Stranraer 1 Clyde 2

Last updated : 20 August 2005 By Footymad Previewer

Man-of-the-match Stephen O'Donnell was the difference between two well-matched teams in an engrossing encounter at sunny Stair Park.

There was nothing to separate the sides until the Blues' hard working striker Scott McLean was stretchered off injured in the 36th minute. From then on Clyde always held a slight edge, although they might have lost out to Stranraer's late fightback.

Clyde's opener in the 59th minute came from nothing. O'Donnell pounced on a loose ball 18 yards out and turned it past the stranded home keeper.

Graham Roberts' side looked to have the game under their belts but they reckoned without a late home fightback. Stranraer, having lost a striker, turned to their defenders to carve out an equaliser.

Murray Henderson fought his way up the left flank and sent over an inviting cross. Stephen Swift raced in from the right to meet it and he thundered a low ball home past Paul Jarvie.

Skipper Allan Jenkins came close to grabbing a vital second goal with a 30-yard piledriver which was tipped round the post by Jarvie.

But it all went horribly wrong for the home side when O'Donnell single handedly won the match for Clyde with just thee minutes left. He turned two defenders deep inside the Stranraer penalty box, and beat keeper Barry-John Corr with a low shot which he fired home from an acute angle.