Clydebank 2
Stirling Uni 1
League (Lowland League)

Match Report

Anyone who thought the Lowland League was going to be a walk in the park will have to reassess quickly. The Bankies may have recorded another win tonight over Stirling University, but we aren’t half being made to work hard for it – and we haven’t even faced any of the genuine title contenders yet.

Stirling proved to be another well-drilled outfit, solid at the back and dangerous going forward. It took a huge slice of fortune to secure the points, with Alex Jeanes turning a vicious low cross from James Grant past his own keeper in the final minute. Up until then it looked like the Clydebank support were heading home disappointed, the Uni side having fought back from a goal down and looking good to hang on for a draw before the late twist.

Gordon Moffat’s selection was a bold one. With Keir Samson unavailable and McCann and Mulcahy starting on the bench, he opted to play without a recognised striker. Aaron Black, after his weekend heroics, was given the task of leading the line. It seemed the right call as Clydebank began brightly. Jimmy Grant saw a deflected effort clip the outside of the post, and from the resulting corner David Syme’s flick came close to breaking the deadlock.

But Stirling soon settled and caused problems. Finlay Moffett was outstanding all evening, and he almost put the students ahead when he worked space and forced Stott into a fine stop low to his left. The visitors looked increasingly dangerous, and only indecision cost them when Moffett delayed on a close-range chance, allowing Stott to block again.

At the other end Clydebank’s shooting was frankly poor. Black, Low and Gallacher all blazed efforts hopelessly off target. Chris Geddes would have been the happier manager at the break, his side having stifled Clydebank’s attacks while threatening consistently themselves.

As so often this season, the Bankies raised the tempo after the restart. Gallacher was sent clean through by Little but shot tamely at Buttigieg, at least registering something on target. Stott was soon back in action, cutting out a dangerous cross, before Black’s fine delivery almost gave Little the opener at the near post.

The pressure finally told after 55 minutes. A sharp pass from Nicky Low found Neil McLaughlin in the box. With his back to goal, he cleverly rolled the ball into Black’s path, and the forward drove it low past the keeper’s near side. It was no more than Clydebank’s second-half dominance deserved.

A second goal looked necessary to seal it, but chances went begging. Little and McLaughlin both saw deflected efforts fail to find the net, while Stirling’s attacking threat seemed to have faded. The game entered a lull as both managers made changes, but gradually the visitors grew in belief again. Clydebank became a little slack, and with ten minutes left Cairns conceded a needless free-kick on the edge of the box.

What followed was as good a strike as you’ll see all season. Moffett stepped up and thundered the ball past Stott, sparking wild celebrations. His choice to goad the home support by cupping his ears, however, was a poor one. We’ve all seen that kind of thing before – usually down the leagues – and more often than not it comes back to bite. A pity really, because Moffett had been superb throughout.

And sure enough, it did haunt him. Clydebank threw everything forward in the closing stages. Buttigieg produced a brilliant fingertip save to deny Cairns a piledriver, and with time running out it looked like two points were slipping away. Then came the decisive moment: from a quick throw, Mulcahy laid the ball for Grant to drive into the box, McCann narrowly missed it, and Jeanes could do nothing as the ball cannoned off him into the net. The roar from the terracing said it all.

It was another narrow win, and over the piece the Bankies probably shaded it. But there is no denying the need to get on top earlier in games. Just three of our twelve league goals have come in the first half, and that tells its own story. Linlithgow Rose, by contrast, are blowing teams away – 24 goals in just six games underlining the gap we must close.

On the night the standouts were Oisin McHugh, who looks to have rediscovered his form after a difficult spell at the end of last season, and Aaron Black, who continues to impress with his work rate and sharp finishing. Honourable mention too for Owen Stott, whose vital saves at key moments were every bit as important as the goals.

If the past few games have been testing, Saturday’s trip to Tranent will provide a different measure altogether. They were tipped for the top four but have stuttered so far. Even so, Foresters Park is never an easy place to go, and it promises to be another searching examination of Clydebank’s credentials.

Match report written by Stuart McBay