Clydebank 0
Falkirk 2
League (Division 1)

Match Report

Earlier this season, Clydebank went to Brockville and beat Falkirk by the length of Kilbowie Road.

Falkirk, in relegation trouble and about to part with their manager were a disjointed lot - but Bankies, on the day, were excellent.

On Saturday, the Bairns came to Kilbowie and won by the same score -2-0 - although the circumstances were somewhat different.

They've picked themselves up a bit since that October day and are fighting as hard as any side I've seen this season. But they're still pretty ordinary.

There's one very good simple reason why Alex Totten's men picked up their sixth win in seven outings.

Clydebank where bloody awful.

They giveaway a crazy penalty, lost a second goal just a minute after Falkirk had a man sent off, and then had no answer to the problem of getting back into a game they should have taken in their stride.

The had chances, but don't they always? The missed them all.

Falkirk had to quote a certain Premier League manager, "character" - something Clydebank unfortunately lacked.

The Brockville side were first to the ball more often, cleared their lines efficiently and their all-round no-nonsense approach to the game was a clear winner over Clydebank's indecision and half-hearted attitude.

They took the lead just on the half hour mark when Budgie McGhie's bad pass back and Jim Gallacher's needless tug at John Jobson's ankles gave Wilson Hoggan the chance to score from the spot.

At that point Bankies were still in it. They had hit the bar in the second minute through Martin Hughes and looked as though things were going to happen for them up front.

But once behind, the game began to slip away. Referee Louis Thow didn't help. For the second game in a row he booked six men and sent one off when he didn't really have to.

John Jobson's dismissal came after a tackle which saw Tony Gervaise booked. The striker appeared to attempt to head-butt Gervaise and received his marching orders for his trouble.

Before that McCulley and Hoggan had been shown the yellow card, and after the break Love and Oliver of Falkirk joined them in the book.

And between the last two, Gerry McCabe's frustrations boiled over into a nasty trip on Ally love which gained a caution and to round off a bad day for him immediate substitution.

Gerry ran straight into the dressing room. He was probably in the best place.