Airdrie 2
Clydebank 2
League (Division 1)

Match Report

Jimmy Given was Clydebank's hero for the second successive week as his side snatched a vital point. His 90th-minute penalty kick gave Bankies a draw they deserved but seemed unlikely to get... as he did last week when he popped up to deny Clyde a point at Kilbowie.

John Flood's two goals seemed enough to send Bill Munro's men leap-frogging over the Kilbowie men into third place... but they reckoned without the fighting spirit and good fortune which have been a feature of Bankies' away games for most of this season.

Most of the 1,200 crowd had drifted to the exits when Tommy Coyne lofted a hopeful overhead kick into the home goalmouth. John Martin, faultless up until that point, lost the ball in the air under pressure, and as the Clydebank forwards milled around the goal area, Gerry Ronald's shot was armed away.

Ironically, the man who committed the offence was former Bankie Gerry McLauchlan, but spot-kick expert Given had no time for sympathy as he slotted the ball past Martin.

Seconds later, referee Tommy Muirhead blew for time and the Clydebank faithful heaved a huge sigh of relief. Their team's unbeaten away run, stretching back to September, was intact.

For the second week in a row Clydebank had had to fight back after being twice behind.

Ex-Bankie Blair Millar was the architect of Airdrie's opener. Budgie McGhie slipped as Millar got free on the right and when the striker chipped over the diving Gallacher, Flood slid in to knock the ball home at the far post.

It was an unfortunate goal for Bankies to lose, for up to then they had been on top and only terrific saves by Martin had denied Gerry McCabe success with a couple of long-range efforts.

Once in the lead, however, Airdrie looked capable of sewing the game up by the interval. But they lost their way somewhat and 10 minutes after the break Bankies were level.

Jimmy Given swung over a corner from the left, and although Budgie McGhie's header seemed to be cleared before it crossed the line, referee Muirhead signalled for a goal.

Six minutes later, however, Flood scored an almost identical goal to his first and gave his side the lead for the second time.

Gary Faulds broke free on the right and hammered in a low cross which beat Gallacher, and Flood was unmarked as he poked the ball over the line.

It looked as if Clydebank were going to come out of the match with nothing, for they spent the next 20 minutes going at Airdrie without making any impression on John Martin's goal.

With three minutes to go, though, they had a golden opportunity to tie the game. Substitute Campbell McKeown found himself with yards of space just inside the Airdrie box as a high cross came in from the right. With Martin on his line and in the centre of his goal, McKeown, a second half replacement for Martin Hughes, was left with the easiest of chances.

But he nodded the ball straight into the arms of the keeper and it looked as though the last chance had slipped away.

Luckily, just as Mr. Muirhead took the time-up signal from his linesmen, Bankies forced that last-gasp penalty.

As Martin's handling let him down from Coyne's punt, Ronald hit a net-bound shot which struck McLauchlan. There was no more than muffled protests from the home defence.

The delight on the players' faces as Given's crisp shot put Martin the wrong way was obvious.

Seconds later, as the teams took that long walk to Broomfield's quaint Tudor cottage cum pavilion, there was time for Bankies, past and present, to reflect on tremendous afternoon's entertainment.

For Gerry McLauchlan there was the disappointment of giving away a penalty against his old club. For Blair Millar, the satisfaction of a strong running performance, although he got very little out of his old mates.

No doubt happy Jimmy Given and Budgie McGhie, not the most prolific of scorers, must have been delighted with their contribution to a good team performance.

Most importantly, managers and old mates Sammy Henderson and Bill Munro left their dugouts no doubt happy in the knowledge that they are in charge of two exciting sides who look certain to continue lighting up the First Division title chase.