Clydebank 4
East Fife 1
League (Division 2)

Match Report

The Terracing at Kilbowie was not exactly packed with over-enthusiastic fans, to see a match which was full of exciting football ... honestly ... and one or two amusing incidents. To top it all Bankies did something almost out of character this season. That is, they won!

Reverting to their early season line-up and form Bankies held a relatively strong East Fife team at bay throughout the match. Jimmy Caskie scored a hat-trick, and Tommy McGhee was taken off the field by mistake.

The latter incident, although almost tragic for Bankies, was rather amusing. McGhee mistook a call from the dug-out and walked off the field, his place taken by substitute Paul McMillan.

Realising his mistake Tommy McGhee pulled back on his jumper, back to front, and ran on to the field but referee Joe Kelly stuck to his guns and would not let Tommy back on. That's one early bath that Tommy can say he really didn't deserve.

Before the match Jack Steedman told me, "This is the first time since the beginning of the season that we have been able to pick our team from a full pool of players.” He was obviously expecting big things from his boys. He was not disappointed.

Jimmy Caskie was the man of the match, twice within three minutes at the beginning of the match, he ploughed into the East Fife goal to hammer the ball into the back of the net.

His first was manufactured by Tommy McGhee, who dribbled the ball into a ruck of visiting defenders and passed on to Munro. Munro lost his balance, leaving the shot to Caskie, who netted.

Three minutes later East Fife centre-half Martis duffed a free kick in his own half. Caskie latched on to the ball and ran home to score unopposed.

Groping around midfield the East Fife players couldn't find an answer to a solid Clydebank defence. They looked promising on the break but couldn't find a way round 'keeper Dick Madden, at his most agile.

It took nearly 35 minutes for the visitors to pull back on Bankies' lead. The goal which eventually turned out to be their only one was scored by outside-right Thomson. Meeting a header from the left wing he sent the ball past Madden from 10 yards out.

At the start of the second half East Fife substituted Quinn for right half Ireland.

McGhee might have set the pace for the second half, scoring after 57 minutes' play. He took a close shot from a Caskie square cross and left East Fife keeper McGann's head reeling.

Just after this McGhee lost the place, literally!

As it turned out Paul McMillan proved to be quite an asset to the Bankies. On more than one occasion during his short term of play he was right up at the East Fife goalmouth snatching at any chances thrown his way.

The final touch, or the last hope, whichever way you look at it, was Jimmy Caskie's hat-trick goal, almost on the final whistle. He played the ball close in to the East Fife goal, took a shot which 'keeper McGann managed to block, and scored from the rebound.

After seeing Bankies on Saturday playing as they did at the start of the season, you can hardly wonder why enthusiasm used to run so high at Kilbowie. Let's hope this match was only a taste of what has still to come.

Match report written by Oliver McGeachy (Clydebank Press)