Linlithgow Rose 1
Clydebank 1 (3-0 on pens)
Lowland League Cup (Quarter Final)

Match Report

Clydebank may have exited the Lowland Cup at Linlithgow tonight, but the supporters were pleased enough with a much-improved performance that deserved more than to end in what turned out to be a quite awful penalty shoot-out.

It was a third one-all draw between the sides this season and a second penalty shoot-out. Linlithgow have a 100% record, netting eight from eight over the two contests, whilst the Bankies have managed only four from the same number of spot kicks. Gallacher, Low and Dolan all missed tonight as the Rose went through to the next round by three penalties to nil.

For those interested in our dismal shoot-out record, which stands at only 13 wins from 36 contests, you can find a full history here.

So, what was there to be pleased about tonight? Well, before we get to that, let’s get the bad out of the way. Firstly, the Bankies can’t seem to go more than two minutes before another player is injured. Oisin McHugh was obviously playing through the pain barrier, and he lasted only 22 minutes before being substituted. Funnily enough, this may have helped us, as it meant a reshuffle in the formation to accommodate substitute Dom Docherty, who helped to turn things around as the game wore on.

This wasn’t the last of it, as Neil McLaughlin hobbled off after an hour with an ankle injury. He tried to play on but lasted only another five minutes or so, and that is a worry for Saturday. Kieran Dolan also appeared to roll his ankle, though he did seem to shake that off. Hopefully there are no after-effects, as he had a promising match this evening, culminating in scoring our goal.

The rest of the bad all occurred in the first twenty minutes or so, as Linlithgow threatened to pummel us into the ground. They played with such intensity that you feared our poor run of form was going to continue.

The Rose got their reward for this flat-out start after sixteen minutes. Twice in the opening exchanges Stott had been called into action, saving a blockbuster from Joe Smith which sat up perfectly due to a bobble on the pitch. Then the same player was denied by Stott’s legs after he drove in from the right-hand side.

The goal was a fantastic effort when it came. Craig Smith chipped the ball perfectly into the box on the left-hand side, and Calum Rae barely had to break stride as he hit a tremendous shot into the far top corner. Stott had no chance of stopping it.

Nicky Low replied almost instantly with the Bankies’ first shot of the evening, but it didn’t unduly worry Binnie in the home goal. At this stage, you couldn’t help but fear the worst, but following the introduction of Docherty the match began to turn. This was, in part, because Linlithgow appeared to blow a gasket after their early efforts.

And this is where the good took over, as Clydebank completely dominated the remainder of the match and looked much more like the side we know they can be. If there was any criticism, it would be that we are still not quite creating enough clear-cut chances, and we are out of the cup because we were unable to take the few that we did make.

The rest of the first half was a combination of pressure and not quite getting the break of the ball in the penalty area. It was in first-half stoppage time that we really should have equalised. A cross from the left was not dealt with by the keeper, and he punched it straight to Nicky Little. The ball came to him quickly and he could only hit a first-time reaction shot, but unfortunately it flew past the post of the unguarded goal.

The second half continued as the first ended. However, despite some near moments, there was nothing clear cut. It took until the 61st minute for Samson’s diagonal shot to agonisingly slip past the far post. We were getting closer, and the long throw was much more effective on the narrower pitch. It was also noted that Preston delivers a better throw than McLaughlin, simply due to the power and trajectory he was able to generate.

It was from one of his throw-ins that the equaliser arrived after 67 minutes. All sorts of chaos ensued, and Nicky Little cleverly found Kieran Dolan, who bundled the ball into the net at the back post.

In fairness to Linlithgow, they made more of a concerted effort to win the game themselves, as they do possess quick and effective forwards. One of those is Louis Maguire, and he brought out a fine save from Stott, who had to get down sharply to his left-hand side.

However, when all is said and done, the Bankies should have won the game in the final few minutes. Kieran Dolan was the creator, running onto the ball on the left-hand side of the box. He picked out Owen Wardell, who had the good fortune of his marker falling on his backside. With the ball at his feet and the whole goal to aim at, he somehow managed to batter the ball off the prostrate defender when it was easier to score.

That was the chance we had been waiting for, and we were punished for missing it in the penalty shoot-out that followed. Gallacher and Low both had their efforts saved and Dolan blasted his over the bar for a miserable ending to a more promising performance.

We have the beginnings of something. For all our recent poor results, there is a very good team hiding in there. If we can negotiate the significant hurdle of Berwick Rangers at the weekend, then we give ourselves an outside chance when Bonnyrigg come calling to Holm Park a week on Saturday. It will probably be our last opportunity to re-enter the title race and and if we produce that level again, we can still have a say in how this season ends.

Match report written by Stuart McBay