Forfar Ath 4
Clydebank 1
League (Division 2)

Match Report

Bankies crashed to another defeat on Saturday at Station Park. A four goal blitz in the second half staggered Bankies and though they tried their best they were unable to hold the home side.

Sandy McLachlan, the regular keeper was taken ill on the team bus and Ron Wilson had to deputise. Worse still, Tommy McGhee failed a late fitness test on his injured shoulder and to compound matters Davie Mitchell's car broke down on the way to the ground. There was one bit of good news as Joe Rankin returned after nearly three months out.

Forfar should have gone ahead early on when Mackie shot straight at the keeper when he only had him to beat. Keeper Wilson was being kept busy and had a brilliant save from Thomas.

After half an hour Collumbine was brought down by Potter in the box. Tony Moy scored from the spot. It was rather tough on Forfar to be behind but Clydebank had been improving throughout the first half.

Moy should have had number two when he missed a low ball two yards out from the Forfar line.

Forfar attacked on the resumption and several great saves by Wilson prevented an equaliser. Forfar were on top and only several last minute clearances saved the visitors.

The Forfar attack was like floodwater Pounding against a dam wall. Clydebank's defence looked as if it would hold but when the first crack appeared, it crumpled completely.

in 62 minutes Forfar finally made the breakthrough when Matthews shot low through a ruck of players. The same player scored five minutes later in a goalmouth scramble. Thoms and Kennedy added two further goals.

Clydebank were still in it until those two late goals and their makeshift defence deserve great credit for fighting until the bitter end.

Match report written by a staff reporter (Clydebank Press)

---

For two-thirds of the game this promised one of those exasperating results in which the better team loses because of minor faults and bad breaks. Clydebank were ahead for half of that time thanks to a penalty kick converted in the 30th minute.

Main obstacle in Forfar's way was undoubtedly the visiting goalkeeper. Clydebank's regular keeper was reported as having developed illness on the way east and Wilson was brought in. Tall and with a tremendous reach, he filled that goal as no mere substitute should, plucking the ball out of the air or twisting off an invisible trampoline to turn "sure" scoring shots round an upright.

The Loons were soon wondering what was necessary in order to beat him and his defence was inspired into a zealous and determined covering which kept the home forwards from getting close enough to pick their spot. Yet they also had the luck which goes with that sort of inspired defence, blocking good shots, nipping the ball off opposing toes, getting the breaks on all the rebounds.

It took an off the usual goal to break the charm. In the 62nd minute and about the 31st attack, Thom shot from an acute angle. Maybe the ball was going in unassisted but there was no doubt left when it struck right back Smith and was diverted.

Once the barrier had been forced, Forfar found scoring relatively easy. In the 67th minute a Mackle corner was headed down on to the goal-line by Kennedy and Mathews forced his way through a group of defenders to prod home.

A break came Forfar's way in the 73rd minute. Columbine, Clydebank's last line in front of the goalkeeper, collected a loose ball, tried to bring it under control and instead squeezed it through his own legs, and Thom was through in a flash to run up close to the 'keeper and push the ball past him into the net. A gift goal but very coolly and efficiently taken.

The final goal in the 85th minute and it went to the man who most deserved it. Kennedy had been doing capital work without reward and never giving up. Now Malcolm came up the left touchline and crossed a nice ball. Kennedy took the chance well with his head and gave Wilson no opportunity to save.

The Clydebank goal had come in the 30th minute and against the run of play. Columbine was tackled and judged to have been tripped in the box and Moy made no mistake from the spot.

Forfar won deservedly and might have won more comfortably but this Clydebank team was a much better outfit than we saw at Station Park earlier in the League Cup. They stayed in the game all the time and they shouldn't go much farther without getting that first win which has so far eluded them.

Like the previous game against Third Lanark at Station Park, this one was always interesting if at times exasperating for the home supporters. Forfar played like a team and it would not be fair to pick out stars or matchwinners. Ritchie had a good game in goal and the defence was sound.

Forfar's formation was basically 4-2-4 but it wasn't static in any way. Fundamentally there were two centre backs in Potter and Fyfe who were hard to pass and quick to recover. Carrie and Malcolm, but especially the latter, were quite often well up into the opposing defence and helping to overweight them, and it was difficult at times to say who in addition to Potter and Fyfe were the rear four. Knox and Mathews were often back there, sometimes Sims and Mackle. Generally Kennedy and Thom were the potential strikers but they got a lot of support from the rear. To call it 4-2-4 was hardly quite right and yet what else was it? A winning set-up at any rate and one which can develop to win more points than it will lose.

Match Report by Unknown (Forfar Despatch)