Clydebank 1
Airdrie 2
League Cup (Group 3)

Match Report

It took Clydebank just five minutes to realise what a big loss Blair Millar is going to be. For the former Kilbowie favourite scrambled the ball over the line to give Airdrie the lead on Saturday.

It's a skill which has been sadly lacking from the Bankies since the start of the season. While most of their goals have been fairly spectacular, they miss a man who can pounce on the half- chance.

That message was repeated in the 59th minute, when Millar knocked in his second goal. It was a stinging blow for a Bankies team which threw everything at Airdrie in the second half and should have snatched at least a draw.

As well as Millar's virtuoso performance, the game proved one thing. Gerry Ronald is the only man who can turn up with the unexpected for Clydebank.

The little man missed the game with a thigh knock- and Bankies lacked his penetrating imagination in attack. With tough - tackling Gerry McCabe also out with a virus, the odds were against Clydebank from the start. They drafted Eddie Sinclair and Campbell McKeown on the wings, although both looked a little lost at times.

As early as the second minute Airdrie looked dominant when a Jim March header was frantically cleared off the line by Tony Gervaise.

However, the goal was delayed by only three minutes. Blair Millar, who has the enviable knack of being in the right place at the right time, stroked the ball in from three yards after a scramble.

The manner in which Millar celebrated the downfall of his old team- mates was almost indecent. He was clearly enjoying putting one over his former friends

Bankies came surging back and had Airdrie keeper John Martin struggling to find form on cross balls. But Martin had not lost his reflexes and made two superb saves from young Eddie Sinclair in the first quarter of an hour.

To be blunt about it, the rest of the first half was a total bore and the next action didn't come until the 54th minute. Bankies keeper Jim Gallacher misjudged a long Millar cross which bounced off the bar and into safety.

Four minutes later Clydebank were level - thanks to a mixture brilliance and sheer luck from striker Bobby Williamson.

He chased a ball which seemed to be safely heading towards keeper Martin's hands. But the Airdrie man hesitated and Williamson nipped in to head the ball over his hands. He should have blasted the ball into the empty net, but dallied around until two Airdrie defenders raced back to the goal-line.

Somehow, however, Williamson still managed to steer the ball past for them for the equaliser.

Bankies fans in the 749 crowd celebrated - but only for a minute. That's how long it took Blair Millar to get back into the act with the winner.

Again a long cross had Gallacher in trouble and the ball bounced off the face of the bar to Airdrie's McKeown. He touched it across goal for Millar to prod in.

To their credit Bankies strived hard - and often spectacularly for the equaliser, with Williamson tearing the Airdrie defence apart.

Williamson, Coyne and Hughes all missed golden chances and keeper Martin excelled himself to give Airdrie two rather flattering points.