Bollan sent off in audition for Clyde

THREE coaches were sent off during an ill-tempered match at Broadwood as Clyde and Dundee battled out a 1-1 draw in the Irn-Bru First Division.

Dundee manager Alex Rae is already serving a six-match ban and he was joined in the stand by his assistant Davie Farrell and caretaker Clyde coaches Dougie Bell and Gary Bollan, who has emerged as a leading candidate to take over from Colin Hendry.

Rae was less than impressed by referee Steve Conroy's performance. "Some of the referee's decision were strange," he said. "I don't think there was much in the incident when Davie was sent off."

Clyde manager Hendry quit on Friday for personal reasons but Bell said: "I'm not interested in the job because I have a full-time job away from Clyde. But I'd like to stay on as first-team coach."

Clyde took the lead through Gary Arbuckle but were denied the win by Milan Palenik.

Meanwhile, Livingston's Graham Dorrans heads south this morning for a four-day trial with West Bromwich Albion.

Livingston manager Mark Proctor, an assistant to West Brom manager Tony Mowbray while at Hibs, believes Dorrans is on the verge of getting his chance to move to a bigger club.

After the 4-1 win over Stirling Albion, Proctor said: "He is a special talent and can play at a higher level. He is far too good for us.

I recognise a special talent and Graham falls into that category."

Goals from Dorrans, Steven Craig, and a double from Robert Snodgrass were the perfect answer for Livingston as they fought back from Erik Paartalu's opener for Clyde.

Hamilton saw their lead cut to two points in the title race after a 2-0 defeat by Partick Thistle. Kevin McKinlay scored twice as Thistle overcame the churned-up pitch following Glasgow's Heineken Cup rugby match at Firhill on Friday evening.

Hamilton manager Billy Reid said: "I am not going to use the state of the pitch as an excuse. Our performance was unacceptable for we did not even make chances."

Thistle manager Ian McCall said: "If it had been five or 6-0 it would not have flattered us."

Young striker Andy Jackson drove in the only goal of the game in St Johnstone's 1-0 win over Dunfermline to ease them closer to the top two. It also gave new Fifers manager Jim McIntyre his first defeat.

St Johnstone manager Derek McInnes said: "This is the most satisfying win since I took over as we had to dig in and withstand pressure."

But the game ended in controversy, with Dunfermline's Danny Murphy and Dyron Daal of St Johnstone being sent off after the final whistle for tussling in the corridor on the way to the dressing rooms.

Queen of the South striker Stephen Dobbie came off the bench to score a second-half hat-trick in their 3-0 win at Morton. "That was a nice way to celebrate signing an extension to my contract during the week," he said.

Manager Gordon Chisholm added: "He is the best finisher in the division."