Clydebank 1
St Cadocs 1
League (WoSFL Premier)

Match Report

Title challengers Clydebank and St Cadocs fought out a breathless one-all draw at Holm Park this afternoon that may well be remembered more for the missed chances than anything else. The woodwork rescued both sides, and the Bankies in particular will be rueing several gilt-edged opportunities that could have seen them open up a ten-point lead over the Cads.

First and foremost, it was important not to lose the game and concede any ground to St Cadocs, as The Bankies could still stretch their lead to ten points over the New Tinto Park side if we win our game in hand. Also, the draw ensures that the Bankies will complete a full year without losing a league game at home. We haven’t been beaten at Holm Park since our loss to Largs Thistle last February. It is unfortunate that we were unable to win the game as all nine games played in the intervening period have all been victories.

It was interesting to note that Gordon Moffat opted to send new loan signing Calum Biggar straight into the starting eleven for such a crucial game. He replaced the absent Aaron Black, but a little bit positional jiggery-pokery meant that Biggar started in the centre of midfield with Craig Truesdale returning to the left wing. Oisin McHugh and Chris McGowan also swapped positions with the other new loan signing from St Mirren, Owen Carey on the bench.

The game wasted no time in producing goalscoring chances. In under two minutes, a long ball evaded Oisin McHugh, and Neil McLaughlin fired off a shot that was only about a foot over the bar.

Clydebank responded immediately as Lee Gallacher brushed off the challenge of Jack Breen down the right wing and his expert cross found the unmarked Ciaran Mulcahy at the edge of the six-yard box. Mulcahy is usually dependable from this kind of position, but he headed straight at the goalkeeper who still had to react instinctively to block. It was to be one of those days for Mulcahy as this was the first of three great chances he passed up.

The action kept up apace and the Bankies went ahead after just five minutes. It was Gallacher again who supplied the cross, this time from the other wing. It looked as though it might have been overhit, but Nicky Litte had other ideas as he slid in at the back post to divert the ball past Currie to put the Bankies one up.

St Cadocs recovered well and put the Bankies under a fair bit of pressure and deservedly equalised after 22 minutes. The Cads had a very obvious tactic of sending a long diagonal ball for Declan McManus on the right wing, and it was from that exact situation that his deep cross into box found Ciaran Diver who bulleted a header past the isolated Any Leishman. McManus was injured in the build-up, and this was a relief for the Bankies defence.

St Cadocs continued to have the better of the possession and pushed hard to take the lead prior to the interval. This is where we saw one of the greatest escapes the Bankies goal has ever experienced.

It all began with a cross from the right wing which Diver met first time but was unlucky to see the ball crash off the right-hand post. The ball broke to Breen in the stramash that ensued, but his headed effort beat Leishman but not Oisin McHugh who cleared off the line. With the ball still not properly cleared, Neil McLaughlin cleverly lifted it beyond the Bankies defence but this time the other post came to the rescue.

The Bankies then nearly had the cheek to take the lead down the other end. It was, off course, Lee Gallacher who again provided the assist. No blame could be attached to Ciaran Mulcahy this time as he outjumped three defenders and sent a powerful header goalwards only to see Currie make a terrific save on his left-hand side.

The second half began much like the first with Clydebank taking the game to St Cadocs and within a minute it should have been 2-1. A Truesdale cross was cut out by Currie in the St Cadocs goal and the ball fell for Gallacher who struck it back into the danger area. The luckless Mulcahy should have put the ball away, but he missed his kick, and the ball rebounded off the shin of his standing leg and flew away at a crazy angle for a goal kick.

Once more St Cadocs rode out the early storm and began to impose their game on the Bankies again. Diver wasn’t too far away with a 20-yard shot when he possibly had better options ahead of him, and then a low driven cross was expertly laid off for McLaughlin, but with the goal at his mercy he ballooned the ball over the bar. As the pressure intensified, the Cads forced four consecutive corners and from one of those McLaughlin bulleted a header narrowly over the bar.

It was at this point that Gordon Moffat’s substitutions changed the game. Samson replaced Mulcahy and new boy Carey took up the left back position allowing McGowan to move into the midfield. The Bankies were a whole new entity now, and how they didn’t win the game in the last 25 minutes is a mystery.

Straight away, the impressive Carey, sold the Cads right back a dummy and fired in a shot that sailed just over the bar. Two minutes later the Bankies missed probably the best chance of the match.

Led by the hard running Keir Samson, the St Cadocs defence got themselves in a real fankle, and Craig Truesdale intercepted. He should have taken the net off the rigging, but with only the keeper to beat he side-footed the ball, and taking nothing away from the great save Currie made; Truesdale should have scored.

It was just after this that the most agonising moment arrived. Jimmy Grant received a throw-in and his in-swinging cross evaded both Samson and Currie and struck the inside of the post. The ball trundled along the goal line as the Bankies supporters willed it in, but a defender eventually cleared.

I lost count of the number of shots that the Bankies had in the last twenty minutes. Cairns, Syme, Gallacher, and Little amongst others tested the St Cadocs goal to no avail. Both sides had good spells of pressure in the game, but in the end the Bankies will be the most disappointed not to have won. St Cadocs fearing the worst engaged in some time-wasting and will be delighted to have escaped with a point.

Several players acquitted themselves admirably today. Truesdale and Gallacher both had excellent games. Chris McGowan continues to impress, and David Syme was absolutely commanding, particularly in the last twenty minutes as St Cadocs struggled to get anywhere near the goal. Keir Samson ran the St Cadocs defence ragged when he came on and It also looks like St Mirren have a real gem in Owen Carey. The on-loan full back was superb and hopefully he can make a major contribution in the run-in.

Clydebank’s overall lead in the league table was cut to four points, as Johnstone Burgh won at Troon, and the pressure games continue as we travel for a tasty derby match at Drumchapel on Tuesday which will be another massive test. We follow that up with a trip to Pollok next weekend which is always amongst our hardest away venues, partly due to the healthy rivalry/dislike both club’s supporters have of each other.

Match report written by Stuart McBay