Stagecoach Western Super League Premier Division : Match 1

• Saturday 30th August, Holm Park, Clydebank

CLYDEBANK 1 (1)

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 2 (0)

Glens battle back to beat Bankies

Glens made a couple of changes from the starting eleven at Whitletts on Wednesday with full back Alan Cairns returning from injury and Alain Kinney making his first start of the season, having come off the bench mid-week to score a late equaliser. Young Klark Thomson started in the bench while Pat Walker was unavailable for selection.

A lively start to the much saw a Kinney header from the corner of the six yard box flash wide of the back post. Both keepers then dealt comfortably with free kicks before the Bankies stormed into the lead on 5 minutes and in some style.

Scott Walker released Stevie Gardiner down the right flank who then played the ball quickly onto Jamie Campell and after twisting and turning in the box past two Glens defenders he returned it to Campbell only for his attempt to set up Reece Paterson for a tap-in that was blocked by Craig McEwan but a perfectly placed Jordan Shelvey fired home the loose ball.

Bankies take the lead

Campbell weaved his way through the Glens box again to tee up a shot which was comfortably held by Brian McGarrity. The keeper then pulled off another fine save after a cute pass from Gardiner had set up Paterson for an angled shot. The Bankies tails were well up and with Ian Gold on one flank and Gardiner on the other they were giving the visitors plenty of food for thought while in stark contrast the visitors were being starved of access down their flanks and any chances being created from these sources.

Daniel Orsi with Ian Gold

Kinney was having some success through the middle and on 18 minutes his good run was ended on the edge of the box by a crunching tackle from Paul Bell. The resultant free-kick cannoned off the Bankie’s wall and cleared for a corner-kick which was defended well and in a flash Shelvey set off on the counter-attack only for his long range effort to end well wide off target. A minute later and Gold picked up the ball deep in his own half on the left before driving for the centre circle and releasing Gardiner wide on the right, who then cut into the box and although his low drive beat McGarrity it finished wide of the back post.

Ryan McChesney challenges Ian gold

Glenafton enjoyed their best spell ten minutes before the break. Former Bankie Adam Strachan tried his luck from distance and  keeper Robert Hamilton, wrong footed by a deflection, was glad to see the ball goes inches wide. Two minutes later Strachan’s short corner initiated a game of head tennis in the Bankies box before the ball was cleared only for it to be gathered by Michael Wardrope and his shot from 25 yards pulled off a great save from the keeper, Hamilton at full stretch pushing the ball past the post. This corner too was only partially cleared before Jamie McKernon recovered the ball on the outskirts of the box and his snap shot finished wide of target.

Alain Kinney in control

On 39 minutes the hosts had loud appeals for a penalty after the ball struck the outstretched arm of Jamie McGeoghegan and soon after another wicked cross from Gardiner was headed clear at the near post by McEwan as Shelvey looked to bag his brace.

HT Bankies 1 Glens 0

Following the break the opening encounters were much more encouraging for the visitors with Daniel Orsi having an early shot at goal that was held well by the keeper. Strachan made an excellent run down the left, getting to the bye-line for the first time, and his cut back causing some uncertainty in the Bankies defence before the ball was cleared.

‘He’s Off – Darren McGill takes out 3 Bankies’

On 55 minutes Darren McGill came on for Orsi and the midfielder was soon in the thick of things. Another lung bursting run down the left by Strachan ended with a cut-back to McGill who hammered the ball from the edge of the box only for the ball to be blocked by Andy Paterson. Two minutes later McGill was the architect of Glenafton’s equaliser after picking up the ball from McEwan wide on the right in his own half. Powering his way down the wing he shrugged off the challenge of Gold and then skipped past two other Bankies (as they collided at the touch line) and although his cross into the box was cut out by Bell the defender’s clearance was snapped up by Strachan who with the deftest of touches rolled the ball into the path of Cameron Marlow and in an instant he curled a left-footed drive into the net beyond Hamilton at full stretch.

Cameron Marlow curls home the equaliser

Match all square on 62 minutes. Four minutes later, the visitors took the lead in text book fashion. After gathering a Cairns throw-in deep on the left Strachan left Graham Mort for dead before making for the bye-line and whipping the ball to the back post where Alain Kinney, head and shoulders above two defenders, bulleted a downward header off the ground and into the net.

Alain Kinney heads Glens ahead

With 15 minutes to go Glens were forced to replace Darren McGill, who had sustained a couple of knocks, and bring on summer signing Chris Meikle, in his first appearance for the club. The sting and zing had gone out of the Bankies play and the visitors were looking the more inventive of the two sides. Nevertheless the home side still created a few chances that McGarrity dealt with comfortably, while set pieces lofted into the box were inevitably won in the air by Ryan McChesney. Another burst of speed by Strachan, this time through the middle, set up Marlow on the left and his cut back found Kinney, only for his turn and shot to be blocked by Andy Irvine.

Adam Strachan and Paul Bell

With five minutes to go Cameron Marlow was replaced by Klark Thomson and as the game drew to a close each side had a chance to add to their tally. For the visitors Strachan’s lob from 30 yards, after an outrageous piece of keepy-uppy, dipped over the bar. While for the home side Graeme Ramage cut the ball back from the bye-line intended for fellow substitute Joe Andrew at the near post only for McGarrity to dive bravely at his feet and gather the ball safely. FT Bankies 1 Glens 2

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Clydebank: Hamilton; Walker, Irvine, Bell, Paterson; Gardiner, Pearson (Ramage), Mort, Gold; Shelvey (Andrew) & Campbell

Glenafton Athletic: McGarrity; McEwan, McChesney, McGeoghegan, Cairns; Orsi (( McGill) (Meikle)), McKernon, Marlow (Thomson), Strachan; Kinney & Wardrope Subs nout used. Johnstone (GK)

More photos here