Bright new dawn fails to shine

Clyde 0Brechin City 3Irn-Bru Scottish Football League Second Division

HOPES of a bright new dawn at Broadwood were quickly dashed as Clyde went down to a heavy defeat in their first game of 2010.

With the big freeze keeping the Bully Wee out of action since mid December John McCormack was finally able to unleash his new look side.

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He handed debuts to on-loan Partick Thistle defender William Kinniburgh, who was handed the captain's armband, winger Adam Strachan and striker John Stewart.

Connor Cassidy was pushed upfield from left back to left wing to accommodate trialist Neil McGowan and trialist goalkeeper Scott Findlay would also see action after coming off the bench following Callum Reidford's red card.

Things started well for the home side as they fashioned a route to goal after less than a minute. Gary Fusco fouled Willie Sawyers at the edge of the box, but Willie McLachlan's effort was easy for Craig Nelson.

Brechin soon started to take control with Richard Walker and Kevin Byers looking particularly dangerous down the right and Rory McAllister pulling the strings up front.

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Indeed only desperate defending preventing them from taking the lead as Alan Lithgow threw himself in front of a Mark Docherty shot and when the rebound came out to Byers his effort was deflected wide.

McAllister did have the ball in the net on 20 minutes but referee Anthony Law had already blown for a foul by Docherty on Reidford.

Fusco tested Reidford with a low shot and it would be the keeper's last involvement as on the half hour mark he charged out his area and caught a forward ball.

Findlay replaced Cassidy as Clyde reorganised and Brechin seized the initiative to open the scoring on 38 minutes.

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McAllister's jinking run took him into the box and as the Clyde defence stood off him he scooped the ball over Findlay and into the far corner of the net.

Any hope Clyde had of consolidating after the break quickly went out the window as two minutes after the restart Brechin scored again.

McAllister squared the ball at the edge of the area to Docherty who gave Findlay the eyes and rolled the ball into the corner against the keeper's balance.

On 56 minutes it was 3-0 as Docherty miscontrolled the ball in the box but a poor clearance fell kindly for Fusco and from around 25 yards his shot seemed to deceive the despairing Findlay.

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McCormack sent on youngsters Steven Howarth and Kevin Higgins for Sawyers and Strachan and finally Clyde started to look like an attacking threat.

Howarth managed to fashion two opening but one went high and wide and the reflexes of Nelson prevented him from grabbing a consolation.

After the game McCormack seemed a little unsure of how to react to what he had seen.

He said: "I thought up to the sending off there were good signs. We brought in four new guys and having been off for six weeks at the start we looked like a threat.

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"I thought the sending off was a bit harsh, but even before that I didn't think Reidford was playing all that well so perhaps there was a little bit of casualness there.

"However, we should still have been resilient and the first goal was a bit soft. Given the sending off it's hard to judge the performance after that but it did look like we were feeling a bit sorry for ourselves, although the players denied that when I asked them in the dressing room.

"It's a bad start to this period, after bringing in new players but it's hard to judge things after the sending off. Overall I'm disappointed though, maybe I'm being a bit harsh but we are bottom of the league and don't have a lot of time as that is another league game gone that we have nothing to show for."

McCormack also admitted to being delighted and frustrated with Steven Howarth in equal measure.

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He said: "Steven showed more in 20 minutes than he had done in his previous 90 and if he continues to play that way then he'll never be out of my team.

"Fans question why players aren't in the team when they see performances like that, but he never performed like that in his last two games, and you are then left frustrated that you didn't start him.

"Higgins did things that I would pay to watch but at times he also seemed to be having a hard time keeping up with the game and while you'd like to throw the young players in, and at times we do need to, you have to be careful with them.

"John Stewart, Neil McGowan and Scott Findlay are experienced players. Adam Strachan is maybe not classed as experienced but he's an exciting player who's maybe gone a bit wayward. We're hoping to reintroduce to him to Scottish football and everyone will benefit as he has tremendous talent. I thought Willie Kinniburgh went about his business very well and will be a big asset."

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McCormack obviously saw enough in trialists McGowan and Findlay as they were handed contracts on Sunday.

McGowan (32) started his career at Albion Rovers before moving to England for a two-year spell with Oxford United. After short stints at Stranraer, Clydebank and in Iceland, he spent five years at Airdrie United before moving to Ayr United in 2008 and helping them gain promotion last season.

Findlay (26) started his career with St Johnstone and Livingston and was most recently on the books of Raith Rovers.

Both should expect to make their official debuts on Saturday as Clyde travel to Methil to face East Fife.

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CLYDE: Reidford, Park, Trialist – McGowan, Kinniburgh, Lithgow, Wilson, Cassidy (Trialist – Findlay 31), McLachlan, Stewart, Sawyers (Howarth 57), Strachan (Higgins 61).

BRECHIN CITY: Nelson, R. Walker, Dyer, McLean, A. Walker, Jancyzk (Canning 71), Byers, Fusco, McAllister (Cowan 88), King (Harty 76), Docherty.

Referee: Anthony Law.

Attendance: 623.

News and Chronicle Man of the Match: Steven Howarth.