Clydebank 0
Aston Villa 1
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Match Report

The grass of Kilbowie almost ran red with the blood of players as this pre-season heat-up warmed to a proper "Battle Royal." Holding the initiative throughout the match Clydebank always looked dangerous, young Gerry O'Brien tearing holes in the Villa defence, but the home players lacked cohesion in passing and were obviously too easily dispossessed when they got the ball at their feet.

Aston Villa used some of their promising newcomers and found tough opposition in fast, youthful Scottish Second Division side.

I have heard that the "dangerous play" rule, down south, bans players going for high balls with their feet; this wasn't the case last Monday night. In fact I think some of the Clydebank players were lucky to escape decapitation at the feet of the Villa forwards.

Referee Anderson tried hard to control the game, and succeeded up to a point, but during the second half he would have been quite justified in becoming indiscriminate with his book, and few people could have frowned on ordering off in several cases.

As it was, only three players were booked; Villa left back Brian Rowan; outside-left John Griffiths; and 'Bankies centre Alan Munro.

During the first half Clydebank made most of the attacking moves and the Villa team were continually plunged into defence, at times a block defence which would have taken a Centurion tank to flatten.

Gerry O'Brien isn't exactly built like a tank but his agility with the ball at his toes shone. The only answer the Villa team had for this was outnumbering the wee lad and forcing him off the ball.

Gerry almost put 'Bankies into an early lead after five minutes play. A lovely shot stretched Villa 'keeper Gordon Knowles to the limit. He grasped the ball then dropped it in time to see little Jimmy Caskie running in at him. The way Knowles regained possession you would have thought he was picking up a pot of gold.

Four minutes later Ian Hawkshaw shook the Villa defence when he met a high O'Brien cross and tried to head it home. It slipped just over the bar.

Clydebank opened the second half with one change in the team. Tommy McGhee was brought on in place of Denis Ruddy.

It was still very much Clydebank in attack. Hay scraped the post with a great shot and a piledriver from O'Brien crashed against the Villa post with Knowles well beaten.

The only goal of the match was a cracker. In the 74th minute Villa brought on Fellows for Kearney and one minute later, rather against the run of play, they opened the scoring . Brown crossed from the left and Donnelly rose to place a header well out of Madden's reach.

Now that Villa had gained the lead they clamped down and wild horses were not going to drag it away from them, if they could help it.

Only a minute after the goal was scored an appeal went out for a penalty in vain when Jimmy Caskie was brought down almost in the box. Clydebank left back, Gray, took the free-kick and passed out a short one to Hawkshaw.

By this time the complete Villa defence had converged around Hawkshaw. He tried to dribble the ball out of the melee but lost it through sheer force of numbers.

Douglas Hay, playing at left-half, and Ian Hawkshaw tried hard to keep the ball around the Villa area, but several Villa players seemed to bear a grudge against "Dougie" and he was half crippled at every chance.

It's not like Hay to stand back and take this sort of treatment, and behind the ref's back he dished out a fair amount himself, but he must be commended for keeping his head.

Dick Madden saved the proverbial Clydebank bacon ten minutes from time when Villa centre, Godfrey, took a free-kick just outside the area. He sent the leather through the middle of the Clydebank defence. Madden didn't quite have the ball covered but managed to get his fingers to it.

Unfortunately he didn't quite grasp the ball and Clydebank hearts missed a beat at it bounced almost on the line. Diving from an almost prone position Madden managed to regain possession to save.

In some ways Clydebank were unlucky to lose this match but one goal made the difference and no one can decry the fact that it was a good goal. One thing the game did do was to magnify the Clydebank weaknesses.

If these are ironed out we can look forward to a very promising season at Kilbowie.

Three thousand people attended this match. Tomorrow afternoon Clydebank meet Dumbarton in their first League Cup match of the season. I wonder how many supporters will turn up for this one?

After the match 'Bankies boss Jack Steedman said "This was a very satisfactory match. It was a very hard pre-season game which suited our boys."

Match report written by Oliver McGeachy (Clydebank Press)