The Thistle Archive

Media report

MAC POWER STUNS JAGS. CLYDE full-back Mark McLaughlin settled a hard-fought derby with a powerful header to give his team's title bid a shot in the arm. With valuable promotion points at stake the battle of these bitter rivals was never going to be for the faint-hearted. After the pre-match nerves had settled it was the Bully Wee who started brightest.

In the second minute, McLaughlin met Brian Carrigan's flick with a ferocious volley from the edge of the box which whistled inches over. Seven minutes later, Richie McCusker hit a dangerous 30-yard drive but Thistle keeper Kevin Budinauckas saved comfortably. After some scary moments early on, it was the Jags who moved into top gear to take the lead - and it was certainly worth the wait. Alan Archibald's long ball from defence sent Quinton Jacobs racing down the left flank. The Namibian skipped past the challenge of Pat Keogh before sending over a cross which was met by a glancing header from Derek McWilliams to leave David Wylie helpless. The tackles were getting tougher and both Thistle's Scott Miller and Clyde's Andy McLay were on the wrong end of hefty challenges. But the Bully Wee slowly came back into the game and an equaliser looked imminent. In 28 minutes Carrigan played a neat corner to McCusker on the edge of the box and his rasping shot was tipped over by the outstretched Budinauckas. Three minutes later McLay flighted a free-kick into the box but again Keogh's header was thwarted by the keeper. Bud was finally beaten two minutes before the break. McLay's through-ball into the box caught out the Thistle defence and Carrigan kept his cool to drive a low shot into the corner of the net.

After the break it seemed that Firhill's largest League crowd of the season were being treated to something more like a cup tie than a league fixture. Clyde were still on top and in 46 minutes McLay's effort was tipped round the post. Four minutes later, Jamie Mitchell fluffed a glorious chance to score when he shot straight at the Thistle keeper. The Jags replaced Tom Callaghan with new boy Iain Swan and on the hour mark it nearly paid dividends. Swan found Paton on the right and his cross saw McWilliams' powerful header saved at point-blank range. But after 70 minutes, Carrigan swung in a corner from the right and hero McLaughlin rose to blast home with his head from 10 yards out.

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