Clydebank 1
Airdrie 0
League (1st Division)

Match Report

A penalty by Billy McColl in the 35th minute gave Bankies both points in this promotion clash, and keeps them two points clear at the top of the table.

The game was played at a fast and furious pace, but little good football came from either side, and there were few goalmouth incidents to excite the 4,500 fans. Airdrie should have scored in the second minute when Walker sent a through ball to Jones, but with only Gallacher to beat, he crashed his shot well over.

The Lanarkshire men kept up the pressure as Bankies took time to find their feet. After 25 minutes, little had been seen of the Bankies frontrunners, but they came very close to opening the scoring when a long curling lob from Callaghan took Poulton completely by surprise, and he was lucky to push the ball over the bar to safety.

This sparked life into Bankies, and Abel worked well with Callaghan, who sent over another dangerous cross. The ball glanced the bar straight to Billy McColl, whose header was blocked at the base of the post by Poulton's legs.

The next three minutes saw the Bankies win six corners, the last of which resulted in the goal. Cooper flighted the ball to Larnach, who head flicked powerfully towards goal. Poulton was beaten but Lapsley was not. He palmed the ball out, and the penalty was awarded. McColl stepped up and blasted the ball into the corner of the net.

Keeping up the pressure, Bankies looked good, and were streets ahead of their opponents, who resorted to kick and run tactics that made no impression on a defence superbly marshalled by Fallon.

Just after the interval, Davie Cooper smashed a 25 yarder straight at Poulton, but after this Bankies were seldom seen in attack.

Despite having territorial advantage the visitors still struggled to find a way to pass Jim Gallacher, who was again in five-star form.

Norrie Hall, recovered from his leg injury, was introduced and Gerry McLauchlan was brought off.

In the final ten minutes, Clydebank survived tremendous pressure but the strong defence was more than equal to anything coming their way. Whiteford fired in a shot that produced a great save from Gallacher, but this apart, Bankies were never really threatened.