Clyde add to Berwick Rangers woes with thumping win at Broadwood

Congratulations for Barry Cuddihy after his opening goal against Berwick (pic by Craig Black Photography)

A thumping 5-0 win for Danny Lennon's men extended the League 2 title race with Peterhead for at least another week.

For Berwick though the only thing this defeat prolonged was agony.

With rivals Albion Rovers winning, they are now five points adrift at the foot of the table with two to play, including next week's showdown with the Coatbridge side.

Both clubs had spent much of the week united in criticism of the SPFL over the Bully Wee's points deduction, which had a knock-on effect on Berwick's own fortunes.

But the contrast between the sides on the field could not be starker.

Berwick needed a decent start to give them a foothold in the game and an infusion of confidence.

They didn't get it as Clyde went one up in just four minutes.

It was a goal beautifully crafted and executed, David Goodwillie dummying Kristofferson Syvertsen's pass and allowing the ball to run through to Barry Cuddihy who whacked home his first goal of the season from 18 yards.

Apart from Cuddihy's goal the major feature of note in the opening period was the water break 20 minutes in.

Unheard of at Broadwood. But perhaps conditions were more testing than they appeared from the stand as the rest of the first half was a strangely languid affair.

Clyde were well in control without really exerting Berwick keeper Ryan Goodfellow and a potentially precarious one-goal lead didn't reflect their dominance.

But it was a different story after the break, although only after Berwick passed up a huge chance to level.

If this game had a turning point it came in the 48th minute when Grant Rose played in Cameron Blues, in isolation inside the Clyde box.

With nobody near him he had all the time and space he needed to deliver an equaliser, but not the confidence as he sent a meek effort wide of the target.

Instead of being level, within a minute they were two down. Six minutes after that it was 3-0. Game over.

Clyde's second came when Scott Rumsby headed in at the back post where he was found by John Rankin's corner.

Rankin then got on the scoresheet himself, arrowing a left-foot free-kick into Goodfellow's bottom right-hand corner after Goodwillie was upended on the edge of the box.

Goodwillie got a splendid fourth on 77 minutes, making space for himself 20 yards out before hammering a rasping drive beyond Goodfellow's reach.

And Chris McStay completed the scoring in the 90th minute when he ran through to slide the ball past an advancing Goodfellow for Clyde's fifth.

By then Berwick looked as if they just wanted to get back to the dressing room before their day got any worse.

Unfortunately for them news of Albion Rovers' win over Edinburgh City made sure it did.

HOW IT HAPPENED: Clyde 5 Berwick Rangers 0