Clydebank 3
Arthurlie 2
League (WoSFL Premier)

Match Report

Clydebank kept their involvement in the title race alive for another week as they overcame relegation threatened Arthurlie by three goals to two at Holm Park this afternoon. It was a bit of an up and down display from the team overall, but there were many more positives than negatives which was enough to secure the three points. It has to be said that the strong wind had quite a discernible effect on the game, which made it difficult for both sides.

The Bankies had the chance to open up an eight point lead at the top of the table with Beith playing in the West of Scotland Cup, so it was no real surprise to see some of the top players returning to the starting eleven. Lee Gallacher and Nicky Little had both been dropped to the bench recently, bearing the responsibility of the poor run of form. Ciaran Mulcahy also started for the first time since the beginning of February as he been eased back into the side after injury.

Those returning three did more than enough to keep their places in the side at Troon next week. Nicky Little added some much needed urgency into the team particularly pressing the opposition off the ball. Lee Gallacher scored a great solo goal that only Lee Gallacher can do and set up another, and man of the match Ciaran Mulcahy just gives the team an added dimension that we don’t have anywhere else in the squad when he is on song. He also earned an assist and goal for his efforts this afternoon.

I’m not sure who won the toss, but the Bankies crossed over and shot towards the home end with the strong wind behind them. With the condition as they were, it took a while for the players on both sides to come to terms with the conditions.

It was Clydebank who made the brighter start, but to be perfectly honest there wasn’t any real goal action in the first 25 minutes of the game. The first proper shot at goal came from a looping effort by Frazer Johnstone after a half cleared corner found him at the edge of the box.

This led to a creeping build-up of pressure from the Bankies which culminated in the opening goal after 32 minutes. Prior to the goal, Nicky Low had a free kick go narrowly off-target, and Ciaran Mulcahy powered a header just on the wrong side of the upright from a great near post corner.

The goal itself was a thumping great effort by Alan Kelly. A cleared Adam Hodge cross landed at the feet of Ciaran Mulcahy at the edge of the box, and rather than take the shot on himself, he rolled the ball into the path of the better placed Kelly who powered the ball past ex-Bankie Max Clarke.

Arthurlie equalised out of the blue just 6 minutes later. Bradley sent in a great cross from the left, that took out the whole Clydebank defence, and found Dylan Fletcher at the back post, and he volleyed home from six yards out.

Thankfully, the Bankies were able to shrug it off and re-take the lead just a few minutes later, and it was a great solo goal from Lee Gallacher. Not many players are capable of taking on the whole defence the way Lee Gallacher can, and this is why expectations on him are so high. It’s been a while, but it was great to see him weave a path through the Arthurlie rearguard, and still have the composure to put it past the keeper.

The second half followed a similar path of not too much to write home about for the first fifteen minutes or so. With the wind at their backs, Arthurlie tested the resolve of the Bankies precarious one goal lead.

Dylan McGuigan gave Kieran Hughes something to think about with a shot after zig-zagging his way through the Bankies defence. The Bankies keeper appeared to take the ball awkwardly and needed treatment afterwards. Then, there was a lucky escape after 69 minutes when Hughes pushed away a right footed drive from Dylan Dykes. The rebound was followed up by Dylan Fletcher and he was unlucky to see his angled shot hit the outside of the post.

The Bankies went onto have a mini purple patch after this let off, and it led to the scoring of a third goal after 72 minutes. Just before, Alan Kelly, and Adam Hodge both had shots at goal and the Arthurlie defence were obviously feeling the strain.

The goal was a great finish from Ciaran Mulcahy who was unmarked around twelve yards from goal, but it was all about the pass from Lee Gallacher who nipped the ball inside between two defenders to give Mulcahy the chance, and he didn’t waste the opportunity.

This appeared to kill the game off and the fizzling out seemed to be going to plan until the fourth minute of stoppage time when indecision in the middle of the pitch saw substitute Truesdale lose the ball. It was quickly moved forward and Jordan Leyden finished the break off giving the Barrhead men a glimmer of hope.

It was a nervous 90 seconds which followed until the final whistle with some panicky defending and a corner kick that could have had disastrous consequences. Thankfully, we held out for what was a deserved victory in the end.

The result moved the Bankies eight points clear at the top of the table with Beith having six games in hand. Auchinleck are two points further back with the same number of games available to them. Talbot ominously won 4-3 at St Cadocs with an injury time goal which is a fairly clear sign of a team with a league title in their sights. It would now appear to be a straight fight behind the two Ayrshire sides, with the Bankies being an outside bet if we can win our remaining games.

We travel to Troon next week as we attempt to keep the better form going. The 5-1 win over the Portland Park side a couple of weeks ago will be irrelevant as Troon have won both of their games since then, and are on the verge of escaping the relegation dogfight altogether. They will be a different proposition on their own ground, and we will have to dig deep at a venue where we do not have the best of records.

Match report written by Stuart McBay