Renfrew 1
Clydebank 5
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Match Report

Clydebank needed a half time boot up the backside to get their act together to eventually run out convincing 5-1 winners over Renfrew at New Western Park this evening.

The Bankies looked in decent shape during the opening quarter of an hour as a number of chances were created. The trialist dragged a shot wide after just two minutes, then Mulcahy laid the ball off for McKinlay whose shot brought out a save from McLean.

Niven had the best chance when he headed a Lee Gallacher corner goalward only to see the ball cleared off the line. Green got his head to the rebound but the ball floated over the bar.

Renfrew fought their way back into the match and took a hold of the midfield. By the time the home side took the lead after 21 minutes, it couldn’t really be grudged and it was a fine goal. Innes made a great run down the left wing and his cross to the back post where Scott Morton directed a powerful header beyond King.

The Bankies struggled to find their game as Renfrew quite comfortably held their lead, and were clearly the better side heading towards the interval. Disaster, however, was to strike on the stroke of half time.

A long throw-in from the right had an unusually high bounce and this completely flummoxed the goalkeeper as the ball went right over his head. The ball was heading into the goal when McKinlay and Wylie challenged on the line, and it looked like it was the defender who ran it into the goal.

The Bankies took ages to come back out after the interval and as they re-appeared Weir, Hodge and the left-back trialist entered the fray, and the response was immediate.

The tempo and passing were cranked up and the speed of the play saw Clydebank score three goals and miss a penalty in the opening ten minutes of the half.

The first of these goals was in 49 minutes with a great near post header from Ciaran Mulcahy as he got on the end of a Lee Gallacher cross. Two minutes later McKinlay made space for himself and from 25 yards rifled in a bullet shot to the bottom corner with the keeper not even attempting a dive.

A few minutes later the ref awarded a soft penalty for handball as Gallacher kicked the ball off a defender’s arm at fairly short range. McKinlay’s spot kick to the upper quadrant was at a good height for the keeper and he did a good job to save on his right hand side.

Another goal arrived almost immediately, and it was the second lucky goal of the night. The trialist full back who hasn’t harmed his chances with a second good game, hit the bye-line and crossed from a tight angle. Incredibly the ball flew over the keepers head, hit the inside of the post and ended up in the net.

The Bankies were virtually camped in the Renfrew half for the remainder of the game and there were umpteen chances to run up a big score. Josh Weir was particularly unlucky in this respect, however he looks like he will add a dimension to the attack that Clydebank have rarely had in quite a number of years.

Just on the final whistle, Frazer Johnstone leathered the ball into the net from the edge of the box to complete the scoring.

Match report written by Stuart McBay