Montrose hit eight past nine-man Bully Wee

NINE-man Clyde hit rock bottom on Saturday as Montrose thumped eight goals past the beleaguered Broadwood side.

The Bully Wee made their first trip to Links Park on league duty since 1996 keen to avoid defeat which would send them to the bottom of the third division.

Manager Stuart Millar rang the changes from last week's defeat to Annan Athletic introducing new signing Nicki Paterson and right-back Graham Girvan and recalling Bryan Dingwall and John Sweeney into the line-up as he sent out his side in an attack minded 4-3-3.

Sweeney almost gave the visitors the perfect start as a mistake by Sean Crighton allowed in the midfielder, but he was thwarted by a brilliant tackle from Jonothan Crawford.

Dingwall then twice came close but Chris Hegarty served noticed that despite their early dominance Clyde wouldn't have things all their own way as his speculative 35-yard shot glanced off the bar.

Scott Bennett in the Montrose goal then pulled off a fine stop to tip over another Dingwall effort before Clyde's afternoon descended into chaos.

On 26 minutes hesitancy in the Bully Wee defence allowed Aaron Sinclair to break clear only for Girvan to bring him crashing down 20 yards from goal and receive a red card from referee Des Roache.

There was little controversy about that decision but that couldn't be said about Clyde second red card three minutes later.

JC Hutchison did well to deny Paul Tosh but as he and Ross McMillan went for the rebound, McMillan appeared to shove the striker to the ground.

The referee saw it differently and initially booked Tosh for diving, but after consulting with his linesman he awarded a penalty and dismissed McMillan, with Tosh rifling the spot kick home.

Montrose were lucky not to lose a man themselves as Ross McCord went in two footed on Murray Henderson and then clashed with Sweeney in the aftermath.

Both McCord and Sweeney were booked and somehow a throw-in was given to the home side.

Six minutes from the break Montrose went two up as Stephen McNally's cross from the left deflected off Ally Park and looped into the air for the unmarked McCord to nod in.

Adam Strachan almost pulled one back as he jinked into the area, but his shot didn't match the run which was curled well wide.

The second half was just a procession towards the Clyde goal as Montrose ruthlessly took advantage of their two-man advantage.

Conor Thomson made it 3-0 in 56 minutes as his shot deflected off Alan Lithgow and flashed past Hutchison and Tosh made it 4-0 on the hour as he poked in a Paul Watson free kick.

Tosh completed his hat-trick in 64 minutes as he collected a low Hegarty corner unmarked on the penalty spot and shot into the roof of the net.

Martin Boyle replaced Tosh in 69 minutes and within 30 seconds off coming on he had gotten on the scoresheet as he outpaced Henderson to reach a Sinclair punt forwards before rounding Hutchison and rolling the ball into the net.

Another two minutes and another goal as McCord's cross from the right caught on the wind and drifted into the net.

Ten minutes from time it looked like Clyde would have the last word as Lithgow rose at the back post to head a Kevin Finlayson free-kick.

But Montrose wouldn't even let Clyde have that as two minutes later Watson decided to strike from over 30 yards and the ball flew into the top corner for number eight.

Millar was understandably annoyed at the manner of the second red and admitted it will be up to the players themselves to bounce back when they host Elgin City on Saturday (October 2).

He said: "For the first 20 minutes or so we were the better team and had four or five chances so I was happy with the way things were going, but it is just impossible to play with nine men for that long.

"There was nothing I could say to the guys after the game to lift them but I believe footballers are generally pretty robust people.

"When we get back to training this week we will start getting it out of our systems, but I'm sure it will linger in the mind for a while."

MONTROSE: Bennett, Hegarty, Pope (Watson 51), Campbell, Crighton, Crawford (Nicol 73), McCord, McNally, Tosh (Boyle 69), Thomson, Sinclair.

CLYDE: Hutchison, Park, Waddell, McMillan, Lithgow, Henderson, Paterson (Finlayson 61), Girvan, Dingwall (Stewart 61), Sweeney, Strachan (McGowan 73).

Referee: Des Roache.

Attendance: 424.

News and Chronicle Man of the Match: Nicki Paterson.