Clyde end 48-year wait for appearance in cup final

Published on Thursday 28 September 2006 00:48

CLYDE last night reached their first final of a national cup competition in almost 50 years when they defeated Morton 3-1 in the Scottish League Challenge Cup semi-final at Broadwood. Their opponents in the final will be Ross County, who defeated Albion Rovers 4-1.

Clyde last tasted cup glory as they beat Hibs in the 1958 Scottish Cup final. Now manager Joe Miller, in his first season, has guided them into another final.

Miller said: "These lads have made history. The only disappointment is that both Gary Arbuckle and Michael McGowan, who were yellow-carded, are now out of the final."

Morton's fans outnumbered Clyde's in the 2,296 crowd, but their side slumped in the rain after a ferocious opening.

Morton could have been ahead within the first seven minutes. Keeper Peter Cherrie blocked a drive from Jamie Stevenson, and then Paul McGowan cleverly controlled a through ball and laid it in front of Derek Lilley whose fierce shot was deflected wide.

Then, against the run of play, Clyde took a 13th minute lead. Michael McGowan, 30 yards out on the right, fired a low ball goalwards and Dougie Imrie alertly jumped over it to fox all the defenders, and the ball landed just inside the far post with keeper Stefan Gonet unsighted.

Four minutes from the break Clyde added a second. An Eddie Malone free kick was swung onto the edge of the six-yard line and in the tangle of bodies O'Donnell knocked the ball down for Chris Higgins, a yard out, to slip it into the net.

It seemed as if Morton were unable to force their way back into the game until an almost freakish incident in 63 minutes. A James McAllister cross was missed by Cherrie and as Higgins and Lilley jumped for the ball it cannoned off the defender and into the net for an own goal.

Morton's hopes of turning around the game were snuffed out in 79 minutes when Clyde restored their two-goal advantage. A long clearance by keeper Cherrie was flicked on by Imrie and the on-running Craig Bryson drove the ball into the net.

Clyde's fellow First Division side Ross County saw off Third Division Albion Rovers at Victoria Park thanks to two goals from Sean Higgins, after 11 and 50 minutes.

Other scorers for County were Craig Gunn and Kevin McKinlay (penalty), who both scored in the last ten minutes to set the seal on victory, after an Andy Dowie own goal had hauled Rovers back into the game ten minutes after the interval.

Scott Leitch, the County manager, said: "The boys were absolutely magnificent from start to finish. I thought we were always in control and I'm absolutely delighted for them. We've done very well to score four goals in a very entertaining game."