Anson aims to lift Clyde off bottom spot

by brian yule

Albion Rovers.................... 3

Clyde.............................. 1

The Irn-Bru Scottish Football League Third Division

SCOTT Anson hoped to be playing at English League Two side Lincoln City this season.

Now the life-long Clyde fan will endeavour to help raise the Bully Wee from the bottom of the third division.

Anson spent pre-season at Sincil Bank scoring two goals in two games as he looked to impress Lincoln boss. However, a leg injury forced him to go home for treatment and by the time he was ready to return Steve Tilson had replaced Sutton as manager.

Anson said: "I did a full pre-season at Lincoln and hoped I had done enough to win a contract but then I was in pain from a sciatic nerve and was told to go and get treatment and come back when I was fit.

"I wasn't too concerned as I thought I'd done quite well to score two in as many games, but by the time I was fit the management had changed.

"Although I can't say that was definitely the reason they didn't seem to be interested in me any more."

Anson made his Clyde debut as a trialist in the 3-1 defeat to Albion Rovers on Saturday and hopes something can be fixed up soon.

He said: "I am a Clyde fan so it was great to be given the opportunity to come here although to be three down at half-time on your debut was a little disappointing.

"I am hoping that maybe we can reach an agreement for the rest of the season and as all strikers are judged on their goals hopefully I can score a few.

"I have played in the third division before with Annan and to be honest I certainly think there is enough talent in the squad to climb up the league.

"Even though we are bottom at the moment the league is still pretty tight so I don't see it being out of the question that we can reach the play-offs.

"The main problem for our current predicament might have been that some of the guys thought it was going to be much easier than this, but I'm quite sure after nine games without a win everyone has received a wake-up call that much hard work is required."

Clyde hadn't visited Cliftonhill on league duty since 1992 and after only 18 minutes were probably wishing they could have waited another 18 years.

Jordan Allan had already pulled off a good save to deny Robert Love opening the scoring in 11 minutes but seven minutes later was left helpless as Chris Hamilton's low cross was steered in by Chris Boyle.

Two minutes later the home side doubled their lead as Alan Benton tried twice to force in a Hamilton corner before Ciaran Donnelly finally showed him how it was done.

Kevin Finlayson grabbed his first goal for the Bully Wee last week against Berwick but after showing good feet in the area he failed to trouble Derek Gaston in his hunt for number two.

In fact the most trouble Gaston had came from his own man, Donnelly, as his header was tipped over by the goalkeeper.

Gaston and Michael McGowan then clashed into each other but did just enough to prevent John Stewart putting in a Ricky Waddell cross.

On 34 minutes John Gemmell had a goal chopped off for climbing on Ross McMillan, but five minutes later it was 3-0 as Love took advantage of hesitancy in the Clyde defence to play in Hamilton who made no mistake.

Right on half-time it was nearly 4-0 as Allan half saved from Love and Alan Lithgow's clearance only went as far as Hamilton who hit the crossbar with a chip.

Three minutes after the restart Clyde should have had a penalty as Alan Reid clearly shoved Stewart but nothing was given.

Stewart then failed to come up for an end product for a mazy dribble that saw his bustle past three men and at the other end Love beat Allan to a long ball forward by Donnelly only to see his lob drop just the wrong side of the post.

Rovers then almost scored twice through flukes as first Iain Gray had to clear Hamilton's cross off the line and then Finlayson had to do likewise from a Tony Stevenson corner.

On 79 minutes Stuart Mills replaced Stewart and within a minute scored with his first touch as he latched onto Paterson's through ball to beat Gaston.

Benton then denied both Anson and Mills on the line as Clyde looked to be setting up a grandstand finish, but those hopes were dashed as seven minutes from time Finlayson dived in the box and was shown a second yellow card.

There was a hint of good news just before the end as long-term injury victim Haydn Cochrane finally made his debut. The Bully Wee face a basement battle on Saturday as they welcome ninth placed East Stirling to Broadwood knowing a win will lift them off the bottom.

ALBION ROVERS: Gaston, Reid, McGowan, Donnelly, Benton, Innes, Love (McLeod 79), Canning, Hamilton (Stevenson 74), Gemmell, Boyle (Lawless 52).

CLYDE: Allan, Gray, Waddell (Cochrane 88), McMillan, Lithgow, Sweeney (Stevenson 88), Finlayson, Paterson, Anson, Stewart (Mills 79), Strachan.

Referee: Euan Anderson.

Attendance: 473.

News and Chronicle Man of the Match: Jordan Allan.