Benburb 2
Clydebank 0
League (WoSFL Premier)

Match Report

Clydebank passed up a golden opportunity to go seven points clear at the top of the league as they lost 2-0 to Benburb at New Tinto Park this afternoon. The outcome hinged on the harsh red card given to Frazer Johnstone after just seventeen minutes meaning his team mates had to play well over three quarters of the game with just ten men.

The remaining players played very well and but for some better finishing would have come away with at least a point. For two of the players, however, it was a bit of a nightmare and their dreadful errors basically handed Benburb their two goals, as they did not look like scoring otherwise.

There were just the two changes to last week’s side with Hodge and Slattery replacing McMahon and Niven. Nicky Low is still injured and has now missed the past three games.

As expected, Benburb tried to impose their physical style on the game. And whilst, the home team pushed the Bankies back in the early stages, there were no signs that we were about to wilt in the manner we did at Holm Park on the first day of the season.

Other than a couple of corners, Clydebank managed the Bens quite well and carved out a couple of opening themselves with Nicky Little firing wide from a tight angle after being put through by Adam Hodge, then Joe Slattery shot over from the edge of the box after receiving the break of the ball.

The defining moment of the game came after seventeen minutes when Oisin McHugh – who was involved in all three of game’s talking points – lost the ball wide on the right wing. The ball was played inside and James Grant cut it out. As the ball broke free Frazer Johnstone tackled Ollie Smith, and there is no doubt he clipped the ball first, but the momentum of both players brought them together.

Without hesitation Gary Hanvidge – who will be well remembered for his nightmare officiating at Irvine Meadow earlier in the season – reached for his back pocket and produced the red card. It is questionable if it was even a free kick, and the very worst a yellow card if it was. But to hand out a straight red card was bordering on the absurd.

From that point on, coming away with a draw seemed like it would be a good result. The good news was that Benburb seemed to have no idea on how to use the extra man, and the pattern of play didn’t alter very much.

In fact, it was the Bankies who looked the more likely to score, and came closest thus far when Thomas Collins flashed near post header over the bar from a Lee Gallacher.

However, it all fell apart a few minutes before the break, when Oisin McHugh was faced with a decision as he was facing his own goal out on the left wing under pressure from a forward. In hindsight, he should have belted the ball out of the park, but he opted to pass it back to Keeper Hughes.

The passback was hit way too hard, but Hughes should have done better than pass it straight to Ryan Livingstone. With the keeper hopelessly out of position Livingstone had the easiest job in the world to stroke the ball into the empty net.

It was an awful moment for the keeper who had a horrible day all round. It is fair to say that he hasn’t been truly tested recently due to the strength of the defence in front of him. He has looked hesitant from cross balls previously, but today faced with a more physical test, he wilted badly and his confidence suffered as a consequence. Even his kicking was poor with the ball going out of bounds on more than one occasion.

Despite this setback the Bankies were excellent in the second half, and it was really only poor finishing that prevented us from taking a deserved point up the road. Benburb offered virtually nothing and it was only when the Bankies went gung-ho in the closing stages, that they got the clincher in stoppage time.

Before that, the Bankies missed a whole slew of chances. The worst of which was from the normally reliable Thomas Collins. Nicky Little found him which a quite fantastic first time pass. Collins could have given the accompanying Liam McGonigle a simple tap-in, but he elected to shoot himself, sliding the ball past both the keeper and post.

Jamie Darroch also sent a header wide from a corner kick. He was in position for what seemed like an age, and maybe having too long to think about it made him mess it up. Liam McGonigle also should have scored when he diverted a Joe Slattery volley over the bar from close range. In fairness, he was stretching quite considerably to reach the ball.

The Bens keeper was tested with several other efforts which he kept out, and as time began to run out Gordon Moffat pulled out all the stops to try and rescue a point. Once more, A Callum Graham header was stopped by Hay, as was an angled drive by Alan Kelly.

With virtually the last kick of the ball, Oisin McHugh’s miserable day was completed when he allowed himself to be rolled by Declan McDonald on the touchline. The substitute slid the ball across the face of goal for Livingstone to score despite the attentions of Alan Kelly.

It has to be said the Bankies will play worse and win. The efforts of the ten men was quite impressive, but the goals just weren’t there today against a club who are fast becoming a bogey team for the Bankies.

The red card will no doubt cause debate, but I think it was overly harsh. It wouldn’t be like the Bankies to open a seven point gap at the top of the table anyway. There is no way on Earth that we are going to do anything the easy way. We break for two cup games now before we face Beith in the league. We have handed the initiative back to Beith by losing today, so it has all the hallmarks of a must win game for the Bankies.

Match report written by Stuart McBay