Clydebank 0
Montrose 4
League (Division 2)

Match Report

The Bankies trialist goalkeeper, drafted in from the Juniors, endured a challenging debut outing. However, the blame for the goals conceded largely fell upon the defence rather than the keeper.

The first half saw a promising start for the home team, who appeared to dominate proceedings. Ten minutes in, John McGill narrowly missed a scoring opportunity from a Horn cross. Despite sustained pressure from Clydebank, they failed to convert their attacks into goals.

Just before half time, Clydebank appealed for a penalty when Graham Small was brought down in what seemed inside the penalty area. However, the referee, Mr. Hutton, disagreed and awarded an indirect free kick instead. Had the penalty been given, it might have shifted the momentum in Clydebank's favour.

Montrose made a tactical substitution, bringing on Frank Strachan for the injured Paton. This change proved effective, with Doull scoring a 20-yard shot after receiving a pass from Wallace early in the second half. Wallace played a pivotal role again, assisting Falconer's goal with a header in the 70th minute. Seven minutes later, Wallace himself found the net from a cross by Strachan.

Clydebank struggled to recover from conceding the second goal. Despite Collumbine's defensive efforts, which included moving up front to rally the attackers, the Bankies couldn't mount a comeback.

In the 88th minute, Montrose sealed the victory when Doull scored his second goal of the match with a powerful shot from his favoured left wing, leaving the young keeper helpless.

With the holiday weekend resulting in a sparse attendance, only around 1250 spectators witnessed Clydebank's seventh consecutive defeat in the league. However, despite the disappointing results, optimism remained for the team's potential. The youthfulness of the squad, coupled with their commitment to a new style of play, suggested brighter days ahead.

Although fans may be growing impatient, it's important to recognise that this is a developing team. With time and dedication from both players and coaching staff, Clydebank will surely improve. While rough patches are inevitable, the team's talent and determination will ultimately shine through.

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How the other side saw it
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Montrose secured a convincing 4-0 victory over Clydebank in their Second Division clash on Saturday. The match remained goalless in a scrappy first half, but Montrose came alive after the break, scoring four unanswered goals.

Both teams' strikers struggled for accuracy in the opening period, with only occasional decent shots on target comfortably dealt with by the respective goalkeepers. Paton, a Montrose defender, was forced off with a muscle strain at half-time, replaced by Strachan. This substitution, coupled with a motivating half-time talk from manager Christie, appeared to spark Montrose's tactics, causing significant problems for Clydebank.

Doull opened the scoring within five minutes of the restart, followed by goals at regular intervals from Falconer, Wallace, and then Doull again. Montrose dictated the pace of the game throughout the second half, leaving the home side, who are yet to earn a point this season, with very few scoring opportunities.

The Montrose team featured Martin, a youngster from Aberdeen Sunnybank, at left-back. He impressed during the match and secured a permanent contract on Monday. Martin is a strong defender and comfortable using both feet when kicking the ball.