Match Report
Clydebank suffered a fourth consecutive league defeat, but few in the 896 crowd at Kilbowie Park could have believed they finished the evening empty-handed after dominating long spells against East Fife.
A week after losing comfortably at Bayview, the Bankies turned the tables in terms of performance, creating enough chances to put the match beyond the visitors before eventually succumbing to two late goals.
On a heavy surface that had earlier been threatened by flooding, Clydebank began with real purpose and pinned East Fife back for much of the opening half. Billy McGann was repeatedly called into action as the home side carved out opportunity after opportunity.
The pressure finally told after 34 minutes when Ian Russell gathered a cross before driving a left-foot shot beyond McGann to give Clydebank a deserved lead.
The Bankies should have doubled their advantage five minutes later after being awarded a penalty. Tony Moy stepped forward but was unable to convert, leaving East Fife fortunate to reach the interval trailing by only a single goal when, on another day, the margin might have been far greater.
Whatever was said in the visitors' dressing room had an immediate effect. Just two minutes into the second half George Christie and Jim Kinsella combined neatly to release Willie Rutherford, who restored parity with a well-taken finish.
Clydebank quickly regained the initiative and were back in front after 56 minutes. Moy made amends for his earlier penalty miss by controlling the ball well before driving an excellent shot beyond McGann.
Once again, however, the Bankies were unable to turn superiority into a decisive lead. As the heavy conditions began to take their toll, East Fife grew stronger while Clydebank gradually lost their earlier intensity.
The turning point came fifteen minutes from time in the cruellest of circumstances. George Christie's powerful shot struck the unsuspecting Rutherford and flew into the net, leaving the Clydebank defence helpless and the East Fife forward as surprised as anyone to be credited with the equaliser.
With only two minutes remaining, the visitors completed an unlikely turnaround. Rutherford collected a cross and finished confidently to snatch both points for the Fifers.
It was a bitterly disappointing outcome for Clydebank, who had produced arguably their best league performance of the season. The result left them still searching for their first points, but the display suggested they were far closer to ending that wait than their league position implied.
Match report written by Stuart McBay
