Glas Perthshire 1
Clydebank 2
Sectional League Cup (Group 6)

Match Report

Kieran McAnespie has a puzzle to solve. On the evidence of this match it is going to be a tough one. He somehow managed to get a fairly ordinary side promoted to the Super Premier Division. Subsequently, losing our two best players in the close season ripped the beating heart out of the side. Usually when a team is promoted it is on the crest of a wave to carry them through the early part of the following season. But for the Bankies it is a rebuilding job, with only 9 of last season's squad retained. A number of new players have been recruited and it remains to be seen whether they can get their act together quickly enough. McAnespie and assistant McCulloch seem to me like a couple of guys with a lot of ideas, so hopefully they will be able to build a side capable of surviving in the top division because I don't think we can realistically be expecting anything more.

The match against Perthshire is only my second of the season, with the Hamilton Accies friendly being the other. The one thing that sticks out like a sore thumb is where the goals are going to come from. Jordan Shelvey had a superb end to last season, but he isn't a natural finisher. He always needs an extra touch on the ball to compose himself. He got away with it once against Perthshire when his extra touch led to a softish penalty. The other he hit off the post after delaying too long. If he can learn to put his laces through the ball earlier then he might be onto something. We've still to see Ciaran Lafferty, so this would be the most immediate concern. Little, Bubba and Kasubandi scored 37 goals last season and 45 the season before. That is a lot of goals to replace.

My next concern is the lack of spark from middle to front. It is early days and it may come, but there doesn't appear to be anyone with the dynamism of Burbidge and the intuition of Little. We played respectively well in the first half against Perthshire with Phil Johnston showing a lot of energy, but there wasn't an evident difference in class between the two sides. A goal from a set piece and a penalty gave the Bankies a two goal lead at half time. The second half was like watching the Bankies from much of last season with little idea. Perthshire pulled one back and I don't think anyone would have grudged them a draw had they snatched it. We steadied the ship in the middle of the park when Vezza came on but the pattern of the match was already well established. Maybe the change from the usual formation didn't help, and returning to four at the back may rectify that. Gow is a traditional centre back, and he struggled playing on the right of a three due to him not being the most mobile in the world. Pushing the two full backs forward didn't really work either particularly on the right, which Perthshire time and time again exploited. Remember, this is a team two divisions below us. A top premier side will murder us with that kind of weakness. The inclusion of Forsyth, who looks like a class act, almost forced McAnespie to try the three in the middle, but it doesn't look right to me. Unfortunately, someone somewhere has to drop out of the defence if we go back to four at the back.

It is too early to pass judgment on the new guys until the side settles down, and like most I have initial impressions. It wouldn't be fair at this stage to pass too much comment, though I doubt I will hold back for too long. Suffice to say, that it is going to be testing for some of these players and it will be interesting to see how many are up to the challenge.

It was good to start with a win against a competent Perthshire side. We have another few games to get these players playing like a team before the real tests come along

Match report written by Stuart McBay