Clyde 2 Cowdenbeath 0: Bully Wee begin with a win

Goals in a four-minute first half spell from Martin McNiff and skipper for the day David Goodwillie put Clyde in the driving seat.

And although Cowdenbeath improved after the break, Danny Lennon's side were able to see the game out without mishap.

Clyde started brightly and in the fifth minute McNiff got on the end of a Chris McStay cross, but couldn't direct his header on target.

A minute later Goodwillie's twisting and turning inside the box had the visitors under pressure and Ally Love and McStay had shots blocked before the Cowdenbeath defenders managed to clear the danger.

Goodwillie, skipper for the day in the absence of the suspended Kevin Nicoll, then unleashed a piledriver from the edge of the box which David McGurn knocked over the top.

Clyde had a couple of penalty claims involving Love and Goodwillie waved aside, but Danny Lennon's side continued to push forward with Raymond Grant and Jordan Stewart effectively orchestrating a number of promising situations.

And the breakthrough came in the 25th minute when Stewart's perfectly flighted free-kick into box met by the unmarked McNiff who steered his header over keeper McGurn.

Four minutes later it was 2-0. McStay was fouled in the box and after the visitors' protests had been waved away Goodwillie calmly slotted home, sending McGurn the wrong way.

The home side were well worth their half-time lead which they could have extended just before the break, McStay winning the ball in midfield and setting up Love who pulled his shot wide with just McGurn to beat.

After the break Cowdenbeath picked up their game and put Clyde under sustained pressure for the first time.

But keeper Blair Currie kept them out with two stunning saves inside a couple of minutes.

On the hour he brilliantly turned away a Jordyn Sheerin 20-yarder at full stretch.

And two minutes later another terrific stop kept out a Robert Buchanan effort.

Clyde could also have added to their lead in the second period.

Goodwillie steered just wide of the far post after being played in by Mark Lamont.

And near the end, after a superb turn inside the box, he saw his shot deflected onto a post and out for a corner,

But in the end that quickfire first half double proved enough.