Danny Lennon happy with Clyde despite defeat by Kilmarnock

On first reading it may have been the same old story for Clyde as they lost without scoring for the fourth game running at Broadwood on Tuesday night.
Kilmarnock proved too strong despite a spirited Clyde effortKilmarnock proved too strong despite a spirited Clyde effort
Kilmarnock proved too strong despite a spirited Clyde effort

But there was certainly a different sub-plot to their Betfred Cup encounter with Kilmarnock, compared to the previous three chapters against Peterhead, Dumbarton and Airdrie.

All three of those defeats were desperately disappointing, but there was much more to be encouraged about against Killie.

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The Premiership side were always like to provide a tougher test than Danny Lennon's side are used to, even if they, like Clyde, arrived at Broadwood on the back of three consecutive, scoreless defeats.

Eamonn Brophy was a handful, seemingly determined to suggest that he should been spending the week with his former club boss in Serbia with the Scotland squad, rather than battling it out in North Lanarkshire.

Subduing him was a taxing effort, unfortunately just when Clyde seemed to have done it Danny Whitehall decided to pop up with a goal either side of half time, both set up by Gary McKenzie.

His first, a minute before the break, was tapped home from close range. His second, four minutes after the restart was lashed past David Mitchell from 20 yards.

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With the game firmly in their control, and Clyde understandably a little crestfallen, Kille could, should, have added to their lead.

But the introduction of Jay Henderson and Josh Jack midway through the half pepped the Bully Wee up.

Kristoffer Syvertsen also came off the bench and was inches away from halving the deficit, sliding in to steer Jack's set-up wide of Colin Doyle only to see his effort smack off the post.

That could have set up an interesting last 10 minutes, but it wasn't to be.

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Nevertheless Lennon wasn't too despondent afterwards and took plenty of positives from his team's display.

He said: "I am pleased. Not with the result but the shape, the commitment and the desire.

"I thought we handled them very well. They had a lot of ball in front of us but found it difficult to break.

"But to concede in the 43rd minute was a bit of a blow. Then to come out in the second half [and concede again], good football from Kilmarnock's point of view but again not a great time.

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"When Henderson and Josh Jack came on they gave us a wee bit more but one of the big differences you do see in the two teams is that they took their opportunities and we didn't.

"It would have been game on with 10 minutes to go with that one from Kristoff that came off the post.

"But to dust ourselves down from Saturday and put in a level of performance, that's more of the standard that we expect at this club."

The defeat does end any faint hopes Clyde might have had of sneaking through to the knockout stages of the competition.

They play their final group match on Saturday, away to unbeaten Dunfemline Athletic.