Clydebank 1
Berwick Rangers 1
League (Division 2)

Match Report

Promotion chasers Berwick came to Kilbowie with the hope of grabbing another two points to keep them up with the leaders, but in the end, they must have been thankful they got away with one.

For the young Clydebank lads were by far the likelier side. Particularly second half, when they had the Berwick defence under constant pressure.

In fact, had it not been for three goal-line clearances by left back Haig the homesters would have won handsomely.

If you didn't know any better you might even have thought that Clydebank, and not Berwick, were second top in the Second Division. Whichever way you look at it, this draw was an excellent result for the local team.

Clydebank were bugged with a couple of disappointments before the match. Danny Gray, the young ex-Chelsea player, was missing from his regular right-back spot, suffering from flu, and Tommy McGhee, although playing, only passed a pre-match check-up, on account of a badly twisted ankle.

The pitch was heavy and greasy, the wind was exceptionally strong, and the rain was coming down in sheets. The Clydebank players must have felt pretty miserable running out of the dressing rooms.

I don't suppose their first glimpse of the comparatively gigantic Berwick team helped any, but they soldiered on and won through.

Berwick started well, holding their feet better than the lighter Clydebank side, but the wee lads pulled well together, and it wasn't long before they were scaring the living daylights out of the Berwick defence.

Mind you, the visitors knew their stuff and they were not exactly trembling with fear nor rooted to the spot. On the break, when they weren't sliding around on their backsides, they looked potentially very dangerous.

They kept the Clydebank backs McMillan and Mitchell more than busy, but they fell down badly in front of goal.

Sadly, the weather did anything but help the tactics on the Clydebank wings. Wingers O'Brien and Caskie had great difficulty in keeping their feet, on account of their lack of weight.

The Berwick forwards knew this and took full advantage of the situation.

When Gerry O'Brian wasn't trying to keep his head above the flood waters, he was playing a very acceptable and constructive match. Much of the credit for Clydebank's goal must go to him.

Flighting the ball in from the right wing, he made the perfect pass to Alan Munro, playing inside-left, who had only to tap the ball past 'keeper Wilson.

This goal was typical of the breaks made by the home team in the first half. Their off-the-ball positioning was uncannily accurate, but all too often that very real bogey, the rain-sodden pitch, and a solid Berwick defence spoiled their chances.

Berwick had everything to play for, considering their position in the league table, but they would have looked better, positioning-wise, in attack.

Time and time again the halfbacks set up opportunities for the visiting forwards, but they could not grasp their chances,

Centre-forward Richardson was especially bright looking, his forwards revolving around him. It was through him that the equaliser came in 36 minutes.

Meeting a Gilchrist cross in the midst of a melee of Clydebank defenders, he calmly tapped the ball into the back of the home team's net.

Clydebank had the larger slice of the cake as far as attacking was concerned in the second half, and the Berwick players were lucky, on perhaps too many occasions, not to see the ball in the back of their net.

Even at this, as was expected of them, Berwick continued to put on a hard-fought show. The final result was in doubt until the referee blew the full-time whistle.

Match report written by Oliver McGeachy (Clydebank Press)