Clyde manager Ian McCall praised his team for their remarkable turnaround, having come from a deficit of 10 points to avoid the Scottish League 2 relegation play-off at the expense of Stranraer. A decisive 3-0 victory away against Elgin City secured safety for Clyde, while Stranraer, finishing at the bottom, will now face Lowland League champions East Kilbride in a bid to secure a spot in the Scottish Professional Football League for the next season. Despite Stranraer’s 2-0 win over league champions Stenhousemuir, it proved futile as they needed Clyde to drop points to have any chance of survival. Reflecting on the achievement, McCall expressed his delight for the entire team, highlighting the challenging task they had overcome.
In the last 12 to 13 games of the season, we would have been at the top of the league; it’s been a run of championship form. Despite facing some significant challenges, the team has demonstrated a remarkable level of consistency, which is a fantastic achievement.
When I took charge in November, the team was two points adrift at the bottom of the table. However, by the time we suffered a 2-0 defeat away to Stranraer in February, that deficit had increased to 10 points.
In January, we made significant changes, bringing in eight new players while parting ways with 12. Integrating new players into the team is always challenging, but we managed to find consistency in the final nine to 12 games of the season.
The 6-1 victory over Stenhousemuir away from home provided a significant confidence boost for everyone involved. Since then, the team has continued to progress and improve.”
McCall drew comparisons between his current experience at Clyde and his past managerial roles at Ayr United and Partick Thistle, where he faced significant challenges but managed to turn things around. However, he emphasized that the task at Clyde has been particularly tough.
On the other hand, Stranraer will face East Kilbride in the first leg of their play-off next Saturday as they aim to maintain their 75-year tenure in the senior leagues. The second leg will take place at Stair Park a week later, with East Kilbride traveling there for the return fixture.