Yoker Athletic 0
Clydebank 6
Sectional League Cup (Group 9)

Match Report

Clydebank finally handed out a thrashing to Yoker Athletic after 27 attempts and 16 years of trying. Strangely, it was a bittersweet occasion for me as the ball flew into the Yoker net six times without reply. I had been desperate for so many years for the Bankies to give our county neighbours a good cuffing, mainly caused by all those under performing years under Budgie McGhie where his sides only managed to end up winning on seven occasions out of 24 encounters. Yoker always seemed to want it more than we did, even when we were several league divisions ahead of them, and they didn't half enjoy it when they beat us. This made the desire to put Yoker "in their place" even stronger.

This match tonight then was a real anti-climax. Yoker are a pale shadow of their former selves, and are no longer the upstarts that use to chase every ball down when they played the Bankies. The sparse crowd on the terraces show the decline this fixture has undergone in the last ten years or so. The result was never in doubt at any stage, and the six goals could easily have been ten.

The opener came after seven minutes from the penalty spot when Muholland stupidly held Back Stevie Higgins in the box when he got on the wrong side of the striker. Higgins slammed the ball home through the legs of the diving keeper..

The second came just six minutes later when Nicky Little scored probably the best goal of the evening. A cross from the right was punched clear by ex-Bankie Liam Campbell. It was an easy catch and he was to regret the clearance when it landed at the feet of Little at the edge of the box. He took one touch to control the ball before lifting it over defence and goalkeeper into the roof of the net for a fine finish.

There were umpteen opportunities to increase the lead before the break. Little squared the ball when he should have shot. Higgins shot when he should have squared. Then, a double chance came when Hepburn had a clear view of goal, and Little's follow up effort was blocked by some desperate defending. Hepburn brought out a fine save from Campbell after 40 minutes after he went on a mazy run. The keeper diving low to turn the forwards shot round the post.

The only scare the Bankies had in the first half was when a slack pass by Rowan allowed Stevie Young a sight of goal. He still has that powerful shot from his Bankies days and he was unlucky for it to be deflected wide for a corner.

Yoker started off the second half in not too shabby a fashion, but it was all over when Mulholland was given a second yellow card after 52 minutes for a lunge on McClair. It just seemed a matter of time before the third goal would come and the floodgates would open.

Five minutes later the inevitable goal arrived. Asghar's mis-hit cross from the right wing found McClair perfectly and from eight yards out he controlled the ball before lashing it past Campbell. Goal four was not long in coming and substitute Chris Black rolled the ball into the net with ease. McClair grabbed the fifth minutes later and with twenty minutes or so still to go a real hiding looked on the cards. Luckily for Yoker, the Bankies became incredibly wasteful in front of goal, and it took until the last minute when Chris headed home at the back post to complete the scoring.

Yoker did have an opportunity to get a goal themselves when the score was 5-0. Matt McLean was adjudged to have held a Yoker forward in the box and the ref gave a sympathy penalty. He shouldn't have bothered as Howie hit one of the worst penalties you are ever likely to see missing the target completely, and by no small margin.

The Bankies will now go on to face Rossvale in the last 16 who had a surprise win over Pollok. The preparations for the league campaign could not have gone any better. Loads of goals scored and none conceded. The only downside is that the players have not been tested yet, and hopefully the management team have the players aware of this with two tough away fixtures at Irvine Meadow and Rob Roy to get the real stuff underway.

Match report written by Stuart McBay