Annan Athletic will be aiming to use home advantage to secure a positive result when they face Clyde in the first leg of the Scottish League One playoff final on Tuesday night.
The hosts are bidding to earn promotion from Scottish League Two, while Clyde are aiming to keep hold of their position in the third tier of Scottish football for the 2023-24 campaign.
Match preview
Annan finished third in Scottish League Two this season, picking up 51 points from their 36 matches courtesy of a record of 14 wins, nine draws and 13 defeats, which saw them qualify for the playoffs.
Peter Murphy's side took on second-placed Dumbarton in the semi-finals, and a commanding performance in the first leg of their last-four tie saw them advance to the final.
Indeed, Annan ran out 6-0 winners in the first leg on May 9, and a goalless draw in the return fixture on Saturday allowed them to comfortably book their spot in the next round.
The Black and Golds must now navigate their way through a two-legged final with Clyde if they are to be present in the third tier of Scottish football during the 2023-24 campaign.
Annan's home form should give them encouragement when it comes to Tuesday's clash, having lost just once in front of their own fans since the start of January, including wins in three of their last four games.
Clyde, meanwhile, are bidding to avoid being relegated to Scottish League Two for the first time since the 2018-19 campaign.
The Glasgow outfit have not actually been present in the top tier of Scottish football since 1975, and a difficult 2022-23 campaign saw them pick up just 24 points from 36 matches to finish ninth in the table.
Clyde have won two of their last three matches, though, including their semi-final playoff against East Fife, who finished fourth in Scottish League Two, just one point behind Annan.
Jim Duffy's side ran out 1-0 winners over East Fife in the first leg of their contest before a 1-1 draw on Friday allowed them to advance to the final of the playoffs.
Clyde will now be bidding to end a disappointing season on a positive note, and they will know the importance of claiming a strong first-leg result ahead of the return fixture on May 19.
Team News
Annan boss Murphy made changes for the second leg of their semi-final due to the fact that his side were in such a comfortable position.
As a result, the XI that takes to the field for this match is expected to be similar to the one that started the first leg against Dumbarton, with Steven Swinglehurst, Chris Johnston and William Gibson - all unused substitutes on Saturday - set to return to the side.
However, it will be the same front two for Annan, with Thomas Goss set to be joined by Aidan Smith.
Clyde, meanwhile, have had slightly longer to recover for this match, but they had to play extra-time against East Fife, with Martin Rennie's extra-time goal proving to be decisive.
Rennie was actually a half-time substitute on Friday, and it seems likely that he will now come into the side, while there could also be a spot on the opposite side for Barry Cuddihy.
There are unlikely to be changes when it comes to the front two, though, with Kyle Doherty set to keep his role alongside Cameron Salkeld, who has three league goals this season.
Annan Athletic possible starting lineup:
Fleming; Gibson, Muir, Swinglehurst, Kilsby; Johnston, Docherty, Lyon, Wallace; Smith, Goss
Clyde possible starting lineup:
Mullen; Lyon, McLean, Sula, Craig; Cuddihy, Roberts, Hynes, Rennie; Doherty, Salkeld
We say: Annan Athletic 2-1 Clyde
Clyde, in theory, should be the stronger side, but Annan will fancy their chances of triumphing over the two legs. We are expecting Tuesday's first leg to be a cagey affair but believe that Annan will have enough quality to claim a narrow advantage in front of their own supporters.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
