Clydebank 2
Stenhousemuir 2
League (Division 2)

Match Report

If each one of the Clydebank players had a penny for every goal that was missed against Stenhousemuir, the club could afford to move to Hampden!

Playing against a determined team the Clydebank players were served with literally dozens of dead-certs, yet they managed to duff all but two of them.

Credit where credit is due, however. Twice Clydebank came back to level-pegging against a very determined Stenhousemuir side.

The goal that gave Clydebank their second and final equaliser was laid on by inside-right Bobby Love. He played well in this match; he was always on the spot when it mattered most. The pass that gave Clydebank their second goal proved that his accuracy, at times, can be uncanny.

Love was on the half-way line when he met the ball. Rather than risk taking it downfield he sent in a cross from where he stood. Carried by the wind, the ball went high and came down inside the Stenhousemuir penalty area.

It only took Jimmy Caskie, playing at outside-left and moving like a bullet, to beat the complete visiting defence to the ball and knock it high into the net.

After an unsettled first 30 minutes both teams had missed chances that would have been easily palmed off at any primary school match. The game was hotting up to a real racer, to see who would draw first blood.

A corner in the 31st minute awarded this honour to Stenhousemuir. George Ramsay, Stenhousemuir's star outside-right, took the kick and sent it into the Clydebank goalmouth with deadly accur???.

Positioned at the far post, centre-forward Jim Richardson took a leap at the ball and nodded it through Dick Madden's arms into the Clydebank net.

Spurred on by the loss of this goal, Clydebank retaliated immediately.

Jimmy Caskie drew a gasp of admiration from the crowd when he a took the ball down the centre of the field, solo, dribbled through the Stenhousemuir defence and tried a shot at goal.

'Keeper Ritchie, more by luck than by judgment, managed to prevent young Jim's shot from flying home.

Unabashed, Clydebank thundered on and pulled the equaliser out of the bag only three minutes after Stenhousemuir had scored.

Outside-right, Gerry O'Brien, was the scorer. Alan Munro had tried a shot which had been stopped by 'keeper Ritchie, and O'Brien ran in to blast home the rebound.

Clydebank dominated the remainder of the first half but it was a quick break by the Stenhousemuir forwards that paid off, forcing the home team to leave the field one down at half-time.

Richardson was the scorer again. Almost on the half-time whistle he belted home the leather after it had rebunded from a Madden save. The original shot had come from outside-left Barry McGuckin.

A few minutes after play had reopened, Bankies made their biggest mistake. Jackie Woods had been playing a good game at left half, then for no apparent reason he was called off the field and substitute Gray was sent on in his place.

Woods has potential as a staunch asset to the Cydebank side, if the management would only give him a half decent break in the first team.

However, Clydebank were not going to allow the grass to grow under their feet and time after time they had the Stenhousemuir defence almost panicking into desperate attempts to hold out the intruders,

In the 58th minute Jimmy Caskie crunched through the Stenhousemuir defence and nearly brought Clydebank back on even terms

Running in on his own he had defenders dropping in front of him in a frantic effort to halt his progress.

Right back Ian Laurie managed to get the ball from Caskie's feet but Gerry O'Brien was on top of him before he had a chance to clear. Pivoting, O'Brien tried to shoot but he didn't have enough space and the ball was knocked past the post for a corner.

Only minutes after this Caskie gained the equaliser from Love's cross.

Bankies last chance at the Stenhousemuir goal ended in a real bloomer. The ball came out of the visitor's goalmouth to right-half Denis Ruddy. Faced with the perfect shot Ruddy sent the ball high over the bar.