Clydebank 1
Queen of South 1
League Cup (Group 6)

Match Report

The feelings of many of the spectators at Kilbowie were summed up when the announcer asked some small boys to leave the field, saying, “Would you five year olds please leave the field. You may get mixed up with our players!”

Due to injury, Clydebank were forced to field eight of their junior players in this match, and the average age of these boys was only 17 years old. The only veterans playing were Dick Madden in goal, Ernie Collumbine at right half, and Ian Hawkshaw at inside left.

Despite these tremendous odds against them Bankies put up a grand show, continually knocking spots off the far more experienced and stronger Queen of the South team.

Clydebank kicked off into a fairly strong wind but Queens soon took possession and with the help of some excellent passing made several attempts at the Clydebank goal, within the first few minutes.

Despite this the first real shot of the game from Ian Hawkshaw in the sixth minute. He made contact with an Ernie Collumbine pass mid-field, ran on with it, then tried a long shot from 25 yards out. The ball went over the bar by a few inches.

This was followed up a few minutes later when young Alan Munro playing at centre forward for Clydebank, surprised the Queen of the South defence with a 10 yard grounder which right back Watson just managed to clear.

Bankies spate of attacks disgruntled the visiting team, but Queens were not going to stand around and allow themselves to be beaten by a crownd of “wee weans.”

Queens started to hit back and after a few minutes the giving as good as they were getting. The game developed into a fast and very interesting match, and despite the fact that they had been thrown in at the deep end the youngsters of Kilbowie, keeping pace with Henderson and Collumbine, put up a good show.

This form of play was fairly consistent for the remainder of the first half; both teams had some lovely shots which might easily have been converted had it not been for the excellent goalkeeping at both ends of the field from Ball and Madden.

The strangest incident of the first half came only minutes from the whistle when young Caskie of Clydebank made a solo run up the centre of the field.

He ran through a non-existent Queens’s defence and was faced with an open goal. Sensing the danger, keeper Ball came out to meet Caskie but, unfortunately, both players were moving so fast that they could not prevent a collision.

Caskie was thrown right into the air. He did a half somersault, and then landed heavily on the ground while Ball was left lying on the ground badly winded. Both trainers dashed onto the field for what looked as though it could be a major calamity but fortunately neither of the players was badly injured.

Both team fielded changes in the second half, Clydebank put on Gray for Fallon and the familiar face of Jim Fleming, who went to Queens at the end of last season, was replaced by that of substitute McChesney.

It took only ten minutes for Clydebank to draw blood from the visitors. Bankies had been pushing home an all-out attack when Ian Hawkshaw picked up the ball 30 yards out. He tried to run in with the ball, but found himself face with a wall of defenders, so he flicked the ball over to young Gray who held the ball back until he was in position then passed back to him.

Hawkhaw’s shot hit the post and was deflected into the goal sending keeper Ball in the opposite direction.

Shocked by this goal Queen’s came on even harder and on several occasions in the next few minutes put Bankies in one or two defensive tight spots. The equaliser finally came in the 66th minute from McChesney. He picked up the ball close in to the Clydebank goal and tapped it home. Dick Madden didn’t even see it go in and it certainly surprised the Clydebank defence.

Both teams now went all out for a winner but fate was not with them and after several blunders and good attempts, from both sides, the final whistle blew, leaving the result as a draw.

This game showed what the Bankies juniors are made of and I am quite sure, that given a little time, they will prove to be a team to be reckoned with.