Albion Rovers 1
Clydebank 1
League (Division 2)

Match Report

Take 22 brave (almost to the point of madness) players, three just as brave officials, 700 very loyal Albion Rovers and Clydebank fans. Put the whole lot under a torrent of water that would not disgrace a car wash while at the same time making the players play football on what strongly resembled a saturated sponge.

And you have a pretty fair idea of what conditions were like. To say they were deplorable would be the understatement of the year.

The park was like a pond, and it was no surprise when, 10 minutes into the second-half, referee Robert Wilson abandoned the game.

I take my hat off to the players, who put up a very brave performance against the elements. And I am not the only person who thinks this.

For as they left the field, both teams received a standing ovation, and for a change, so did the referee!

As the players slipped, slithered and skidded their way through the first half you would have thought you were in the stalls at the Pavilion as Lex McLean had his audience in stitches with his patter. The spectators were laughing their heads off at the state some of the players got into.

In the fourth minute, Jimmy Caskie and Alan Munro tried to turn quickly to chase a fast ball from Mike Jackson and both fell flat on their faces in the mud.

A few minutes after this it was Dennis Ruddy's turn to entertain the crowd as he slid six yards along the ground following a sliding tackle.

However, don't get the impression it was all fun and no play.

In the 13th minute Rovers were awarded a rather soft penalty when the referee judged that Mick McDonald had brought Green down just inside the box.

Green took the kick himself but McDonald blocked his first shot and the centre's second effort went into the side netting.

Two minutes later Johnstone nearly scored. He took a long Ian Hutchinson-type throw-in which went soaring into the Bankies penalty box, to be punched back out by McDonald to Johnstone. And this time the forward tried to chip the ball over the 'keeper's head. But his aim was out.

There were cries for a penalty from the Bankies players a minute later when Munro was brought down by Brown, but the referee waved play on.

The home team went ahead in the 35th minute when Green headed home a cross from Smith at the far post.

Clydebank should have had the equaliser in the 43rd minute when the Albion goal had an amazing escape when, after good work by Munro, Donnie Wilson failed to find the net from about two feet.

The ball had broken loose and the right-winger hit it fairly and squarely only to see it stick in the mud inches from the goal-line, allowing Brown time to gather it.

But the equaliser came a minute and a half later when Jim Fallon stroked home his umpteenth penalty kick this season, after Munro had been brought down by Gallagher.

The field was waterlogged for the restart. With five minutes gone, Johnston was not far off the mark with a header off a Lynn cross.

Play was held up for attention to Smith and shortly after resuming, the referee abandoned the game with 55 minutes gone and the score standing at one goal each.