Berwick Rangers 1
Clydebank 2
League (Lowland League)

Match Report

It has been almost 24 years since Clydebank last faced Berwick Rangers in a competitive match at Shielfield Park, way back in 2002. But even then, it was under a cloud — the Bankies’ dying days in the senior leagues, when the club was under the control of the worst kind of unscrupulous people that Scottish football has ever seen. You would have to go way back to 1982 for the last time the “real” Clydebank and Berwick were proper adversaries.

It was fantastic to see the amber and black stripes of the Borderers take to the field against the white with red sash shirt of the Bankies yesterday. Two historic kits in a historic old ground. I had the pleasure of meeting Tom Malcolm during the week. For those who don’t know, Tom followed the Bankies home and away in the Bankies’ fledgling years in the seniors in 1966. He would go on to write the match reports for the Clydebank Press in those heady years, and I was lucky enough to be given his scrapbooks from that time to help with the ongoing research for the Bankies Archive.

One of the first things that I found in the book was an away programme against Berwick Rangers from 1967. Almost 60 years later, it is great to see this fixture back on the calendar after all this time, and hopefully both clubs can rekindle our rivalry back in the SPFL in the future.

Well, did the match live up to its expectations? The answer would be not quite. The Bankies came away with the three points in a 2-1 victory, which was the important thing, but two penalties and an own goal tell a story that isn’t too far from the truth. In fact, it probably wasn’t a million miles away from the attritional slog that Tom had to endure on a hard-going pitch back in the 1960s.

We are at the stage of the season where every point is a prisoner, and performances are as much about resolve as anything else. This match and the midweek encounter at Linlithgow show that we are up for the fight at the very least.

It was pleasing to see Dom Docherty retain his place in the team, as that extra body sitting in front of the defence has given us more stability in the middle of the pitch, and Moffat’s formation meant that we never lost anything from an attacking point of view.

Shielfield Park hasn’t hosted a home league game since December due to the weather, and although improving the pitch was difficult for the players and it demanded a more direct style of play, the Bankies took the early initiative.

Nicky Low sent a neat cross to the back post in the first minute, but nobody was alert to the pass, and shortly afterward Dolan dug out a chip shot that dipped just a foot wide of the post. After 12 minutes, the Bankies had the ball in the net. Dolan found McLaughlin with a deft floated pass, and the forward cut it back from the touchline for Nicky Little to ram the ball home. Unfortunately, the far-side linesman raised his flag to signal that the ball had gone out of play — what must have been an incredibly tight decision.

Despite the early pressure, the Bankies found themselves a goal behind due to a self-inflicted wound. Firstly, Caelan McCrone should not have been allowed to carry the ball virtually the whole length of the field unchallenged. Secondly, he was able to drive into the penalty box and his low cross was diverted into his own net by Nicky Low as he tried to prevent the forward at the back post from having an easy tap-in.

Thankfully, the Bankies responded fairly quickly. David Syme’s long ball found Oisin McHugh, and his direct running was too much for Alfie Robinson, who clipped his ankle for a clear penalty. Nicky Little did what he does best as he took his tally for the season into double figures.

The Bankies were the better side for the remainder of the first half but failed to create a clear opening. However, they could easily have found themselves a goal behind in stoppage time. A corner from the right was headed goalward and Stott did well to scoop the ball off the line. In the melee that followed, Mikey Mbewe somehow managed to strike the crossbar from close range as the ball broke to him.

This would be the last real dangerous moment the Bankies would face, as Moffat’s men largely controlled the second period. The question was whether we could score that vital winning goal.

Once again, for all our territorial advantage, we didn’t create a whole host of chances, but we did make enough clear opportunities to get our noses back in front.

Neil McLaughlin got on the end of a long through ball, rounded the keeper, but could only hit the outside of the post from a tight angle. From the rebound, he possibly could have squared the ball for waiting team-mates but tried for goal himself, managing only to find the side-netting. Kieran Dolan also sclaffed an effort wide of the post from a corner kick which he should have buried, and a number of corners promised much but delivered little.

The winning goal finally arrived from the penalty spot and, on second viewing, it was a harsh decision. Neil McLaughlin gave his marker a little nudge as the ball was played through to him. As the defender fell, he raised his legs, catching the Bankies striker who essentially fell over him rather than being tripped.

The referee saw it how he saw it and awarded the spot kick. McLaughlin took it himself and calmly stroked it home for his 21st goal of the season.

With the rain now teeming down, the Bankies could have extended the lead in the closing stages, with Gallacher sending a volley wide and David Syme having a header saved by Liam Campbell. In the end, not the silkiest performance the Bankies will ever produce, but a dogged one that earns you the same number of points.

Clydebank jumped back above Caledonian Braves into second place, who were idle this weekend. We still have a game in hand and can open a small gap on them. Both Tranent and Linlithgow Rose can overtake the Bankies if they win their games in hand, showing how tight the top of the league is.

However, we must turn our full attention to league leaders Bonnyrigg Rose next week at Holm Park. They carry an eight-point lead at the moment; however, a victory — coupled with a positive result in our game in hand — can cut the lead to two. It is not in our own hands, and anything less than three points will see our title challenge come to an end.

It is an all-ticket match and Holm Park needs to be at its loudest next week. Bonnyrigg will travel in numbers and with confidence, but this is our ground and our moment. If we are to keep this title race alive, the players will need every voice behind them from the first whistle to the last. Now is the time to stand up and be counted, players and fans alike.

Match report written by Stuart McBay