Clyde are on the move

A WILLIE Sawyers goal after just nine seconds sent Clyde on their way to victory over Peterhead as temporary manager Neil Watt reveal he wants to keep hold on his reinvigorated squad for next season.

If Clyde failed to beat Stirling Albion last night (Tuesday) then relegation will be confirmed but having drawn 3-3 with Dumbarton last mid-week, they hit another three goals as they desperately tried to cling on to their second division status.

After the optimism of former boss John McCormack failed to yield results, things have turned around under Watt despite his pessimistic attitude that Clyde are certain for the drop.

Further goals from John Stewart, who could easily have had a hat-trick on Saturday, and a deflected Alan Lithgow free kick made the points safe but their run of three wins, two draws and defeat from their last six games looks like it will be too little too late.

Watt said: "We know we are going down to the third division but its good for the fans and the players to be enjoying something positive towards the end of the season.

"My job now is to convince as many of the players as possible to stay for next season. Of course there will be a few who move on and we may freshen things up a little as most clubs do but I have no doubt this squad can compete in the third division and to be honest in recent weeks they've proved they all have the ability to play in the second.

"The problem is that x thousand we get through the gates goes to paying off the debt so it kind of feels like we are starting with the kind of penalty teams get for being in administration."

A hip injury suffered by Ally Park ten minutes before kick-off saw Willie McLachlan come in at right-back but Clyde were far from disrupted as the kick-off was passed back to Neil McGowan and his long ball forward allowed Sawyers in the lob the ball over John Bateman in the Peterhead goal.

Sawyers was involved in Clyde's second after 11 minutes as his cutback was miskicked by Adam Strachan but the ball fell nicely for Stewart to knock it home.

Connor Stevenson sent Stewart clear and he should have made it three but scuffed his shot wide and then Stevenson himself swing in a corner that crashed off the underside of the bar.

In reply Peterhead could only muster a David Ross header that was an easy catch for Callum Reidford.

After an enthralling first half the game settled somewhat in the second but Clyde still looked the more likely and when a Sawyers shot hit the post, Stewart just failed to tap the ball into the empty net.

The miss could have proved costly as on 65 minutes David Donald's long thrown was missed by everyone and volleyed in by Connor Gethins at the back post.

However, while they may have crumbled earlier in the season this is a more resolute Bully Wee and 15 minutes from time after Stewart had been sandwiched at the edge of the box Lithgow stepped up and his deflected effort beat Bateman.

Clyde will meet Stirling again on Saturday as they travel to Forthbank and on this kind of form who'd bet against them still having something to play for?

CLYDE: Reidford, McLachlan, McGowan, Kinniburgh, Lithgow, Gramovics, White, Stevenson, Sawyers (Howarth 90), Stewart (Higgins 76), A. Strachan.

PETERHEAD: Bateman, Donald, Smith, R. Strachan, Crawford, Wilson (Sharp 46), Ross, Gethins (Clark 72), Bavidge, Emslie, Moore.

Referee: Colin Brown.

Attendance: 515.

News and Chronicle Man of the Match: Willie Sawyers.