MATCH PREVIEW - CLYDE (A)

After the Betfred Cup it is now onto Ladbrokes League Two action as we open our league campaign with a visit to Broadwood Stadium to face Clyde with a 3pm kick off on Saturday afternoon.

A vast improvement in form during the second half of last season under the charge of former Cowden boss Danny Lennon saw the Bully Wee just miss out on a promotion play off spot after spending most of the first half of the campaign at the bottom of the table.

The league sponsors have made the Bully Wee second favourites for the title this time around with odds of 5/2 just behind last season's runner up Peterhead while we come in in second bottom place at 20/1 just ahead of their favourites to finish in bottom place Berwick who rank at 25/1.

Everyone at Central Park will however be looking at the season ahead and looking at a better placing that those predictions after the last two seasons which has seen us require play off wins to preserve our SPFL status.

While we finished 3rd in out Betfred Cup group behind the full timers of Hearts and Inverness, the joint best position of League Two sides along with Edinburgh City although we ended with a better points total than City, Clyde finished in 4th place in Group G behind Motherwell, Queen of the South and Edinburgh City but ahead of Stranraer.

Danny Lennon's side opened their cup games with a home 1-1 draw with Edinburgh City with Martin McNiff equalising deep into stoppage time after Conrad Balatoni had opened the scoring. City however gained the bonus point with a 4-3 penalty shoot out win.

That was then followed up by a 3-0 defeat at Pamerston Park as Stephen Dobbie grabbed a win for Queen of the South. Another midweek trip to the south west then seen their only win with Goodwillie bagging a brace along with McNiff in a 3-1 win over Stranraer with Grant Anderson pulling a goal back for the hosts.

Last Saturday they then concluded their games with a 3-1 home defeat from Motherwell with Goodwillie's first half opener being cancelled out with three goals in the last 14 minutes from Curtis Main, Danny Johnson and Conor Sammon.

We go into the game without summer signing Martin Scott after his red card against Hearts while Clyde will be without both Kevin Nicholl and Eddie Ferns due to suspensions.

MATCH OFFICIALS

REFEREE: Duncan Smith ASSISTANT REFEREE'S: John McCrossan & Alan Grainger.

ADMISSION

ADULTS - £14

CONCESSIONS - £9

UNDER 12 - FREE (with a paying adult tickets can be collected from the Clyde office at the south end of the main stand.

Cowden fans should enter the main stand through Turnstile D.

Previewer: Andrew Mullen.