Clydebank 3
East Stirlingshire 0
League Cup (Group 9)

Match Report

Clydebank’s return to senior football began in impressive fashion on Saturday as they swept aside a disjointed East Stirlingshire side in this League Cup group tie at Kilbowie Park. Despite dreich weather, over 2,000 supporters turned out—among them several local dignitaries—to witness the Bankies’ first senior competitive match since the end of their previous arrangement with East Stirling two seasons ago.

A 4-2-4 formation was deployed by the home side, and although there were signs of early adjustment, the system soon paid dividends. Clydebank's organisation was particularly telling; six men dropped back when needed, leaving Shire with few real chances of note.

Willie McCallum, wearing the No. 9 shirt but operating fluidly across the front line, was a constant threat and opened the scoring with a thunderous 25-yard drive that left goalkeeper Davie rooted to the spot. McCallum’s movement and clever play were a constant source of anxiety for the visiting defence.

Joe Rankin doubled the lead on 33 minutes with a fine individual effort, dispossessing right-back Millar before rifling a shot into the net from the edge of the box. The Bankies were well worth their two-goal advantage at the break.

Any hopes of a Shire comeback were snuffed out just seven minutes into the second half. A sustained Clydebank attack involving Alex Stewart and McCallum ended with left-back John Simpson inadvertently turning the ball into his own net under heavy pressure on the goal-line.

Ernie Collumbine, a familiar figure to the visiting support, stood out for Clydebank with a composed display in midfield, orchestrating the home side’s attractive, well-balanced system. In contrast, Shire looked like a side still in transition, with many new faces yet to gel. Their performance hinted that some experimentation will be needed before they find a settled line-up.

Clydebank's substitute Billy Wallace remained unused, while East Stirling were forced to introduce their first ever substitute, Joe Connolly, late on after Pat Watters limped off with a leg injury.

For the Bankies, this was a result to savour. While no one at Kilbowie will be getting carried away so early in the campaign, the win offers genuine encouragement to both players and supporters as the new season gets underway.

Match report written by Stuart McBay