Forfar Ath 0
Clydebank 2
League (Division 2)

Match Report

Bankies travelled to bottom of the league Forfar last Saturday knowing that a win was a must if they were to keep up their promotion challenge. Manager Willie Munro pulled a surprise by fielding reserve centre-half Bobby Provan at outside-left, relegating Hay and Kane to the subs bench.

Bankies started in aggressive Fashion and McCallan and Larnach looked as if they could run riot. The pitch was in remarkably good condition considering recent weather conditions and this allowed Bankies to play the ball about with great ease. It took them only seven minutes to forge ahead when Davie Cooper met a chip from Provan on the drop and left-footed the ball home from 20 yards.

With this early lead Bankies settled to play some attractive football and one felt that this was a great opportunity to improve their goal difference. The keeper prevented a certain second goal when he dived to hold a shot from Provan but was well beaten in the 26th minute. Abel flighted a perfect free kick into the area where Joe McCallan rose above the defence and sent a glorious header high into the net.

Forfar were just never in the game and it was easy to see why they languished at the foot of the league. They had absolutely nothing to offer and seldom was Jim Gallacher troubled. Indeed they had only one shot at goal in the first-half and that finished yards wide of the target.

The Bankies fans sat back expecting a barrage on the home defence and a few more goals to cheer; however they were badly let down. Although the game was a canter for them. Bankies were unable to increase their goal tally. Perhaps some of the players had tomorrow's cup match on their minds for there was a definite lack of purpose about their second-half play.

Forfar almost pulled one back during their only real burst of pressure in the 65th minute. Jim Gallacher was awakened from his slumbers by a thunderbolt 30-yard shot from full-back Walker and he did very well to turn it over the bar.

This spurred Bankies into greater efforts and a brilliant move saw the ball go from Abel to Henderson to McCallan and on to Cooper whose shot was fractionally wide.

In the 75th- minute Bankies made the inevitable substitution with Kane replacing Provan who had looked completely lost and out of place with a No. 11 shirt on his back.

The introduction of Kane sparked new life into Bankies play and they again moved forward well. With a little luck they may have added three or four goals to their total in the closing quarter of an hour.

Firstly, Henderson shot narrowly past from a Cooper corner then a 20-yard shot by McCallan was pushed for a corner by a late despairing dive from the keeper. In the last few minutes Cooper and Kane combined twice to split the Forfar defence. Unfortunately Kane's shot cannoned back off a post then Cooper sent a shot on the run just wide.

This was an easy victory for Bankies and two valuable points that puts them right back in the promotion hunt. Against the worst team that I have seen in many a long day (including Bankies earlier in the season) they rather missed the boat by scoring only two goals and should certainly have capitalised on their superiority.

Best players for Bankies were Hall, Abel, Henderson and McCallan but the experiment of playing Provan at outside-left was a complete failure.

In the time that Peter Kane was on the park he did enough to justify his place in the team for tomorrow's cup tie; his experience could be vital. With the promotion bid still going strong Bankies can afford to relax slightly and concentrate on the cup clash against Dunfermline.

It will be a tough match but one that Bankies can win if they can continue the form shown at Kilbowie in their last four home matches.

It is hoped that a big crowd will turn out to give them the support that could spur them on to victory. It's not beyond them. Good luck Lads!