Clydebank 0
East Stirlingshire 4
League (Division 2)

Match Report

Clydebank endured a nightmare afternoon at the hands of a clinical East Stirlingshire side, slumping to a deserved 0-4 defeat.

The home side were unrecognisable from their usual selves, offering little resistance against a rampant East Stirlingshire attack. In contrast, the visitors played with a verve and purpose that left Clydebank chasing shadows all afternoon.

The first 15 minutes set the tone for the match. A well-worked corner routine from East Stirlingshire saw Brian Moore rise above the Clydebank defence to head the ball past a bewildered Dick Madden. Just six minutes later, the visitors doubled their lead with another headed goal, this time from Hulston who met a high ball with a powerful downward header from close range.

Clydebank's only real chance of the first half came from a penalty awarded after a foul on Alan Munro. Unfortunately, Hawkshaw's spot-kick attempt sailed past the post, summing up a frustrating day for the home side.

The second half offered a glimmer of hope for Clydebank as they started with more purpose. However, the fightback was short-lived. East Stirlingshire reasserted their dominance, and the third goal arrived in fortuitous circumstances. A hopeful shot from Hamill took a wicked deflection off Brockett, wrong-footing Madden and trickling into the net.

Substitute O'Brien received a harsh yellow card for a seemingly innocuous challenge, and East Stirlingshire continued to pile on the pressure. Moore nearly added a fourth but was denied by a superb save from Madden.

The final act of the match belonged to Hulston. He picked up the ball near the halfway line, embarked on a mazy run, evaded Clydebank's hapless defence, rounded the goalkeeper, and coolly slotted the ball home to cap off a dominant performance for East Stirlingshire.

The scoreline reflected the gulf in class between the two sides. Clydebank were woeful throughout, with their lack of attacking threat and defensive frailties ruthlessly exposed by a sharper and hungrier East Stirlingshire team. The visitors, on the other hand, deserve credit for their clinical finishing and impressive attacking display.

Match report written by and adapted by Stuart McBay