Linlithgow Rose 1
Clydebank 1 (5-3 on pens)
South Challenge Cup (2nd Round)

Match Report

The top two sides in the Lowland League went head-to-head at Prestonfield this afternoon in the South Challenge Cup, and the contest lived up to its billing. Clydebank eventually bowed out 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw, but the match had everything: red cards for both teams, a last-gasp equaliser, and a penalty shootout full of drama. If this was a dress rehearsal for their league clash in eight weeks’ time, then the Holm Park fixture promises fireworks.

The red card for Matt Niven after 62 minutes was undoubtedly the turning point. Despite protecting a precarious one-goal lead, the Bankies had mostly nullified the potent Rose forward line, who had been scoring for fun prior to this game. The dismissal handed the initiative to the home side, and although they were also reduced to ten when Stenhouse left his studs on Dean Cairns’ ankle, Clydebank never truly regained control.

That was perhaps the most disappointing aspect of an otherwise full-on game. We really needed to get our foot on the ball and take the sting out of the contest – something we are normally very good at – but in those closing stages we constantly conceded possession too easily. Linlithgow were afforded too much space in the middle of the pitch and, as their efforts became increasingly desperate, they launched ball after ball into the box. With Niven off the field, there was nobody to combat the aerial threat of Blair Henderson.

It was hard lines to lose the equaliser four minutes into stoppage time, but we partly brought it on ourselves. On another day Nicky Low’s headed clearance from a corner would have sailed to safety, but on this occasion it found the unmarked Greg Skinner at the back post, and he expertly guided it past Stott.

The game had the feel of a “big match,” much like the encounters with Auchinleck Talbot and Johnstone Burgh last season. Gordon Moffat restored Nicky Little and Dean Cairns to the starting eleven at the expense of Craig Truesdale and Aaron Black.

The first half ebbed and flowed, with both sides enjoying spells of control. Clydebank undoubtedly started the sharper, but Linlithgow soon found their rhythm, with Stenhouse and Paterson looking lively in the wide areas. From a free-kick on the left came Rose’s best chance: the initial header brought out an instinctive block from Owen Stott, before David Syme cleared Henderson’s follow-up off the line.

The Bankies’ best moments came from route-one play. Keir Samson latched on to a huge clearance and forced Binnie into a good save. Then Lee Gallacher produced a rare flash of the dribbling ability we haven’t seen often enough this season, weaving into the box past several defenders. Unfortunately, he lacked conviction on his weaker right foot and overhit his pass to Neil McLaughlin, giving Binnie an easy stop.

Another long ball caused chaos in the Rose defence. Nicky Low did well to throw a leg at it as it dropped from the sky, but Binnie blocked with his leg – a centimetre either way and the Bankies would have been ahead.

Clydebank did take the lead three minutes after the restart. A quick free-kick down the left channel released Samson, who outpaced the defence. Gallacher cleverly peeled off his marker and slotted home from Samson’s pass.

The Bankies looked good at this stage, with the game suiting our ability to counter quickly. McLaughlin was unlucky when he dispossessed James Berry and ran the length of the park, only to see his shot drift narrowly wide.

Linlithgow, though, always carried a threat. Henderson was presented with a decent opening down the right channel, but his effort past the advancing Stott lacked power and Niven cleared comfortably.

Then came the moment that changed the match. Niven was red-carded for an off-the-ball incident – the referee indicating use of an elbow. I didn’t see it clearly, but Niven offered little protest. It seemed out of character from big Matt, but it had massive ramifications.

From there it was backs-to-the-wall as Linlithgow pressed forward. Ironically, that pressure led to their own dismissal. Stenhouse, who had little change out of Adam Hodge all afternoon, finally lost patience and his late tackle on Cairns merited a straight red.

Even with numbers evened up, Linlithgow still looked the stronger side. I understood the introduction of Black for his pace, but perhaps Johnstone would have been a more prudent option than Truesdale in the circumstances.

Whenever we did win the ball in advanced areas, composure deserted us, and possession was quickly surrendered. Stott had to come to the rescue on a couple of occasions, one superb save from Henderson in particular as he flung himself left to claw the ball away. But the dread of conceding eventually came true in stoppage time, when Skinner rose at the back post to nod home and take the tie to penalties.

There’s not much more to be said about shootouts. All of Linlithgow’s penalties were confidently struck, and Stott had no chance with any. Somebody has to miss, and unfortunately it was Aaron Black. No doubt Nicky Little and McLaughlin would have stepped up had they still been on the pitch, but that’s the way it goes. For the record, Low, McGowan (at the second attempt) and Cairns converted for the Bankies.

As a precursor to November’s league meeting at Holm Park, this encounter sets the stage perfectly. If both sides maintain their form, that clash could take on even greater significance. Tough as it was to lose to a stoppage-time equaliser and then the coin-flip of penalties, Clydebank can hold their heads high and look forward in confident mood.

My man of the match was Adam Hodge, who I thought was immense despite an early yellow card. Stott pushed him close, but plenty of others can be proud of their efforts.

Next week we welcome Hearts B to Holm Park – an unusual occasion for older supporters more accustomed to seeing the first team as our opponents in years gone by.

Match report written by Stuart McBay