The first thing that has to be said about this evening's 90 minutes is that everybody involved in the on-field action deserves the highest praise. Both sets of players take huge credit for serving up decent entertainment in what were quite simply appalling conditions.
Referee Craig Charleston also takes the plaudits for resisting the temptation to call the game off as the wind whistled in and the rain drove across the pitch. The officials played their part once the action got going as well - taking account of the conditions to restrict the number of cards issued.
It must be the season of goodwill after all - Gulliver praising a referee ... whatever next?
The weather was certainly the big talking point in the lead-up to the game, with the phones ringing red hot in the QP portacabins as everybody and their Granny called to ask if the match was on. The calls grew more incessant after reports circulated that it had been cancelled, so it's a minor miracle that 402 souls braved the elements to come to Hampden.
They were rewarded with a game that made little of the difficulties, and had action from start to finish. It was always going to be end-to-end with a hurricane howling up the park, but this was far from kick and rush as both teams tried to keep the ball in their control rather than letting the wind take over.
The other question mark was the Queen's line-up. Davie Murray, as feared, failed to shrug off a knock from Saturday, while Jamie Longworth only escaped from his work in time to take a place on the bench. Paul Stewart and Sean Burns came into the starting XI, while Owen Ronald - son of Paul - also got a place among the subs.
It didn't take long for the fun to begin. Three minutes in, Neil Parry produced a superb stop to deny former Spider John Neil. But within 30 seconds, the first goal arrived ... for the Spiders. Parry's clearance found Smith; he switched on the afterburners and left McQueen floundering. The flying Spider got to the byline, looked up and saw Burns and rolled the ball into his path. Sean had to score - and did - even though it looked as if the Clyde trialist keeper (better known to us at Hampden as DC) made an incredibly valiant effort to stop the ball crossing the line.
He failed - and Queen's were one up.
It could have been two five minutes later after Stewart sent Smith away again. This time, however, Craig shot over.
Within 30 seconds we were rampaging back up the field, this time on the left. Meggat and Burns combined to good effect although the final ball was disappointing.
That let-off was the signal for the visitors to come into things. Firstly Cusack shot over after a decent break and then Oliver spurned a real threatening opportunity by controlling the ball with his hand. There were only 15 minutes on the clock and the score could easily have been 2-1.
Even this early, the wide play was a feature of Queen's' game. After 19 minutes, Chuckie burst up the right and produced a gem of a cross that deserved a better fate than it got. Then it was left-turn as Burns and Meggatt produced their party pieces. Firstly Sean put in a super cross that almost found the head of Watt, before Meggatt burst forward and gave Smith a headed chance which was defelected behind for our first corner.
Having weathered that particular storm, Clyde begat to get more of a foothold. They won their first corner after 25 minutes, but a combination of wind and a miscue combined to turn Cusack's delivery into a smashing clearance. It set up a Queen's break, which ended with Anderson shooting wide ... much to the relief of Cusack.
As the first third of the game came and went, still the action flowed from goalmouth to goalmouth. Danger threatened for the |Spiders when Meggatt was penalised for a foul on Neil, but Brough got his napper in the perfect place to send the cross back from whence it came ... with a bit extra for interest.
Clyde tried to press, but were vulnerable to the pace of the Spiders on the counter. After 35 minutes, Hay was booked for hauling back Watt, and then the visiting keeper had a narrow escape when he dallied on a clearance and Smith charged in. He deflected the ball into the path of Burns, but the scorer of the opener could only find the side net this time.
Three minutes later and another lightning counter ended with a Burns' shot deflected for a corner. After letting the play flow, Ref Charleston then went back to book Sweeney for a foul committed during the Queen's build-up. Good refereeing again, could this possibly catch on?
Queen's had been the better side for much of the half, but with the interval looming, they decided to liven things up a bit more ... at the wrong end of the park. Brough was penalised for a foul on White and as the ball was swung in, the giant striker got space to send in a header which was scrambled away from right under the bar by Meggatt.
The ball was delivered in again; White won the header - again - and this time it was the woodwork that came to our rescue.
A lucky escape, and the last meaningful action of a 45 minutes that proved far better than we had any right to expect.

Half-time
Queen's Park 1 Clyde 0

The first thing to become apparent after the interval was that Jamie Longworth had taken the place of Paul Stewart, who it must be said hadn't had his best game. Jamie announced his arrival after 60 seconds with a left-foot drive that flew narrowly over the top.
Clyde had ended the first period on the offensive and should have equalised within a couple of minutes of the restart.
With the wind now at their backs, they pushed forward and both Neil and White could have scored; both Neil and White failed to score - and McBride was delighted to get the chance to smack the ball away for a corner which was hoofed to safety by Paul McGinn.
The pattern had already been set for the second period; Clyde pushed forward at every opportunity; Queen's broke with pace and purpose every chance they got. It was fascinating to watch ... if you could see clearly enough through the driving wind and rain ... and if hypothermia held off long enough for you to appreciate what you were witnessing.
In the old days when he still tried to kick a ball, Gulliver would have loved these conditions. The rain slowed everybody down to (almost) his speed, while the wind gave the perfect excuse if you failed to judge the flight of the ball correctly.
These players needed no excuses as for the most part their technique belittled the difficulties.
Five minutes after the restart, Watt was decked as he bore down on the Clyde penalty box. But as McBride's shot was charged down, the visitors raced upfield and Parry had to come well out his box to smack the ball to safety.
Still Clyde retained the majority of possession, but after 54 minutes the sublime left-peg of Burns almost gave Smith his second goal on the break. Sadly, the striker failed to get enough on the ball and the Bully Wee were back on the offensive.
A great ball in from Cusack had danger written all over it until Neil strayed offside and the home defence could breathe again.
The crucial moment of the game arrived just on the hour mark. Cusack burst down the right and sent in a wicked cross. It had goal written all over it until Ricky Little arrived from nowhere to turn the ball behind for a corner. That challenge must have gone a long way to earning him the man of the match champagne which he picked up at the final whistle.
However, the danger was not yet over. As the corner came in, White got his head to the ball. Parry saved on the line - and Longworth poked it to safetuy at the expense of another corner.
This one came to nothing as far as the visitors were concerned, but it led to Queen's putting clear blue water (or dirty Glagow rainwater) between them and their opponents.
The cross was cleared and the ball reached the flying feet of Watt. Chuckie hasn't lived up to the considerable expectations lumped on his still young shoulders in some recent games. This time he delivered ... and how!. He took off like the proverbial bat out of Hell; twisted first way then the other, before delivering a perfect cross which meant Smith had to score - and he did, to make it 2-0.
Clyde had to gamble now, and they did. Queen's had to find more space on the counter now, and they did. Every time the visitors failed to make an attack count, the Spiders seemed to be straight back up the field and threatening their goal. Burns missed a couple of glorious opportunities on his good left peg, including an astonishing miss inside the six-yard box after brilliant play by Longworth. Sean then brought the save of the match out of DC, forcing the Clyde keeper to hurl himself across goal to keep out a curling shot ... from the winger's RIGHT foot.
With 20 minutes left, Clyde threw on Sloss and Fitzpatrick for Neil and Sweeney, but the pattern remained the same. Burns turned provider after 71 minutes, and Longworth was desperately unlucky not to force the winger's cross over the line.
The visitors were soon forcing the issue again and Parry was left scrambling after 73 minutes when a Cusack cross took a wicked deflection. Thankfully, the ball carried just over for a corner and Queen's should have put the game to bed almost immediately after that escape.
As the shout: "con-cen-trate" come bellowing down from the Hampden stands, the Spiders cleared the danger and rampaged forward themselves. Longworth teed up Burns, who miscued wildly and saw his effort hacked to safety. Back came Queen's and the excellent McBride and Anderson worked their magic before Martin had a shot charged down and then Burns blasted the rebound over.
Although time was rapidly running out, there was just a niggling doubt that we might yet rue our missed chances.But those fears evaporated with seven minutes to go. Mick Daly had only been on the field for a couple of minutes, replacing Watt, who had shown encouraging glimpses of the Chuckie we all know and love, when the game was finally put beyond Clyde.
McGinn again bounded down the right to deliver a teasing cross. Mick got on the end of it and glanced in a header which beat DC; hit the post - and then rebounded back off the keeper to trundle over the line.. At 3-0 it really was all over bar the shouting.
The dying minutes saw the Young Ronald come on for a brief taste of first-team action, replacing Sean Burns. One cruel wag in the stands suggested Owen ran more in his first five Hampden minutes than his old man did throughout his QP career, Gulliver couldn't possibly comment on the validity of that statement.
To their credit, the visitors kept trying for a consolation which never arrived, and the final whistle sounded to signal an excellent result for the Spiders.
Depending on which camp you come from, this result will either be a justification of the devastating attacking play of Queen's Park - or a minor travesty for a Clyde side who will play a lot worse than this in games to come and land the three points.
One thing all those who shivered their way through a foul night should agree on is that it was a very decent game of football.
Keep the faith, and here's hoping we can take this form to Links Park on Saturday ... weather permitting.

 

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