Berwick Rangers 5
Clydebank 0
League (Division 2)
Berwick RangersBerwick Rangers |
5 - 0 |
ClydebankClydebank |
 |
League (Division 2) |
 |
| Goalscorers | |
|
Brian Kennedy (3) Doug Coutts (21) Ken Bowron (55) Kenny Dowds (77) Ken Bowron (89) |
None. |
| Team Managers | |
| Unknown. |
Jack Steedman |
| Starting Eleven | |
|
1 Andy Crawford 2 Davie Paterson 3 Gordon Haig 4 Jake Smith 5 Doug Coutts 6 John Keith 7 John Hamilton 8 John Brown 9 Ken Bowron 10 Brian Kennedy 11 Kenny Dowds |
Dick Madden 1 Paul McMillan 2 Davie Mitchell 3 Dennis Ruddy 4 Jim Fallon 5 Danny Gray 6 Ian Hawkshaw 7 Bobby Love 8 Alan Munro 9 Gerry O'Brien 10 Jimmy Caskie 11 |
| Bench | |
| 12 Bobby Jones |
Graeme Brockett 12 |
| Substitutions | |
| Bobby Jones -> Doug Coutts (46) | None. |
| Cautions | |
| None. | None. |
| Red Cards | |
| None. | None. |
| Match Officials | |
|
T Kellock (Referee) |
Match Report
Sunday Post
Berwick finished the season with a five-goal flourish, scoring their first win since January into the bargain.The attack sparked on all cylinders and the Clydebank defence was pierced repeatedly by crisp forward moves with wingers Hamilton and Dowds continually making openings.
Kennedy set the pace with a goal in three minutes in a game which never had an end-of-the-season flavour. It was chock-full of incident as play swung from end to end, with both teams showing refreshing, attacking ideas.
But, while the Bankies were generally off-target, Rangers were right on the spot for the first time this season.
Coutts moved through with his forwards to smack home a great second goal before he was injured and did not resume in the second half.
Thereafter, Rangers went right on top. Bowron fastened on to a Brown header and guided the ball past 'keeper Madden, next Dowds coolly picked his spot, and with the last kick, Bowron slid home number five from a "Hammy" cross.
Berwick Advertiser
What an astonishing performance Berwick Rangers turned on for their final league game of the season. Playing with a verve and flair far ahead of anything they have shown, they romped away to their best win of the season, and their first victory since January 1st.A paltry 140 people saw the game including at least 60 noisy but sporting fans who had made the trip from Clydebank. Those who stayed away missed an inspired display by the Rangers and even the loss of Doug Coutts at half time did not Cause any interruption in the rhythm.
Had they beaten a Clydebank team who were in a rut and not trying particularly hard there could have been some cause for saying the Rangers were playing nothing. But the Bankies were a most efficient side who played attractive football, especially in the first half.
It added up to an entertaining tussle with goalmouth incidents galore.
Bankies missed two of the best chances of the game but to balance up Ken Bowron missed from about three yards with the Bankies keeper stranded and another Rangers shot hit the woodwork.
The two free transfer men, Coutts and Bowron both played well and got three of the five goals between them. But the man of the match for me, was John Brown who gave a display which must have heartened all those who say he has tremendous potential.
With Keith in the mood and Smith fitting in quickly as centre half once Coults went off, Rangers were solid in midfield. Crawford kept a clean sheet for the second successive home game and is right back in form, and both Paterson and Haig played with an assurance and with attacking ideas lacking for much of the season.
But it was the much-maligned attack, still lacking Melrose, who really amazed everyone. John Hamilton ran and ran and pushed some clever balls through. Bowron was always menacing. Kennedy did a fine job in using the open spaces and ensuring that there was always another striker up near goal and Dowds emphasised yet again how good a player he can be when he puts the team first. Some of his cross-field passes were a delight to watch.
Bankies keeper Madden had not one of his best days, but he did make two or three fine saves, and full backs McMillan and Mitchell helped to make the game so entertaining by their initiative in storming upfield for a shot.
Fallon is an extremely promising teenage centre half and in a forward line which really shuttles the ball around at speed Caskie, son of the former Berwick winger and Hawkshaw took the eye. Caskie had the chances to net a hat-trick but fluffed them all. However the important thing was that he was always in the open space when the chance arose, and that's a sign of class.
The attendance only topped the 100 mark as the teams kicked off and Berwick, encouraged by their three goals at Forfar in mid-week launched a blistering onslaught.
In two minutes Bowron forced Madden to a great save, and immediately after Kennedy went close. In three minutes a Bowron effort had Madden stretching frantically to turn it against the post, and Kennedy slid the rebound home-his first goal this term.
Soon after Dowds beat two men and swept a beauty across goal but Bowron sticking out that lethal left foot saw it skid past for a goal kick. The Bankies began to settle and showed why they have surged up the table. Caskie had Crawford full stretch with a fine shot from a Love pass, then found himself all alone with only Crawford to beat. The winger rounded the 'keepers despairing dive but Paterson and Coutts somehow got back and Paterson deflected the winger's first shot and was on the line to belt out the second. It was a remarkable escape, but Bankies also had their luck when Johnny Hamilton slipped the ball to Bowron and he, in turn left Kennedy clear. The inside man shot inches wide. Rangers were two up in 20 minutes when Coutts, who began the move in midfield, stormed through to pick up a left wing pass and crack a beauty into the net.
Play swung from end to end until the interval, with both keepers showing good form.
Berwick played for several minutes with the injured Coutts having treatment and during this period both Caskie and Munro missed chances of reducing the lee-way.
With Smith at centre half, Brown at wing half and Jones on the wing, Rangers had to reshuffle considerably when Coutts remained in the dressing room at half time. But they quickly showed that they were not going to let it affect them. Crawford pulled off a magnificent diving save from a Mitchell shot and at the other end Bowron hooked a bouncing ball over the top.
But in 55 minutes Rangers were on the way to that eagerly-awaited win. Hamilton placed his second successive corner on to Brown's head and as Madden went for it. Bowron beat him to the jump and headed home. It was Rangers all the way after that. Dowds making ground rapidly was completely clear to hammer home a fourth after Keith had put him through and then, with the last kick of the game Bowron thumped in a fifth. This was a magnificently executed goal. Dowds working back towards his own goal suddenly wheeled and let Paterson away. A quick one-two with Hamilton and Paterson crossed for Bowron to round it off perfectly
Squad Statistics (as at April 26th, 1969)
| 1968-69 | All Time | All Time | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League | Cups | League | Cups | All | All | ||||||||||
| Age | Nat |  |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
| Dick Madden (GK) | 24 |
|
34 | - | 7 | - | 61 | - | 16 | - | 77 | - | |||
| Davie Mitchell | 25 |
|
29 | - | 6 | - | 91 | 4 | 17 | - | 108 | 4 | |||
| Jim Fallon | 19 |
|
31 | 2 | 3 | - | 31 | 2 | 3 | - | 34 | 2 | |||
| Ian Hawkshaw | 28 |
|
34 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 34 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 41 | 12 | |||
| Paul McMillan | 18 |
|
18 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 18 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 23 | 4 | |||
| Dennis Ruddy | 19 |
|
28 | - | 7 | - | 32 | - | 7 | - | 39 | - | |||
| Danny Gray | 17 |
|
4 | - | 4 | - | 4 | - | 4 | - | 8 | - | |||
| Bobby Love | 23 |
|
23 | 1 | 1 | - | 23 | 1 | 1 | - | 24 | 1 | |||
| Gerry O'Brien | 19 |
|
31 | 2 | 7 | - | 34 | 2 | 7 | - | 41 | 2 | |||
| Alan Munro | 18 |
|
28 | 15 | 3 | - | 28 | 15 | 3 | - | 31 | 15 | |||
| Jimmy Caskie | 19 |
|
33 | 12 | 3 | - | 39 | 13 | 3 | - | 42 | 13 | |||
Recent Results
| League results since Clydebank's last match |
|---|
| 21st April 1969 |
|---|
| Stenhousemuir | 2-1 | Queen's Park |
| Stranraer | 2-1 | Stirling Albion |
| 23rd April 1969 |
|---|
| Ayr Utd | 1-1 | Motherwell |
| Brechin City | 1-1 | Queen of South |
| East Stirlingshire | 1-0 | Albion Rovers |
| Forfar Ath | 3-3 | Berwick Rangers |
| Montrose | 3-1 | Queen's Park |
| 25th April 1969 |
|---|
| Dumbarton | 4-1 | East Stirlingshire |
| 26th April 1969 |
|---|
| Albion Rovers | 4-2 | Stenhousemuir |
| Alloa Athletic | 3-1 | Hamilton Accies |
| Berwick Rangers | 5-0 | Clydebank |
| Cowdenbeath | 4-1 | Stranraer |
| Forfar Ath | 3-2 | East Fife |
| Motherwell | 3-0 | Stirling Albion |
| Queen of South | 3-2 | Ayr Utd |
League Table (as at April 26th, 1969)
| Pld | W | D | L | +/- | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Motherwell | 35 | 29 | 4 | 2 | +88 | 62 |
| 2. | Ayr Utd | 34 | 21 | 7 | 6 | +49 | 49 |
| 3. | East Fife | 36 | 21 | 6 | 9 | +37 | 48 |
| 4. | Stirling Albion | 36 | 21 | 6 | 9 | +27 | 48 |
| 5. | Queen of South | 36 | 20 | 7 | 9 | +34 | 47 |
| 6. | Albion Rovers | 35 | 19 | 5 | 11 | +5 | 43 |
| 7. | Forfar Ath | 34 | 18 | 6 | 10 | +16 | 42 |
| 8. | East Stirlingshire | 35 | 17 | 5 | 13 | +11 | 39 |
| 9. | Stranraer | 35 | 16 | 7 | 12 | +9 | 39 |
| 10. | Queen's Park | 36 | 13 | 7 | 16 | -9 | 33 |
| 11. | Montrose | 35 | 14 | 4 | 17 | -15 | 32 |
| 12. | Cowdenbeath | 35 | 12 | 5 | 18 | -10 | 29 |
| 13. | Clydebank | 35 | 6 | 15 | 14 | -14 | 27 |
| 14. | Dumbarton | 36 | 11 | 5 | 20 | -23 | 27 |
| 15. | Berwick Rangers | 36 | 7 | 9 | 20 | -28 | 23 |
| 16. | Hamilton Accies | 35 | 7 | 8 | 20 | -36 | 22 |
| 17. | Alloa Athletic | 36 | 7 | 7 | 22 | -34 | 21 |
| 18. | Brechin City | 34 | 8 | 5 | 21 | -37 | 21 |
| 19. | Stenhousemuir | 36 | 6 | 6 | 24 | -70 | 18 |