Stranraer 1
Clydebank 2
League (Division 2)

Match Report

Clydebank were easier winners than the score suggests. The clever Bankies won on every count in a game that was played in atrocious weather conditions, but they had the intelligence to harness the elements while Stranraer were always struggling against both opposition and conditions. Added to this was the fact that the home side had no one to match Hay, McGhee or Caskie.

These three put Stranraer through the mill. Hay was tireless in the middle and played a big part in dictating the tactics that secured the points. McGhee roamed throughout the entire home defensive area, causing havoc and consternation, and his goal on the half-hour was a splendid example of his quick thinking and power.

O'Brien's long-distance shot swirled in the wind, deceiving keeper McLachlan, and came back off the post only to be crashed into the net by McGhee before the defence could cover.

Caskie's goal was the result of defensive hesitation too. He pounced on a faulty clearance and whipped a grounder into the net while the home players waited to see who would tackle.

The left winger never looked back thereafter and took the forward honours along with McGhee.

The whole Clydebank team deserve praise for the way they used the long ball with a gale-force wind in the first half and then changed after the break to retain the initiative with short ground passes.

Stranraer, of course, did mount more pressure after the interval with the wind at their backs but they made little headway against a cool, calculating defence. They could only claim one late success when Taggart, who had substituted for Coggill, beat two Clydebank men with a clever shuffle and found Stanley King, a former Bankie, with a neat pass. King's first-time shot beat McDonald who otherwise had a grand game,

Peculiar incident was the forced replacement of referee Paterson who pulled a muscle in the first half.

After attention from the club doctor at the interval and an unsuccessful appeal for a qualified linesman among the crowd the referee gamely took one of the flags with senior linesman H. L. Stevenson on the whistle.

After five minutes Mr. Paterson had to come off and, by mutual agreement between the clubs, former home player Hugh Holmes acted as second linesman.

Match report written by Oliver McGeachy (Clydebank Press)