Clydebank 1
Rangers 4
League Cup (Group 3)

Match Report

The inexperience of Clydebank's youngsters was cruelly exposed by Rangers on Saturday. But it took a second-half Gerry Ronald goal to stir the Ibrox side into action.

The big-time atmosphere may have contributed to the nervousness of Sammy Henderson's teenagers but there was no excuse for the sheer slackness at each of the Rangers goals.

The defence froze four times to allow Rangers to turn their superiority into an easy League Cup win.

The first came after only 14 minutes, when skipper Jim Fallon and Jim Given left the ball to each other on the edge of the penalty area. Swedish internationalist Robert Prytz stepped in between them and stroked the ball low into the corner past 'keeper Jim Gallacher.

It was a tragedy for Gallacher, whose remarkable saves had had the 7,090 crowd roaring in appreciation.

For the first half-an-hour, the Ibrox men were totally dominant and had Bankies pinned back on the edge of the penalty area for long spells.

But as Rangers became a little frustrated, the game opened up and Jim Stewart was forced to make a fine save from a Ronald shot.

And with 53 minutes gone, the unsettled striker became the hero of the Kilbowie support when he swooped on a great Martin Hughes pass to slip the ball past Stewart.

Clydebank's moment of glory lasted only seven minutes. Rangers had been stung badly and they retaliated by snatching back the lead.

Little John MacDonald, who had been hiding on the wings all afternoon, sprang to life with an angled drive from close in. Gallacher blocked the shot, but the ball fell straight to lan Redford, whose miscued drive was blasted in by McDonald.

Rangers were in rampant mood now and they added a third in the 69th, when McDonald beat five motionless defenders to head in a corner.

A minute later, the Clydebank defence were left looking accusingly at each other when Rangers went 4-1 ahead. Craig Paterson headed a corner down to McDonald, who flicked the ball to big John McClelland. The tall Irishman, looking a totally new player since his World Cup sojourn, scored with a deft sideways kick.

Gerry Ronald, looking Bankies' classiest man by a long way, should have pulled one back near the end when he rounded 'keeper Stewart. But his shot was too soft and David McKinnon nipped in to knock the ball off the line.

Sammy Henderson threw on two late substitutes - Campbell McKeown for the tiring Hughes in 72 minutes and Eddie Sinclair for Bobby Williamson 10 minutes later.

But by that time, Rangers had settled down and were content to hold on to the lead without stretching themselves. It would be unfair to criticise anyone, for all the Clydebank players showed determination and a will to succeed.

They were simply overwhelmed by a Rangers team who still lack imagination in attack but who still found weaknesses in the Bankies' defence.