Peterhead          1            Clyde    1

Peterhead’s refusal to accept defeat in a game they had the chances to win ensured that they hit back late to draw 1-1 with visitors Clyde.

The Blue Toon looked set to go down to a Matthew Elsdon first half sucker punch however Scott Brown, who has a fine scoring record against the Bully Wee, popped up in injury time to crack home an equaliser.

Manager Jim McInally brought in the fit again David Wilson for the suspended Jason Brown with Simon Ferry and Flynn Duffy returning to play in the full back positions.

Despite not being fully fit Russell McLean took his position in attack and the big striker led the line for more than an hour before being replaced.

Andrew McCarthy, who netted against the visitors earlier this season, almost did so again on three minutes with a well struck 25-yard drive however Neil Parry in the Clyde goal got down low to save.

Two minutes later Niah Payne darted forward on the left following some trickery from Ryan Duncan and sent another long-range effort towards Parry however this time the ball flashed wide.

On 10 minutes Ally Love led a breakaway from the half-way line to the edge of the Peterhead box and sent a shot that Brett Long watched carefully as it slipped past his goal.

With 20 minutes played Clyde won a corner but it was Peterhead that nearly scored from it as Russell McLean won the ball at the edge of his own box and charged forward 80 yards before sending a shot that looked destined for a corner of the net until Parry leapt to his right to save.

As Peterhead continued to push for an opener McCarthy released Duncan with a flighted pass and the on-loan Aberdeen player took the ball around Parry however the shot-stopper was able to recover and push his shot past.

More pressure on the visitor’s goal resulted in the ball dropping to Hamish Ritchie 18 yards out and a goal looked on as the midfielder cut in from the right and sent a left foot shot past Parry only for it to crash against the underside of the bar and bounce to safety.

A goal finally came on 32 minutes however it came at the other end when Mark Docherty rolled a free-kick from the left wing into Adam Livingstone. The Clyde man whipped in a cross that was perfect for Elsdon to head powerfully past Long.

Two minutes later and Peterhead were cursing their luck again as Ferry required to be replaced by Grant Savoury after jarring his back in a tackle with Scott Brown dropping into the right back role.

Savoury almost made an instant impact with a header from a Duncan corner only for it to be blocked on the line with Andy McDonald’s effort in the resultant scramble meeting the same fate.

Clyde kept Peterhead waiting on the pitch to kick the second half off and Ritchie almost made them pay with a drive from the edge of the box however it was off target.

Another effort from Ritchie met the same fate just before the hour mark with Savoury denied by Parry after the hosts showed great patience in their build up play against a visiting side who seemed content to let them have the ball.

Manager McInally pepped up his attack on 62 minutes by brining on Derek Lyle for Payne.

McDonald took responsibility for a free-kick 25 yards from the Clyde goal on 74 minutes and his curling strike beat the wall but unfortunately for Peterhead flashed wide of Parry’s goal.

Lyle’s experience looked to have provided an equaliser with 12 minutes left with the substitute flicking a corner to the back post where Wilson was unmarked however Parry was able to scramble the defender’s shot away.

When another free-kick from McDonald whistled past and a header from Jordon Brown, who had replaced McLean, slipped wide it looked like the three points were heading to Cumbernauld however Peterhead stuck at it and grabbed a more than deserved equaliser a minute into injury time.

The ball was worked from side and side as Peterhead looked for an opening and one arrived when Scott Brown was picked out 20 yards from goal and the Balmoor skipper whipped in a low first time shot.

There was little celebration as Peterhead looked to get the game restarted and find a winner however they had to settle for a point.

Peterhead – Long, Ferry (Savoury 34), Wilson, McDonald, Duffy, McCarthy, Scott Brown, Ritchie, Duncan, McLean (Jordon Brown 74), Payne (Lyle 62)

Unused substitutes – Cullen (G/k)

After match interviews

Jim McInally – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2Y__eK63xU&feature=youtu.be

Scott Brown – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr0tW6Jucos&feature=youtu.be

Sponsors Man of the Match

Andrew McCarthy was chosen as the Man of the Match by sponsors The Ritchie Family who were represented by Bill Brown and Athena Ritchie

Ball sponsor –

Peterhead Director Mike Duncan presents an autographed Match Ball to Charlie Clark from Match Ball sponsors Level 3 Inspection Services