Clyde players have saved the club, says Ian McCall as he hails Bully Wee's great escape

Boss Ian McCall hailed his Clyde players for 'saving the club' after they avoided a perilous pyramid play-off with East Kilbride on the final day of the League Two campaign.

The Bully Wee travelled to Elgin City knowing they had to match or better the result of bottom side Stranraer to avoid falling into the relegation scrap and McCall's men delivered in style with a 3-0 win at Borough Briggs, courtesy of a Liam Scullion double and a late Martin Rennie effort.

Clyde were two points adrift at the foot of the table when McCall took the reins in January, but they feel a whopping 12 points behind

However, McCall managed to steady the ship with a raft of new signings and says credit for their great escape lies with the full squad after their monumental turnaround saw them finish two points clear of the Blues, who now face Kilby over two legs for their SPFL survival.

McCall said: "These players have put themselves in the club’s history books. I don’t mean winning Scottish Cups but they’ve basically saved the club, so hats off to them. I’m very, very proud of them and delighted that we have stayed up.

"We brought in eight players and showed 12 the door. It's so hard to bed them in, but we managed to get consistent in the last nine to 12 games. The last 12 to 13 games of the season, we'd be top of the league, it's been championship form.

"There's been some real downs, but they have started to show a level of consistency. It's a great achievement. Beating Stenhousemuir 6-1 away from home gave everyone a lot of confidence. Since then, they have really kicked on."

Midfielder Ray Grant is one of the players has been through the rollercoaster of a campaign, having returned from injury in December, and reckons keeping the club in the SPFL is something will remain with the squad for the rest of their careers.

He said: "It is pretty special what we have done. Ultimately though, we shouldn't be in the position we were in. If we are being honest, we gave the rest of the league a six-month head-start and that's not pointing the finger at anyone, we've got to take responsibility as players.

"We've managed to dig ourselves out of a massive hole. It has been a tough few months and it is credit to the boys who have come in and the ones that were already here because the quality improved in January and the boys who were here stepped up. Everyone has rolled their sleeves up and done their bit, so that is credit to all the staff as well.

"I am absolutely over the moon for all the boys. They have had a lot of things levelled at them this season but today shows this means the world to them and they will remember this for the rest of their days."

Asked if he would like to remain at the club to try and get them up to League One next term, he said: "I'd like to be here next season but there are many factors in that. If the gaffer thinks I fit the bill then great, but if he doesn't I have absolutely no qualms because he gave me the opportunity to go and play and I've really enjoyed the last six months in terms of just being out on the pitch.

"Every team will get stronger next season and whoever is here at Clyde next season, the expectation will be to get out of this league. We have shown in this last quarter that we are capable of that, but we need to add quality."

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