.
The Shielfield boss was unable to name his strongest 11 for the top-of-the-table clash but hailed the resilience of those who were available for selection.
Berwick, after the departure of Allan Walker, and with Brian Martin, Ben Stirling and Sean Mackie all injured, were down to the bare bones, with two players from the development squad called up to fill the bench.
But Coughlin was pleased to have denied Barry Ferguson’s side maximum points. He said: “I honestly thought with the quality
Clyde have that in our situation we might have taken a beating.
“We have a lot of injuries and now Kevin Walker has tweaked his hamstring.”
Coughlin was able to call on Michael McKenna but bemoaned the midfielder’s late dismissal.
He said: “The sending off of Michael is a hard one to take.
“His suspension will hit us hard because he is a good player but he’s now been sent off three times in a relatively short period.
“I’m going to have to deal with him privately.”
In the second minute Matthew
Flynn headed over before Clyde team- mate Peter MacDonald then chipped over the bar after another break down the left.
But they were ahead in 18 minutes when Scott Linton crossed and Shaun Higgins fired home from eight yards.
Walker managed to get a hand to the ball but could not prevent the effort finding the net.
The keeper, who looked to have picked up a leg injury, threw himself full stretch to deny Flynn before Steven Thomson cleared the ball off the line.
Walker was eventually forced off in 39 minutes to be replaced by Sean Brennan.
In 44 minutes Berwick got an unexpected equaliser when Clyde keeper John Gibson punched a high ball in the box. It fell into the path of Thomson who rifled in a 30-yard shot with Rangers’ first effort on target.
Early in the second half Gibson saved well from Greg Hurst and Flynn went close with a header. Moments later he watched another effort smack the post.
Late in the game, with Clyde pressing, McKenna was shown two yellows in a matter of seconds for a foul and dissent but Rangers managed to hang on for a point.
Clyde boss Ferguson said: “We dominated the game, especially in the first half.
“Its frustrating because this is a massive two points dropped as far as we are concerned.”