Wee boss Queens

Queen's Park 0Clyde 1The Irn-Bru Scottish Football LeagueThird Division

CLYDE made their first visit to Hampden Park for nearly 18 years on Saturday and came away with a 1-0 win.

For defender Ally Park though it was important that the Bully Wee got their first league win of the season under their belt if they are to go on and justify their tag as title favourites.

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Just over 1000 saw Marc McCusker give Clyde all the points and Park admits the experience was a little strange.

He said: "I'm told the pitch is actually something like two yards smaller than at Broadwood but the stadium is so big you actually think it's bigger.

"Being so quiet it's really quite an eerie experience but it was still great to be at the national stadium and the pitch was immaculate so you can't really complain.

"Queen's Park are a tough side so we may have thought that we'd maybe have taken three points against Stranraer and one at Hampden so three points is a bit of a bonus to make up for last week.

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"It's nice to be the bookies favourites for the league and we don't feel any added pressure because of that. I believe there is enough quality in this squad for us to be right up there .

"We have back-to-back home games against Berwick Rangers and Albion Rovers and teams with real championship aspirations always do well at home so we'll be looking for six points."

With Alan Lithgow having returned to the Broadwood side last week it was a familiar looking Clyde defence at Hampden as Park, Lithgow and Neil McGowan made up three of the four positions last season.

However, Park knows he will have to continue his early season good form with right-back having the strongest depth in the entire squad.

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He said: "It's great to have Alan back with us as we all know what a good player he is and I think with the addition of Ross McMillan to the three of us who played last season we won't lose too many goals.

"From my own point of view I had the number two jersey from last season and I aim to keep it but I know that Graham Girvan and Iain Gray will be looking for their opportunity and are both good players."

On a bowling green surface Clyde looked to put Queen's Park to the sword early on but it was not to be and there was no scoring in the first half.

Six minutes after the break Clyde went ahead, Strachan swung the ball in from the left and although Strain got there just ahead of Dingwall the ball fell nicely for McCusker to tap the ball into the net.

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Lithgow then twice came close to a 'debut' goal but his free kick clipped the top of the wall and from the resultant Strachan corner the defender headed just wide.

JC Hutchison had his one real save of the match to make as he tipped over a Quinn header to record his first clean sheet, much to the delight of the manager.

Stuart Millar said: "After last week I was delighted with how well Hutchison bounced back. He looked composed, barely had a save to make and kept a clean sheet, I can't ask for much more than that."

Between hosting Berwick at Broadwood on Saturday and Albion a week later, Clyde travel to East End Park on Tuesday (August 24) to take on Dunfermline Athletic in the second round of the Co-operative Insurance Cup at 7.45pm.

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QUEEN'S PARK: Strain, Little, Burns, Sinclair, Gallacher, McBride (Harkins 73), Watt, Anderson, Eaglesham (O'Hara 83), Quinn, Smith (Longworth 53). Subs not used: Brough, Hamilton.

CLYDE: Hutchison, Park, McGowan, McMillan, Lithgow, Stevenson, Finlayson, McCusker (Stewart 82), Dingwall (Sawyers 69), Sweeney, Strachan. Subs not used: Henderson, Gray, Allan.

Referee: Craig Charleston.

Attendance: 1072.

News & Chronicle Man of the Match: Alan Lithgow.