PSP v Clydeside Athletic had all the signs of a straightforward top versus bottom clash before kick-off, but the game itself told a very different story.

Clydeside Athletic pushed the league leaders hard throughout a frantic and entertaining contest before PSP eventually pulled away late on to secure a 6–3 victory and another important three points at the top.

PSP started brightly and only needed five minutes to break through.

Vlad won the ball in midfield and moved it wide to Callum, whose cross into the box was met perfectly by Gal with a fine header. 1–0.

PSP continued to move the ball well early on. Dec picked the ball up on the left and found Euan, whose effort was blocked for a corner. Another short set piece involving Euan, Gal and Callum ended with a shot drifting wide.

Clydeside responded positively though and quickly showed they would be competitive throughout.

A good effort from 18 yards forced Johnnie into a smart low save before another attack down the left ended with a shot over the bar.

PSP still carried plenty threat themselves. Jordan narrowly missed a great opportunity from an Euan free-kick delivery before Sammy saw an effort blocked following another dangerous corner.

Clydeside remained dangerous from their own set plays too. A free-kick delivery caused problems inside the box before a good opportunity was eventually blazed over.

PSP continued creating openings through Gal, Duggan, Daniel and Callum but despite controlling spells of possession they could not fully shake off a determined Clydeside side.

Then on 34 minutes the game shifted.

Slack play in the PSP defence handed Clydeside an opening and they took it well to level the game at 1–1.

The response was immediate.

Dec drove powerfully into the area and was brought down under pressure, with the referee pointing straight to the spot. Gal stepped up calmly and restored PSP’s lead from the penalty spot to make it 2–1.

Second half, the game remained wide open.

Vlad and Sammy combined well repeatedly down the right-hand side while Daniel continued to drive PSP forward from midfield.

But once again Clydeside found a way back into the match.

A free-kick from the left found the bottom corner to make it 2–2.

PSP kept pushing.

Vlad forced another corner after a driving run into the box before Daniel burst through midfield and picked out Duggan, whose effort drifted over.

Eventually the pressure told again on 70 minutes.

Daniel, Euan and Sammy combined sharply around the edge of the area before Sammy slid the ball home to restore PSP’s lead at 3–2.

Still though, Clydeside refused to go away.

A driving run into the PSP area resulted in another penalty and the visitors converted confidently to level the match for a third time at 3–3.

At that stage the contest could genuinely have gone either way.

Then came the moment that finally swung the afternoon decisively back toward PSP.

Chrissie picked the ball up in midfield, drove powerfully through the inside-right channel, carried the ball into the area and calmly slotted into the far corner for a superb individual goal to make it 4–3.

From there, PSP finally found breathing space.

Daniel again drove into the box before his effort was blocked into the path of Gorlach, who finished well to extend the lead further and put PSP 5-3 up.

Late on, some lovely work involving Vlad, Gorlach and Tiernan completed the scoring as Tiernan applied the finish to cap off a hard-fought afternoon and a 6-3 win.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The final scoreline may suggest comfort.

The game itself was anything but.

Clydeside Athletic stayed competitive throughout and repeatedly tested the league leaders before PSP eventually found the quality needed in the closing stages to secure another valuable win.

JACKS MOTM

Man of the Match goes to Daniel after another influential display in midfield.

Comfortable on the ball throughout, strong in possession and constantly driving PSP forward under pressure, he played a major role in several of the side’s attacking moves during a difficult afternoon.

Chrissie also pushed him close. Despite operating in central defence, he dealt with most things well defensively while still producing those trademark driving runs from deep. One of them delivered the goal of the afternoon and helped swing momentum back in PSP’s favour.