East Fife 6
Clydebank 0
League (Division 2)

Match Report

Referee Gordon of Newport must have wished he'd brought a bigger notebook to Bayview last week, as a tempestuous encounter between East Fife and Clydebank saw three players red-carded and two more booked, all crammed into a chaotic ninety minutes.

Six goals were also scored, but they were almost secondary to the drama that unfolded. The visitors, Clydebank, ended the game with a mere eight men on the field, their numbers dwindling thanks to a series of controversial decisions.

The first flashpoint came in injury time of the first half. Clydebank's inside right, King, already booked for a foul, was shown a red card for a challenge on Bert Miller. This decision sparked outrage from Moy, who promptly joined King in the stands for dissent.

With Clydebank already down two men, the second half became an exercise in damage limitation. East Fife, initially leading 2-0 thanks to goals from Rae and Guild, took full advantage.

A goalkeeping error gifted them a third within two minutes of the restart, and substitute Baxter, brought on due to the original keeper's injury, could do little to stem the tide. Goals from Dewar, Waddell (twice), and a deflected free kick saw the score balloon to 6-0.

Fleming and McLeish were also booked during this period, with the referee seemingly on edge. The final act of the drama saw Ruddy, already booked, red-carded for a second yellow after a foul on McLeish.

Despite the numerical disparity, Clydebank battled on, even forcing a disallowed goal in the closing stages. However, the damage was done, and East Fife secured a remarkable 6-0 victory, a scoreline mirrored in their previous match.

This was a game that will be remembered not for its quality, but for its sheer madness.

Match report written by Adapted by Stuart McBay