Match Report
Clydebank turned in one of their best performances of the season to date with a convincing 4-0 victory over Queen of the South Reserves at Kilbowie.
The home side held the upper hand for much of the afternoon and rarely looked troubled by visitors whose attack failed to make a sustained impression. Although centre-forward Reid occasionally threatened, Clydebank's defence remained in control and secured a well-deserved clean sheet.
The first half was fairly uneventful until the 15th minute when Jimmy Hodgson opened the scoring. A defensive error presented the inside-forward with an opportunity and he made no mistake, putting the Bankies ahead.
The goal boosted Clydebank's confidence and they increasingly took command of the match. Hodgson and fellow inside-forward Horn caused persistent problems for the Queen of the South defence, while at the other end Reid and Smith were unable to make the most of the visitors' few promising openings.
Hodgson struck again ten minutes before the interval. His first two efforts were blocked by Wallace and his defenders, but persistence paid off and he eventually forced the ball home to give Clydebank a 2-0 half-time lead.
The Bankies suffered a setback shortly after the restart when winger Andy O'Brien was forced to leave the field with an ankle injury.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, the home side extended their lead in the 54th minute. McLeish's shot caused problems for goalkeeper Wallace and, in the ensuing confusion, right-back Sutherland diverted the ball into his own net.
Nine minutes later Clydebank added a fourth goal in unusual circumstances. Centre-forward John Bustard intercepted a pass back intended for the goalkeeper and calmly took the ball on before placing it into the corner of the net.
With the result effectively settled, Clydebank eased off during the closing stages and allowed the visitors more possession. Queen of the South enjoyed their best spell of the match, but they were unable to find a way through a defence that had looked assured throughout the afternoon.
The victory maintained Clydebank's encouraging start to the campaign and provided a timely boost ahead of their forthcoming Scottish Qualifying Cup tie against Gala Fairydean.
Match report written by Stuart McBay
