Promotion hopes sink against Clyde

Jan 22 2009 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

WHOEVER said you should touch wood for luck obviously wasn't a Livingston fan as the Lions were twice denied a winner after rattling the frame of the goal on Saturday.

The Lions promotion charge hit a blip this weekend as they were held to a 1-1 home draw against Clyde.

Debutant David Winters fired Livi into an early lead but the visitors pegged them back before the break through Willie McLaren.

Both goalkeepers made stunning late saves while both sides were denied by the woodwork as the spoils were shared.

The game was being played in horrendous conditions but Livi adapted quickest and took the game to the Cumbernauld side.

Jason Talbot made a great interception on the half-way line and burst forward towards the Clyde goal.The left-back’s run was halted by a Clyde defender who had a handful of his shirt.

Tony McParland warmed David Hutton’s palms with the resulting free kick and the following corner was headed over the top by Leigh Griffiths.

The breakthrough arrived on 32 minutes but it was not without controversy. Talbot lashed the ball clear from the Livi box where Griffiths collected it and bore down on goal.

It looked as if the teen had handled the ball as he controlled the pass but the referee waved play on and Griffiths rolled in Winters who cut inside two Clyde defenders before drilling in from eight yards.

Griffiths himself had a chance to double the Lions advantage after Keaghan Jacobs’ pass was deflected into his path but Hutton pushed his effort round the post.

But just six minutes before the break Clyde were level with their first real attack of the match.

Alan Trouten helped the ball on to McLaren whose run into the box hadn’t been picked up and he toe-poked the ball home.

After the break Murray Davidson forced a brilliant flying save with a 30-yard thunderbolt which was helped onto the crossbar by Hutton.

At the other end home keeper Roddy McKenzie denied Pat Clarke with an instinctive block from close range.

It was a frantic end to the game and McParland was denied by Hutton on the line while Griffiths’s ferocious drive was fingertipped onto the post by the busy Clyde keeper.

But Clyde could have snatched the points in the final minutes when Trouten curled the ball over McKenzie and rattled the inside of the post.

Clyde boss John Brown admitted he had been far from happy at his side’s first-half showing.

He said: “In the first half we were absolutely murder and it could have been worse.

"At half-time I took the roof off in the dressing room. That type of performance is unacceptable and is relegation material.

"The second half was much better and my goalkeeper has had to make a couple of great saves and we almost snatched victory in a few stramashes at the end. But in conditions like that we were happy to settle for a point."

Livingston: McKenzie, MacKay, Talbot, Griffin, Davidson, Innes, McParland, Keaghan Jacobs, Griffiths, Winters, Hamill (Halliday 79).

Subs Not Used: MacDonald, Cave, Smith, Martini.

Clyde: Hutton, Lowing, Waddell, Wilson, Gibson, Lithgow, McKay (Gemmill 71), Kettlewell, Clarke, Trouten, McLaren.

Subs Not Used: Ruari MacLennan, Stevenson, Roddy MacLennan, Cherrie.