Match Report
Well, I’m glad we don’t have to play them again! To take four points off Caley Braves is a good return, and they will cause plenty of problems for the top teams in this league, particularly on the astro. To score four goals was especially pleasing, even if the Braves were the masters of their own downfall by committing dreadful errors for all of the Bankies’ goals.
There is no doubt, if you take the Celtic B anomaly out of the equation, that Caley Braves are the best side we have faced this season. They move the ball quickly and have pace all over the pitch, which led to an entertaining, high-tempo match. Clydebank were a match for this, and more so in the final third, which proved the telling factor.
We were maybe guilty of sitting back on our lead in the final twenty minutes, but credit must go to the Braves for sticking with their game. Most sides who find themselves three goals in arrears at Holm Park crumble, but the visitors pulled one back and gave the Bankies defence some nervous moments in the closing stages.
Before we go any further, I would like to get my excuses in early if I get any of the Caley Braves players’ names wrong. We can blame three things: the floodlights, the Braves’ mad kit, and the ridiculous font used for the shirt numbers, which are pretty much unreadable.
Gordon Moffat made two changes from Saturday’s team, with Chris McGowan replacing Matt Niven in defence, while Aidan Callaghan came in for his first start for the club at the expense of Kian Leslie. Given the physicality of the Braves, this seemed like a sensible call.
The visitors, who lost at Auchinleck at the weekend, were determined to start on the front foot, and their slick passing and movement was a step up from what we have mostly seen this season. They were particularly fond of the long diagonal ball to James Graham on the right wing, which gave Oisin McHugh plenty to think about in the first half and curtailed some of his marauding runs down the left flank.
After coming through the opening period unscathed, the Bankies took the lead after a catastrophic mistake by goalkeeper Ross Connelly. Not only did he misread a back-header, but he was hopelessly out of position as the ball came off his shin. Blair Rossiter quickly robbed him, and Aidan Callaghan stepped in to take over and stroke the ball into the net.
This sparked the Bankies’ best spell of the match. Nicky Low shot wide from a free-kick, and Neil McLaughlin was unlucky to see a low effort come off the outside of the post.
Caley Braves continued to make good use of the diagonal ball, and Graham was unlucky when he got behind the Bankies defence only to see his wicked shot hit the frame of the goal. It wasn’t clear from my angle, but if Leishman got a touch then he continues to earn his wages.
The Bankies were two up after 36 minutes following another error. Nicky Low’s cross-field pass appeared to be a bread-and-butter interception for Connor McLaren, but through either hesitancy or sheer ineptitude, he let the ball pass by him straight to Blair Rossiter.
Rossiter was the Bankies’ stick-out player, and his confidence must be off the scale. His footwork is outstanding, and as he bore down on goal, rather than shooting straight away he took the time to drop a defender on his backside before side-footing past Connelly.
Unfortunately, we were unable to enjoy the moment for long before Caley Braves pulled one back. A fine move down the right saw Graham hit the bye-line and chip the ball into the box. Leishman did well to keep out the initial header, but Watson was on hand to volley home from close range.
Just as we did on Saturday against Largs, we scored within minutes of the restart, and again the keeper was massively to blame. A long diagonal pass by Cairns looked as though Connelly was going to claim it at the edge of his box, but he somehow misjudged the flight. Neil McLaughlin couldn’t believe his luck as he strode past the calamitous keeper and slipped the ball into the empty net.
McLaughlin has now scored an incredible 13 goals in just 11 games this season, and an impressive 42 in 51 appearances for the Bankies.
For a brief spell, the Braves looked as though they might fold. Rossiter’s dinked lob beat Connelly, but not Sula, who cleared from the line just minutes after the goal.
It didn’t take long for the fourth to arrive, and Rossiter was in the middle of the action again. He tormented the defence down the right wing and his cross was cut out by Connelly. The keeper should really have done better than parry the ball out in front of himself, but Jimmy Grant was on the case.
Rather than attempt to shoot from a tight angle, Grant had the presence of mind to square the ball for Dom Docherty, who had a much better sight of goal and fired home.
This would usually be the cue for the Bankies to invite some pressure and pick off the opposition on the break, but it didn’t quite work out that way. Braves were persistent and created a number of late chances, one of which was converted in the 80th minute by Watson, who outpaced the struggling Jimmy Grant to slot the ball past Leishman.
Had the Braves scored another, we could have had a real grandstand finish, but an off-target header and an incredibly brave goal-line clearance by Chris McGowan made sure the Bankies held on to their two-goal advantage.
The Bankies’ scoring record is quite something now, having netted at least four goals in six of the last seven games. When Moffat signed several high-scoring performers last season, we appeared to have an impressive armoury at our disposal, and that is now bearing fruit. Even if we are conceding more goals than we would like, the response at the other end has been devastating. We have already scored 46 goals this season, and it is only the middle of September.
The quality of opposition continues to increase as old rivals Pollok come to Holm Park on Saturday. The Lok are unbeaten in the league this season, though this will be the first time they have faced anyone in the top seven. It will be a real test of their credentials, and a real opportunity for Clydebank to continue our climb up the table.
Match report written by Stuart McBay
