Raith Rovers 1
Clydebank 3
League (Division 1)

Match Report

OK, cut the "jinx" rubbish, Clydebank are simply far better than Raith Rovers.

Or maybe not. Despite the fact the Bankies' fans are convinced there's no hoodoo element in their side's run of wins at Starks Park, I'm still not so sure.

True, They ARE much better than Raith Rovers. Let's face the facts, it wouldn't be hard But since when did being better than the opposition make any difference to Clydebank?

They’re better than Ayr United They lost to them twice They’re far superior to Dunfermline. Three 1-1 draws they got against them Alloa and Clyde both took points off them So why should poor old Raith Rovers suffer?

If you want an answer to that one ask a higher authority The number's in the book, under G

Whatever the reason, though, Clydebank continue to stroll through their games at Starks Park Even when the fates seem to be against them

Having started the game without the suspended Gerry McCabe they had a goal chalked off, lost Jimmy Given with badly injured ribs and then conceded a penalty through one of the worst refereeing decisions I have ever seen and STILL won with plenty of room to spare

Jimmy Given made the first goal five minutes from the interval and if you want to talk about jinxes, start with him.

Last week, he charged up and down the left hand side of East End Park in a typically energetic performance before being led off with concussion

On Saturday he was playing as well again, made Tom Coyne's opener and then had to be led off in severe pain after taking a crack in the ribs.

Fife, I would imagine is not Jimmy's favourite place and it's maybe just as well at least one of its First Division sides seems destined for the drop. Here's hoping East Fife and Cowdenbeath don't get promotion!

The loss of the blond number Six made things difficult for Bankies in as much as they already had second-choice man Campbell McKeown deputising for McCabe and neither substitute was a midfielder. They overcame this by bringing youth internationalist Joe Dickson into the right-back spot and pushing Mark Treanor up to his original role in midfield.

The move worked well enough and even without Given's running and McCabe's brains Clydebank were able to dominate a Rovers side which missed out the midfield nine times out of 10 anyway.

One of those nine times saw them presented with their best chance of getting something out of the game.

Bobby Williamson had given Bankies the cushion of a second goal when his twisting leap and powerful header from a typical Gerry Ronald chip beat Walker in the top corner. but soon afterwards the home fans saw hope appear from an unusual source.

A long punt into the box put Harris through, but Jim Gallacher made tremendous ground off his line to dive and push the ball away from the striker who followed through- accidentally on the keeper

The referee gave a penalty, despite Gallacher being left with an injury which was to hamper him for the rest of game. The spat-kick was slammed home, but any fears of a Clydebank collapse were allayed when Tommy Coyne scored his 20th goal of the season with a clinical piece of finishing.

Martin Hughes played the ball out wide to the left and Coyne cut inside before shooting low past Walker-from just inside the far corner of the area, the ideal way to overcome injustice.