The French-born midfielder was in a class of his own yesterday as Billy Reid’s men continued to defy the pre-season portents of gloom with a third, straight win to remain top of the table.
Debutant Kerkar, who has only signed a one-month deal at Broadwood, was not merely instrumental in the game’s only goal, he both adorned and influenced proceedings with his skill. A perfect caricature of the mercurial foreigner, he came complete with ostentatious blue boots, a fondness for clutching his face when fouled and the pace and self-confidence to run at defenders with bamboozling effect.
Manager Reid conceded: “Other teams are bound to come and watch him but, for however long he is here, he can do a real job for us. I know (his) agent well and he owes me a couple of favours. He asked me if I’d give Karim a chance here and I feel he’s repaid me. Karim was excellent today but I can’t pay high enough praise to any of my players; they were all brilliant.”
Ross County began brightly and full-back John Robertson ought to have given them an early lead but failed to keep his shot down, with Clyde keeper Bryn Halliwell prostrate after missing a cross.
However, Kerkar, who had a three-month spell at Manchester City two years ago and has played in the French league, quickly found the pace of the game, and so too did Clyde. Kerkar’s first-half repertoire included an audacious, if unsuccessful, attempt to lob County keeper Stuart Garden from the halfway line, several effortless bursts clear of sprawling County challenges and a shot that, one suspects, would have burst the net had Jim Lauchlan not taken the full brunt of it in his midriff.
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The effect of County’s sudden preoccupation with the diminutive midfielder was to afford greater freedom to other Clyde players. Darren Sheridan came closest to scoring. But Clyde’s dominance was not total and their supremacy was punctuated by two good efforts from Gary McSwegan — a handy summer signing by Alex Smith, the County manager, who ought to prosper at this level — a header narrowly wide and a rasping shot just over from the edge of the box.
Clyde craved something tangible for their efforts and 11 minutes into the second half, Kerkar almost single-handedly gave them the lead, by dancing past Robertson on the left of the area with sumptuous ease and cutting back a perfect ball into the six-yard box. Aaron Wilford, whose influence grew as the match wore on, could scarcely believe his luck, as he was allowed to steady himself before firing home.
County immediately lifted the tempo. John Rankin had a couple of drives off target and Steven McGarry went close but Robertson, again, had their best chance.
Smith even brought on Alan Mahood as a trialist substitute, one of the highest-profile players to become club-less over the summer after being released by Kilmarnock.
All the while, Clyde had the potential to kill the game with a second goal. It almost arrived following another bit of Kerkar magic, this time down the right, but neither Wilford nor Ian Harty could get a touch to his cross and the home fans were made to wait.
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Clyde: Halliwell; Mensing, Potter, Fotheringham, Bollan; Bryson, Kerkar (Walker 77min), Sheridan, Gibson; Wilford (Gilhaney 85min), Harty (Arbuckle 77min)
Ross County: Garden; Robertson, Canning, Lauchlan, McCulloch; McGarry (Mahood 69min), Cowie, McCunnie (MacKay 80min), Rankin; McSwegan (Winters 73min), Burke
Scorers: Wilford 56
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Bookings: Rankin 39, Gibson 40, Mensing 71
Referee: B Winter
Attendance: 1,101