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Paul Thomson

Clyde face 'notoriously tough' test to get through play-offs, says Jim Duffy

Jim Duffy admits his Clyde side face a 'notoriously tough' challenge after their play-off to avoid relegation from League One was confirmed.

Despite falling to a 2-1 defeat at Dunfermline, rivals Peterhead lost 2-1 at Kelty Hearts and that means the Bully Wee have avoided automatic relegation and will finish in ninth place, with Peterhead five points behind going into the final league game this weekend.

They will now face either East Fife or Annan over two legs in the semi-finals on May 9/10 and May 13.

And Duffy said: "Over recent weeks we definitely have improved our performances and, as a result, we've managed to get to that play-off position.

"That was always going to be the first challenge. Now we know we face an even bigger one to get through the play-offs, which are notoriously tough.

"But we are there and that is more to do with our performances over the last six or seven weeks, where we have really improved.

"It's going to be either East Fife or Annan in the first game and we can't look beyond that. That would be arrogant and silly."

Clyde opened the scoring in 12 minutes at East End Park when Cameron Salkeld rifled a volley into the net from a Kyle Doherty knock-down, for his second goal in as many games.

Rangers loanee Kane Ritchie-Hosler slid a Craig Wighton cross past Ryan Mullen to level just before half-time.

Lewis McCann then launched a rocket shot into the top left corner three minutes into stoppage time to spark bedlam in Dunfermline, stretching their unbeaten run to 23 games and ensuring they go through the entire season without a home defeat.

But Duffy insisted Clyde had a Liam Scullion strike wrongly ruled out.

He said: "I thought the boys were outstanding and really gave everything. The shift they put in was immense.

"The 45th minute and 92nd minute we showed wee lapses in concentration - and maybe a wee bit of fatigue as well - but I don't think we deserved to lose the game.

"There's also a big decision where the linesman got one wrong.

"Liam Scullion scores a perfectly good goal. I've looked at it since and it was a perfectly good goal so we didn't get that break we wanted.

"Overall, the performance deserved more."

Clyde close out the league campaign at home to Montrose on Saturday at New Douglas Park.

And Duffy said: "It gives us the chance to get other boys up to speed before the play-offs, but I don't think we will make wholesale changes."

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