Bollan puts troops on alert for return to old stomping ground

Published on Friday 27 November 2009 08:41

GARY BOLLAN returns to an old stomping ground tomorrow warning his Livingston players to beware of a wounded animal.

Livi face Clyde in the third round of the Active Nation Scottish Cup with the Broadwood team without a manager.

John Brown departed following last Saturday's 3-1 home defeat to East Fife, a result that left the club in last place in the Second Division, five points adrift of safety, and so far this term there have been just three wins in 15 league games for Clyde. They had a bye in the previous round of the Cup.

Bollan, of course, is no stranger to Broadwood, having spent the 2004-05 season there as a player/coach and briefly as caretaker manager.

He returned to Clyde as head of youth development under Colin Hendry and again became caretaker manager when Hendry departed. He reverted to his youth role on the appointment of Brown but left in April this year due to the club's financial woes.

However, putting any sentiment aside, Bollan knows it will be a tough encounter and is hoping to have striker Raffaele De Vita in contention for a place and said: "Rafa is joining us in training now and we hope he is back in the squad for the trip to Clyde.

"It's a one-off cup tie where anyone can beat anyone else.

"We certainly aren't taking anything for granted, though, and we are going there expecting a difficult game. Having been at Clyde myself, I know it will be tough."

Bollan saw his team extend their lead at the top of the Third Division to five points with Tuesday night's 2-0 home victory over Albion Rovers. However, while delighted with the victory, Bollan would like to see an improvement.

"It was good to get the three points on board, although it was another indifferent performance. But we can accept that considering the conditions."