East Fife 2 : 1 Clyde - Shoot-out joy for Fifers

Posted Sunday, May 11, 2014 by PA

East Fife progressed to the League One play-off final as Clyde's Fraser McGhee missed the crucial penalty in a thrilling shoot-out.

The Fifers, looking to stay in the division having finished second from bottom, claimed a 2-1 victory to make it 2-2 on aggregate.

After no further goals in extra-time the game went to penalties and although both goalkeepers excelled, McGhee fired wide to make it 7-6 in the shoot-out and send the home crowd into raptures.

East Fife levelled the tie in the 12th minute as Stephen Hughes' free-kick was headed home by Scott McBride. They almost made it two straight from kick-off but Marc McKenzie put his shot inches wide.

Play was held up following a clash of heads between East Fife goalkeeper Greg Paterson and Clyde defender Brian McQueen but when it resumed it was the visitors who got themselves level as Scott Ferguson slammed home Kieran MacDonald's pass.

Paterson failed to reappear for the second half and his replacement, Dylan Rooney, was well beaten by a fierce long-range strike from MacDonald which cannoned off the crossbar.

But it was East Fife who added a second and sent the game into extra-time when McBride turned provider for Kevin Smith to slot into the bottom corner.

Hughes hit a post with a free-kick and Rooney did well to keep out Stefan McCluskey's deflected effort as the game went to penalties and McGhee was the unfortunate villain.