Clydebank 1
Partick Th 3
League (Division 1)

Match Report

Bankies blew their chance to narrow the gap between themselves and the First Division's top two sides with a lacklustre performance on front of their biggest home crowd of the league season.

Two goal midway through the second half - both the result of defensive indecisiveness - gave Thistle the points to fire the fading embers of their promotion challenge.

After going on a goal down at the interval, Bankies harnessed the strong wind at their backs to equalise shortly after the restart through Tommy Coyne.

But then Firhill dangermen Donald Park and Maurice Johnston struck to floor the home side.

First, Martin Hughes was easily shrugged off the ball by the bustling Park who ran on to cut inside Fallon and fire a great low shot past Gallacher from the edge of the box.

Then, minutes later, Budgie McGhie failed in an attempt to edge Johnston away from goal and, with Gallacher too far off his line, the red-haired striker squeezed a shot between the keeper and his right-hand post.

For the first half hour, only the agility and good fortune of Dougie McNab kept the home forwards at bay. He denied Hughes with a tremendous leap to turn over a flashing header from a Given cross.

Then midfielder Hughes came desperately close again to opening the scoring with a 12-yard shot which McNab only held at the second attempt.

McCabe and Williamson also had long range efforts turned away by the big keeper before Thistle struck against the run of play.

Gallacher stretched in vain to reach a Park corner and Johnston held the ball long enough for full-back Whittaker to race into the box and fire home his cut-back.

Seconds later, Park should have made it 2-0 when he hit Gallacher's legs with a six-yard shot from Kenny Watson's pass.

But in 48 minutes, Bankies were level with a superb goal from Tommy Coyne.

Jim Gallacher made intelligent use of the wind with a long kick-out down the centre of the field. Bobby Williamson beat Andy Dunlop to get in a flick-on with his head and Coyne was left in a chase with sweeper John Murray.

Despite being held off, the number 10 got away from his marker to fire home an angled drive past McNab.

For the next ten minutes, it looked as though the high ball from the keeper would pay handsome dividends for Williamson was beating Dunlop regularly in the air and Coyne was causing difficulties for the Jags defence.

Bust suddenly a quick break from defence caught Bankies napping and Park beat Hughes and Fallon to score.

Thistle raised their game a gear and Johnston's superb piece of finishing - reminiscent of Frank Stapleton's televised effort against West Ham the previous week - sealed the points.

It was yet another chapter in the mystery of why Bankies can't play at home, despite being the country's best travelling side.