• Sat 07 SEP  2019 KO 2:00 pm
• McBookie.com West Region Premiership| Match08
• Loch Park, New Cumnock
• Glenafton Athletic 0 (0)
• Clydebank 1 (0)
  • Shelvey

Prior to kick-off a minute’s silence was observed in memory of the 69th  anniversary of the Knockshinnoch Disaster in which 13 miners lost their lives at Knockshinnoch Castle Colliery on 7th September 1950.

Glens kicked off with the same starting eleven that won at Pollok last Saturday. In Bankies line-up was former Glenafton midfielder Conor Lynass while in the dug-out was former Glenafton player Gordon Moffat taking over as boss following the departure of former Glenafton player / coach Kieran McAnespie.

Glens were first to show on 5 minutes from a corner kick that was headed clear to the “D” for Craig Pettigrew to leather a shot first time which was deflected out for a throw. This too was headed clear and the ball fell for Mick McCann only for his shot from inside to be blocked before Cameron Marlow hammered a low shot forcing a fine save from keeper Marc Waters. Although Joe Andrew gathered the loose ball deep in the box and rolled it back to Dan Orsi his shot drifted wide of the far post.

Bankies enjoyed some pressure down the right flank with Cammy McClair in the thick of things without however creating any real chances.

Former Bankie Joe Andrew on the ball

The Glens were seeing a lot of the ball in the middle of the park but making inroads into the box was proving more difficult. On 15 minutes Dan Orsi and Lee Gallacher combined down the right and with no way through the latter was forced to retreat before curling a shot from 20 yards out which sailed wide of target.

Waters launched the ball upfield and a knock-on from Chris Black saw Conor Lynass chase the ball into box only for the alert David Wilson to rush from his line and steal the ball from midfielder’s feet.

At the other end another neat passage of play saw Ally Park, Andrew and McCann move the ball from the right to the left-hand side of the box where although Gallacher only for the midfielder to be stripped of the ball which was then duly thumped upfield.

Midway through the half the visitors carved out a good chance with a fine move. Liam Rowan played a ball through the middle for Nicky Little to gather and slip quickly to McClair on the right to push into before whipping the ball across the face of the goal but neither the inrushing Little or Lynass could connect.

Bankies then stoutly defended a Glens free-kick and quickly broke upfield with a series of sharp passes that ended with McClair skipping past a defender before Craig Menzies prevented him breaching the box with a strong tackle at the edge of the box. Little snapped up the loose ball to win a corner which was cleared through a diving header by Alan Cairns at the near post.

Cammy Marlow with Conor Lynass

The visitors continued to press with Black winning the ball just inside the Glens’ half where he slotted a pass into the box for Jordan Shelvey to chase down where he narrowly won the race to get the first touch on the ball as Wilson rushed off his line to dive at his feet. On 29 minutes Nick Little stepped up to take the spot kick only for the young keeper to get down low and pull off a terrific stop before smothering the loose ball as McClair closed in.

David Wilson saves the spot kick

Glens responded with a Mick McCann effort that was well saved by Waters. Another Bankies break followed immediately with Lynass releasing McClair free wide on the right only for Wilson foil him on the bye-line at the expense of a corner which the keeper cleanly clutched.

Glens captain Craig Menzies then got involved up front collecting a ball from McCann on the edge of “D” before slipping past a defender into the box only for his low angled shot from 15 yards finishing inches wide of the post.

Five minutes from the break Gallacher, wide on the left, released Alan Cairns on the overlap to drive to the bye-line and whip a wicked ball into the box for McCann only for Waters show a safe pair hands, securely grabbing the ball under the bar. In the closing action a Glens corner eventually fell to Cammy Marlow in the heart of the “D” only for his delicate chip to drift wide of goal

HT Glens 0 Clydebank 0

Bankies were soon on the front foot with a Lynass effort from outside the box sailing high over the bar and them Shelvey picking out Little at the edge of the box only for Pettigrew to execute a well- timed tackle to avert the danger. Glens responded through McCann and Cairns down the left winning a corner kick that was headed clear by Black.

On 50 minutes the visitors took the lead after Wilson, under pressure from Little, miskicked his attempt to launch the ball upfield and the Bankies’ midfielder snapped up the ball and rolled it perfectly into the path of the incoming Jordan Shelvey to keep his calm and place the ball into the net from 16 yards out.

Jordan Shelvey puts the Bankies ahead

The young keeper recovered quickly and from a corner-kick he got down to dave McClair’s close range shot.

A host of substitutions followed with injuries forcing Bankies to replace Chris lack with Ross Alexander and Glens bring on Kyle McAusland for Craig Menzies. The home side made further changes with Dale Moore and Ryan Nisbet replacing Joe Andrew and Lee Gallacher while Bankies later brought on Kyle Munro for Conor Lynass.

Kyle Munro and Ally Park

Nisbet’s determined run to the bye-line earned the Glens a corner kick which was headed well clear before Moore lofted the ball back deep into the box which Waters leapt high to grab with both hands.

The Bankies came close on 73 minutes triggering a spell of decent chances after McClair’s cross from wide on the right was met square on by the head of Kyle Munro only for the ball to dip inches over the bar. Wilson then pushed a low shot from Michael Bailey round the post before punching away the corner kicked that followed and the loose ball volleyed over the bar.  Following another Bankies break away Munro fashioned a low drilled shot from the right-hand side of the box which Wilson dived to stop and then clutch the loose ball short of the line.

Meanwhile Glens were struggling to get the better of a well-drilled Bankies defence either from open play or set pieces.  Bankies tried to reinforce that position by bringing defender Andy Paterson for the lively Cammy McClair.

Dale Moore sets up last minute chance.

Yet, on the final minute of the regulation time Moore brilliantly killed a ball into the box before thumping a volley from just outside the corner of the six yard box only for the flawless Waters pull off a super block and his defenders combine to clear the loose ball.

FT Glens 0 Clydebank 1

Glenafton Athletic: 1 . David Wilson 2. Ally Park 3. Alan Cairns 4. Craig Menzies ( 15. Kyle McAusland) 5. Craig Pettigrew 6. Findlay Frye 7. Dan Orsi 8. Cameron Marlow 9. Mick McCann 10. Joe Andrew (12. Dale Moore) 11. Lee Gallacher (14. Ryan Nisbet) Subs 16. Edward Campbell 17. Craig Burns (gk)

Clydebank: 1: Marc Waters 2. Michael Bailey 5. Jamie Darroch 21. Matthew McLean 12. Paul Byrne 8. Liam Rowan 10. Nicky Little 16. Chris Black (17. Ross Alexander) 7. Cammy McClair 9. Jordan Shelvey 14 . Conor Lynass subs 20. Scott Morrison 3. Andy Paterson 17. Ross Alexander 13. Aaron Miller 23. Kyle Munro