Clyde manager Danny Lennon says lower league clubs have been ‘shafted’ as his side missed out on a potential tie with Rangers or Celtic in Scottish Cup fourth round defeat to St Johnstone.
Guy Melamed and Michael O’Halloran goals wrapped up a comfortable 2-0 win for the Saints who will play the winner of Rangers v Celtic in the quarter-finals. But it was another game for Clyde, who have been forced to play every two-to-three days since the lower league resumption last month.
Clyde miss out on a potential Rangers or Celtic battle. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)
Having to make eight changes from Thursday’s defeat to Dumbarton in League One, Lennon was keen to have a go at the schedule: “It’s been a very challenging month. That’s the fourth Thursday in a row we’ve had to play.
“I’m not getting the violin out but I just feel that the lower league clubs have been really shafted here in terms of the demands placed upon us. The SFA even wanted us to kick-off today at 11.45am against a full-time team who’ve had a full week’s build-up when we’ve played Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday and now Saturday again.
“I have to thank Callum Davidson and St Johnstone for agreeing to the 5.30pm kick-off. I’m going on a right rant here because it’s bugged me for the last month. I’ve no qualms about St Johnstone going through to the next round. We knew it would be a really challenging game against a very highly charged and energetic side.
“St Johnstone are the best that we’ve come across this season in terms of how they press without the ball and you can see why they have that success – their energy was fantastic. I thought they were excellent with the ball in the first half and I thought they were tremendous without it.”
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