Clydebank 0
Celtic 3
Scottish Cup (3rd Round)

Match Report

Celtic's ability to step up a gear when it mattered most carried them through to the fourth round of the Scottish Cup.

They showed the qualities which separate the top sides from the rest of Scottish football, by producing a second half burst to end any lingering pretentions of victory which Bankies clung to.

But as the green and white legions left Kilbowie singing the praises of everyone's hero, Charlie Nicholas, the man who surely came into the biggest pat on the back from Billy McNeill was the lumbering Roy Aitken.

He wore Clydebank down in the second half of a pretty tedious match with the running which means so much to the league champions performances.

Each time he picked the ball up at the back or in midfield, the roar which the Celtic fans greeted him with must have put the fear of death into the young Bankies side.

And twice it was Aitken who used his size and power to set up goals for champagne Charlie.

After 65 minutes, and with Clydebank still hanging in there at 1-0 down, Aitken beat Jim Gallacher to a curling Davie Provan cross and Nicholas was in the right place - as ever - to tap the head flick over the line.

Three minutes from time, the icing was put on the cake. Again, it was Parkhead's own steamroller who supplied the ammunition and Nicholas who provided the finish.

With red-shirted players trailing in his wake, Aitken strode to the goal-line before cutting back for Nicholas to slide his shot past Gallacher.

Billy McNeill's post-match comment that he was 'relieved' was justified if a little unnecessary as he had already claimed his team had 'never been under any pressure.' He was right.

Before George McCluskey poked home the opener from Murdo MacLeod's run and cross, Bankies had contained Celtic - and no more.

After they went a goal down, it was an increasingly difficult task for Clydebank to get back into the match and despite the odd flurry they never really made an impression on the visitors back four.

Clydebank weren't murdered as many cynics in the town thought they would be, but they were outclassed.