Clydebank 7
Hamilton Accies 1
League (Division 2)

Match Report

The season of goodwill is almost upon us. This was brought home on Saturday as Kilbowie lay under a thin covering of snow with more continually falling to replace that which was swept away when the lines were cleared. But there was no goodwill in the way Bankies completely demoralised what could be described as a struggling Accies side. Not even former Rangers forward, Ralph Brand, could make any difference to his team.

Right from the kick-off the Bankies realised it was not going to be as difficult to get both points from the Accies as it had been in previous seasons. Like a shark smelling blood, the Bankies moved in for the kill but unlike the shark were not as savagely ruthless as they could have been.

This, coupled with a fine display of goalkeeping from Accies Polish goalkeeper, Szygula, kept the scoreline down to reasonable proportions. If not, the score could just as easily have been 17-1.

Making a return to the Clydebank side after a week on the side-lines with flu was centre-forward Peter Kane. Obviously delighted to be back in the game again, he celebrated by scoring a hat-trick. A double from Jimmy Caskie and one a piece from Dougie Hay and Allan Munro brought the tally to seven.

It was Caskie who started the rout in the seventh minute (aptly enough). The winger took the ball on the drop to shoot into the back of the net from about 15 yards.

The driving snow in their faces didn't prove a hindrance to the Bankies. If anything it helped to cool them down as they continued to mount attack upon attack at the Hamilton goal.

The ball was in the net for the second goal in the 16th minute via the head of Dougie Hay. The new hairier version of left-back Davie Mitchell crossed the ball into the middle and Hay met the ball perfectly with a flying header to give Szygula no chance.

Quick thinking by the Accies' keeper averted two certain goals in the 18th and 22nd minute. In the first attack, Kane and Caskie broke clear of the visiting defence. Kane had the ball at his feet, but seemed to carry it too far before shooting and Szygula managed to turn the ball round the post for a corner.

Alan Munro had a go after another quick break four minutes later but again Szygula was on the spot to save the situation.

Bankies goalkeeper Mike McDonald was brought into action for practically the first time in the 29th minute when he had to look lively to tip a shot from Harper round the post.

The pace of the opening minutes might have been responsible for the Bankies slackening the pace in the final 15 minutes of the first-half. Whatever the reason, it cost them a goal in the 35th minute when Harper took a pass from outside-left Lawless and coolly slipped the ball past McDonald.

A slack pass-back three minutes from half-time almost gifted Hamilton the equaliser but McDonald was a fraction quicker to the ball than Harper

Like the previous week's game at Kirkcaldy, Bankies really began to hit the ball home in the second-half.

The third goal scored in the 58th minute was a gem. A lovely little slip from Caskie inside the full-back found Alan Munro and the Bankies striker hammered in a fierce angular drive which Szygula managed to block. But the 'keeper had no chance when Munro hammered the rebound goalward and Kane had the easiest task of tapping the ball home from point-blank range.

Accies new manager, ex-celt Ronnie Simpson took a gamble shortly after this goal obviously trying to make up some ground when he took off one of his Polish wing-half, Olek and brought on Tuite, a centre forward.

However, Dougie Hay & Co. had learned their lesson from the first half and were determined not to let the game slip from them now.

They pounded the Hamilton goal mercilessly and it was in this period that Szygula struck peak form, and still conceded four more goals in the last 14 minutes,

The home fans were chanting “easy" after Munro netted goal number four when he ran on to a tremendously long kick-out from McDonald and tapped the ball past the 'keeper.

A fantastic piece of footwork that would have done Rudolph Nuryev proud from Ian Currie on the bye line gave him the chance to cross the ball into the middle and there was Kane ready to do the needful - and succeeding.

Two goals in 30 seconds finally put paid to Accies. A quick break by Jim Fallon in the 88th minute took him past Szygula at the far edge of the box and the right-back crossed for Kane to head the ball powerfully into the open goal.

“We want seven” rose the cry from the crowd under the enclosure and as if to say thank you for coming out in such a miserable day to watch us, Caskie took a through pass from Kane before haring up the park and slipping the ball past the now disgusted Szygula.