Marsh makes difference as Clyde clear Highlanders off top

David Marsh scored the goal which separated the sides but ’keeper Marc Waters was as much a match winner with a vital penalty save 12 minutes from time.

Manager Barry Ferguson was forced to miss the match because he was in Spain completing the final stage of his UEFA Pro Licence course.

That left assistant Bob Malcolm in charge - and he admitted that the outcome of the match was more pleasing than the manner in which it was achieved.

He said: “We never played well but at this stage of the season the three points are more important than the performance and they dug in in the last 15-20 minutes to hang on for a 1-0 win.

“We’ve got a team that plays good football but when you’re not playing football you’ve got to win ugly.

Not just at this level but at any level, you find that if you have players who are having a bad game and you still win then it breeds confidence throughout the team.

“We’ve just beaten the top of the league team so that takes us closer to them but we need to take care of East Stirling on Saturday and then we’ve got Annan after that as another midweek game.

“If we can manage to win these two games then we’re right back in the mix just a point behind East Fife.”

Clyde could have scored early on, Scot Linton firing a long-distance strike against the Elgin bar and Sean Higgins heading wide from the rebound.

But the Bully Wee faithful had only to wait until the 15th minute for the goal which ultimately divided the teams.

The Elgin defence failed to clear their lines when Linton launched a throw-in into the box and Mark McLaughlin created the chance for Marsh to score from close range.

Although Waters was forced to keep out a Dylan Easton effort, Clyde could have been further ahead at the break as a Linton header and a Scott Durie volley brought out saves from Mark Hurst.

Chances were relatively scarce in the second period, but Elgin were given the perfect opportunity to level 12 minutes from time.

The visitors were awarded a penalty for a Chris Smith challenge on Daryl McHardy - although the decision actually enraged visiting manager Jim Weir because it meant chalking off a ‘goal’ as Stevie Ross had fired the ball into the net.

And Weir’s mood wasn’t helped when Waters dived low to his right to pull off a fine save to deny Craig Gunn.

The 19-year-old ’keeper, whose emergency loan from Partick Thistle expired after the game, said: “I’m hoping that it’s just a case of fixing out the paperwork as I am keen to sign up until the end of the season.