Clydebank 0
St Mirren 2
League (Division 2)

Match Report

Bankies were just not 90 minute men at Kilbowie for after a fine first half performance they just simply faded in the second half. St Mirren were not all that hot, in my estimation, but they were just as strong in the second half as in the first half.

One thing I noticed, especially, was that if the Saints defence was subjected to any tough pressure at all they went haywire and had it not been for some superb goalkeeping from Thorburn in goal for the Saints, Bankies might have provided some shocks.

On the whole the game was fairly exciting and both teams provided attractive football with Saints experience giving them the edge.

The game opened strongly and Bankies were doing most of the attacking. Stan King let loose a twenty yarder in seven minutes which just scraped past the post.

Bobby Adamson for Saints replied in 13 minutes with a similar shot and the stage looked set for a real thriller. Jim Blair headed towards goal in 23 minutes but the ball went over the bar.

It was stalemate in this half and defences were always on top. Frank McAleer proved time and tine again that he is one of the finest centre halfs in second division football. Also playing well for Bankies was inside-right Stan King who played a midfield role and near the whistle he sent in a 25 yard shot that skimmed the topside of the bar.

A few minutes after the restart Tony Moy was robbed of two glorious chances to score by Saints keeper Thorburn.

From a corner on the right Tony rose to head the ball straight for the corner of the net but Thorburn was on the spot and he turned the ball over the bar for a corner.

Minutes later Tony was once again disgusted to see a similar effort given the same treatment by the agile keeper.

The difference in the visitors forward line was blatantly obvious when they brought on Peter Kane at centre in place of Brodie. The wee man showed that he could run faster than most of the Bankies defenders and he could hit a ball. Although he did not figure in the scoring he as obvious bee in the bonnets of the Bankies defence.

Jim Blair scored in 75 minutes when Madden could only palm out an Adamson thunderbolt.

Bankies did well to keep the floodgates closed and the final goal was a superb piece of football that I don't think any defence could have stopped. Right half Clark deposed Collumbine near the halfway line. He ran down the right wing beating defender after defender and crashed the ball home from fully 30 yards with a rocket shot that Madden didn't even smell.

News from the pavilion - Bankies have signed Ayrton Inacio the Brazilian who plays for Stade de Paris and was out against Kirkintilloch Rob Roy, who Bankies played at the start of the season. The club have worked out his work permit and he may play against Hamilton Accies. This brings the club's playing strength up to 14.

Eddie Rutherford went into Killearn hospital on Tuesday to have his cartilage operation. The club has been incessantly bothered all season with injuries to players and in fact in the last seven games excluding last Saturday, six players have been carried off.