Clydebank 1
Motherwell 7
League (Division 1)

Match Report

Blundering Clydebank crashed to their most humiliating defeat for many years against table-topping Motherwell at Kilbowie on Saturday.

They lost seven goals for the first time in 11 years and left the large home support in the 1,600 crowd shaking their heads in disbelief.

High-flying Motherwell seemed almost able to score at will in a fiesta of flowing football which thrilled the away fans and the football purists.

And to their credit, even Bankies fans were on their feet at times to applaud some spectacular soccer skills as rampant 'Well romped home.

The architect of this dazzling display was that old master, Alfie Conn, a touch slower than in his international days, but still able to turn a game with a deft flick of his gifted feet.

Although he failed to score, Conn played a major role in inspiring Motherwell, with able support from Willie Irvine and company.

The goal warning came as early as the fifth minute, when Motherwell scored with apparent ease. Jim Fallon was the villain of the piece as he miskicked a seemingly harmless cross to the feet of John Gahagan, who slipped it past Jim Gallacher.

The former Bankie was a constant threat to the home defence and won a corner which led to Motherwell's second goal after 25 minutes.

Alfie Conn slipped a short corner to McLeod, who returned the ball. Conn sent a low cross into the crowded goalmouth and it smacked off Billy McGhie's heel into the corner of the net for a very unlucky own goal.

Gahagan was again the architect of the third goal four minutes later, when he engineered the most spectacular move seen at Kilbowie for a long time. His cross dipped over Willie Irvine's head, but the striker leapt gracefully to send an overhead kick flashing past Gallacher low at the post.

The Clydebank keeper was badly at fault as 'Well went four ahead in the 37th minute. He let a 20-yard drive from McLeod slip from his grasp and Irvine nipped in to prod the ball home.

In a brief flurry three minutes later, Bankies hit back when young Tom Coyne grabbed his second goal in only his second first-team appearance.

It took Motherwell only two minutes of the second half to add their fifth, when Stuart Rafferty shot home from close in after a Graham Forbes header.

After a goalmouth scramble, Steve McLelland drove through a ruck of players from 20 yards to make it 6-1 after 61 minutes.

Blair Millar went close on a couple of occasions and Motherwell keeper Hugh Sproat turned two shots round the post as Clydebank fought for respectability.

But a minute from the end, the nightmare was complete when Rafferty chested down a McLeod cross before turning and hitting the ball high past Gallacher.