Match Report
Clydebank continued their pre-season schedule with a comfortable, if rather uninspiring, 2-1 win against Lowland League East outfit Broxburn Athletic.
This game felt like the most “pre-season” of the games we have played so far, and Broxburn provided the stiffest opposition to date. The Bankies enjoyed the lion’s share of the possession, particularly in the first half, but we could have done with playing twenty yards further up the pitch. Too much time was spent rotating the ball between the defence and midfield, but you must credit the home side for closing down the spaces and making it difficult to pass through them.
We didn’t make too much use of the wide areas either, and one of the few times we did, it led to a goal. Keir Samson was set free down the right wing after nine minutes, and his cut-back was met by Neil McLaughlin around 15 yards from goal. He hit his shot into the ground, and it spun up beyond ex-Bankie Kyle King and into the net.
It was good to see the forward line of McLaughlin and Samson link up, but by and large both were well handled by the Broxburn defence. The Badgers defeated the Bankies at this ground last season on league business, and they have retained about half of that side, so they were well organised.
It led to a bit of a stalemate, if we are being honest. The Bankies needed a bit more tempo about their game, which only really came after the second-half substitutions.
There were precious few shots on goal during the first period. The Bankies were hampered by the loss of Aidan Callaghan midway through the half, but other than a couple of Dean Cairns long-range efforts, the home goal was rarely under pressure.
Broxburn were hardly productive either, but when you have a prolific striker like Errol Douglas, you always have a chance, and it turned out that way when he equalised on the stroke of half-time. He netted on the rebound after Sam Jones’ shot from a left-wing cross came off the post. The Bankies had, on balance, been the better side, but Broxburn were always in the game.
The second half had much the same profile, though Broxburn had more of the ball. Douglas had a shot blocked by a last-ditch Syme tackle, but Clydebank had a couple of chances when McLaughlin’s angled shot was saved at the near post by King, and Josh Jack almost accidentally chested the ball into the net, only for it to run wide.
It was the substitutions and formation changes that altered the trajectory of the game. In fairness, the Bankies were starting to gain the upper hand beforehand, but were not threatening enough.
It is clear that Blair Rossiter is going to be a pivotal player for the Bankies this season. He immediately injected extra pace and direction into our attacking endeavours, and it will be interesting to see if Pollard is used as an impact player because of his ability to run with the ball at his feet. It is a skill sadly lacking in a lot of modern-day footballers.
It is also worth considering the case for Matthew Monaghan. It is difficult for young players to break into a side like Clydebank, but he has certainly made the most of his pre-season opportunities. He made one outstanding tackle that looked like a lost cause. On the face of it, it didn’t achieve much, but it roused the Bankies support and should do the same to those around him as well.
The Bankies claimed the winning goal around ten minutes from time, and you have got to love the fact that it was three touches from start to finish. Neil McLaughlin fired a superb long ball into the left channel. Who would have thought that 34-year-old Nicky Low would win the race for the ball, but those off-season marathons have obviously given him that extra yard.
He fired the ball across the penalty box first time for the incoming Blair Rossiter to crash home a well-placed shot.
The Bankies could have added to their lead in the end, with Joe Burns shooting wide and Nicky Low curling a shot over the bar near the end.
Gordon Moffat is evidently trying different things out to see which combinations work best under different circumstances. Players come and go during this part of the season due to holidays, and we have still to see Chris McGowan and Jimmy Grant at all.
I think most of us, even at this early stage, are forming an idea of who we would like to see be part of the starting eleven when the real action gets under way. However, a higher number of midweek fixtures than ever are in the calendar this season, so the full squad is certain to be utilised.
The pre-season comes to an end in the next seven days, with Kilsyth Rangers visiting Holm Park on Tuesday, followed by West of Scotland First Division champions Irvine Meadow on Saturday.
Match report written by Stuart McBay
