Momentum changing moments have long been a cliché of the football and sporting media however at Broadwood today arguably the most significant event of the ninety minutes was a tremendous save from Myles Hogarth that ensured the impetus in Stirling Albion’s match with Clyde remained with the away team. Having barely taken the lead in the crucial relegation match-up Albion nearly surrendered the initiative within minutes as Arbuckle’s forehead firmly met a free-kick from the left. Travelling in the wrong direction across his goal, Hogarth somehow readjusted his feet, and produced a diving reflex save that must rate amongst the best in his career.

It had been Brian Allison’s cheap foul that had given the initial free-kick away but this was a rare misjudgement from the young loanee, who had another highly promising game at the centre of the Stirling defence beside Laurie Ellis.

While Albion’s defence stood firm in the face of danger Clyde too often self-destructed; Taggart punishing Hutton’s poor clearance with a direct run and finish while a foolhardy tug on David McKenna’s jersey allowed Aitken a simple chance from twelve yards to double the lead. The captain, of course, converted the penalty before curling home a beautiful free-kick little over ten minutes later. Albion were then kept on their toes as Shaun Fagan converted a penalty ten minutes from time but Clyde would rarely threaten in the closing stages.

Having made several new acquisitions towards the end of the transfer window, Allan Moore elected to stick by the starting eleven that had pushed St Johnstone hard in the second half of their preceding fixture. Indeed it would be the side that started after the interval in Perth seven days previously that would kick-off against a Clyde side under the management of John Brown for the first time.

Brown, like Moore, was without several players that would be considered first team regulars. A poor first half was symptomatic of the loss of key components from each side while a heavy pitch, cutting-up badly in places, and a high wind did not help the players either.

Nathan Taggart, as in Perth, was Albion’s early source of inspiration as he repeatedly found wide open spaces down the right hand side of the home defence, exposing one of the deficiencies of their 3-5-2 formation. The nippy left-winger won an early corner from which a confident David McKenna would surely have scored from close range however the hard-working forward, who would again run what must have been equivalent to the length of a half-marathon in his lone shift in attack, is short of such a commodity and the chance was stifled by the home rearguard.

Having made a slow start, perhaps due to including three debutants from the outset, Clyde slowly began to impose themselves on proceedings as the Binos were content to sit back and attempt to pick their hosts off on the break. Inevitably chances would come the Bully Wee’s way; Arbuckle perhaps should have made more of a long through pass instead of collapsing hopefully on the ground inside the box when there appeared little contact.

Like their guests, much of Clyde’s best play was coming through their number eleven, although Michael McGowan was plying down the right flank. It was from one of his crosses that Arbuckle managed to direct a weak header over the uncertain Hogarth only for Allison to appear on the line and coolly avert the obvious danger.

Other than McGowan, Clyde’s other stand-out on a cold January afternoon was newly signed forward Pat Clarke, a prolific goal scorer in the Second Division with Cowdenbeath over the last eighteen months. Lanky and awkward looking, the forward frequently caused problems by dropping deep, collecting the ball and driving at the Stirling defence. Although this caused concern on more than one occasion, only once did Clarke produce an effort of note on goal, his shot from twenty yards sliding past Hogarth’s far post.

At the opposite end of the field Taggart was still causing problems with Ross Forsyth supporting him ably from left-back. Often there was plenty of space for one of the left-sided players to get into a good crossing position although the final ball lacked sufficient quality with too frequently for Moore’s liking. One such cross did manage to make its way to Aitken, whose first time shot whistled past Hutton’s far post leaving the Stirling captain frustrated as the sides paused level.

Albion have regularly played their better football in the second half of matches this season and so it was to prove again.

The defence did have to watch rather nervously over their shoulders as they saw a Campbell free-kick travel narrowly past Hogarth’s left upright but from that moment Stirling would largely dominate as McKenna forced a last ditch challenge from Higgins. From the resulting corner kick Harris lacked the belief to shoot first time as the ball broke to him at the far post, his weak left footed effort nudging wide.

These efforts would prove to be the precursors to Taggart’s crucial opening goal. Hutton’s dreadful bye-kick lacked height and distance, falling perfectly to the left-winger forty yards from goal. Lacking options ahead of him Taggart drove straight at the defence, which meekly parted with the sight of the youngster’s confident burst. Although the finish was not the sweetest struck shot, the ball had sufficient power to beat Hutton and sufficient accuracy to bounce neatly off the far post and into the net from an angle that seemed distinctly prohibitive.

Hogarth then intervened brilliantly as it seemed Clyde were to draw level, prompting Albion to enhance their superiority as Chris Aitken smashed a penalty low to Hutton’s right after McKenna had been the recipient of a tug in the box as he forcefully drove goalward. Referee Crawford Allan spent much of the afternoon infuriating the visiting support however he deserves lavish credit for a sensible piece of officiating here.

Aitken’s afternoon would get better still as he curled a characteristic free-kick over the wall and into the net from thirty yards leaving Hutton grasping at air. Again it had been the Clyde goalkeeper’s erroneous clearance that had planted his side in trouble; Aitken having been poised to shoot into a goal that looked empty from thirty yards when necessarily fouled by a fourth debutant for the home side, Shaun Fagan. The former Galway United midfielder was correctly booked for his indiscretion.

Rarely are the closing stages of such matches a cakewalk and once again this would be the case as Forsyth’s niggling foul in the box resulted in a penalty to the home side. Fagan marked his first appearance in a Clyde shirt with a well-taken penalty, planting the ball into the top corner of the net as Hogarth was sent in the wrong direction.

Jitters would be expected in the closing stages of the match however Albion defended manfully in two banks making it as difficult as possible for an impotent Clyde side to penetrate them. Stirling were happy to watch the ball played square amongst the back three of the home side when a more direct approach would have been more economical on their time and, probably, more effective given the physical advantages of the home side.

Aside from a bizarre escape as Forsyth made a positive attempt to clear his lines only to clatter the ball against an opponent’s knee and watch thankfully as it zipped off the turf narrowly wide of Hogarth’s goal and an effort disallowed with virtually the final kick, Albion were relatively comfortable for the final ten minutes of play.

Three points was an absolute necessity for the Binos to keep their season alive; now that they are won Allan Moore can focus on next weekend’s visit of Partick Thistle. The squad should take a great deal of heart from this performance and will need to replicate the grit and skill showed at Broadwood when the Jags call to Forthbank. There is still a six point gap between Stirling and Clyde however at least now there is hope.