Clydebank 2
Musselburgh Ath 0
Play-offs (Lowland League 2nd Leg)

Match Report

There were scenes of utter joy at Holm Park as Clydebank secured promotion to the Lowland League with a convincing 2–0 victory in the play-off against a disappointing Musselburgh Athletic side.

At no point did the visitors look confident or capable of troubling the Bankies' defence. Their game plan was built on organisation and containment, aiming to frustrate Clydebank rather than mount any meaningful attacks. To their credit, they managed to stay in the game for a while, but once they fell behind, they had no answers and the outcome felt inevitable.

Musselburgh’s combative approach had been comfortably dealt with in the first leg at Olivebank, where the Bankies were unfortunate not to come away with a win. In the return match, it was hard to discern any tactical shift from the Edinburgh-based side. They set up to stifle and perhaps nick something on the break or from a set-piece—but those chances were few and far between, and they simply lacked the quality to pose a serious threat.

Clydebank had to be patient. Musselburgh sat deep, often with two full banks of defenders, and it wasn’t always easy to find a route through. The game pivoted just after the hour mark with the introduction of Craig Truesdale for Aaron Black.

Now, Gordon Moffat might well dine out on this substitution for years to come—it was that well timed. Within seconds, Musselburgh defender Donaldson took his eye off the ball, and Truesdale pounced. His first touch robbed the defender, and his second produced a sensational finish from a tight angle.

It was the moment the sold-out crowd had been waiting for. Until then, the Bankies had been slightly drifting, struggling to carve out clear chances. As substitutions go, this was inspired.

The Bankies had dominated the first half and should have been ahead long before the breakthrough. Moffat named an unchanged starting XI, despite several injury concerns, and received a timely boost with Chris McGowan’s red card from last week being overturned—allowing the versatile defender to retain his place.

Clydebank could have scored three times in the opening five minutes. Dean Cairns’ deflected shot struck the underside of the bar; Matt Niven’s effort was blocked—unluckily—by Keir Samson’s face; and McCathie produced a fine save to deny Syme’s header.

The best Musselburgh could muster was a wild overhead kick attempt from Walsh, while Court squandered a decent opportunity with a heavy touch that allowed Leishman to collect comfortably.

Further first-half chances for the Bankies included a Gallacher free-kick tipped over the bar by McCathie, and long-range efforts from both Nicky Little and Nicky Low, though neither troubled the target. The clearest opportunity fell to Aaron Black, but he made a mess of his header from Gallacher’s cross when he should have scored.

Musselburgh had marginally improved as the half wore on and made it to the break unscathed. However, their lack of ambition was always liable to be punished, and it only took one mistake for Truesdale to break the deadlock.

With the crowd fully behind them, Clydebank were energised while Musselburgh visibly wilted. Within minutes, McGowan powered a header into the net from a Gallacher corner—only for referee Murdoch to disallow it for a shove. It looked extremely soft.

That incident, however, foreshadowed the decisive moment. Declan O’Kane had been repeatedly warned for pushing in aerial duels, somehow avoiding a caution. But when he clearly shoved Keir Samson to the deck inside the box, he left the referee with no choice: penalty.

Nicky Little took his time over the spot-kick. McCathie guessed correctly and got a hand to it, but only succeeded in pushing the ball into the side-netting. It was fitting that Little should seal promotion—his 34th goal of a record-breaking season now puts him alone at the top for most goals in a single campaign, overtaking the legendary Blair Millar.

There was no coming back for Musselburgh. The Bankies came closest to adding to their lead when Niven had a header cleared off the line and Little clipped the outside of the post.

At full-time, the now-familiar celebrations began again. This group of players have written themselves into Clydebank folklore, and their achievement will live long in the memory. The exciting thing is—it feels more like the start of a journey than the end of one.

The Lowland League will hold no fears for Clydebank. With Gordon Moffat hinting at exciting new arrivals in his programme notes, the Bankies won’t be there just to make up the numbers—they’ll be looking to challenge at the top end of the table in what promises to be a competitive league.

For some of us slightly older supporters, the chance to face former league clubs like Berwick Rangers, Cowdenbeath, Albion Rovers, and East Stirlingshire feels like turning the clock back—rekindling memories of when Clydebank were a league force.

This new adventure will also offer fresh opposition, with many clubs we’ve either never faced or met only rarely in cup competitions. We've forged fine rivalries with several West of Scotland sides over the past two decades, and the pyramid system will no doubt give opportunities to renew some of those in future.

But for now, let’s savour the moment. Clydebank become the first club to earn promotion from the West of Scotland League.

To the Lowland League, we say: Bring it on!

Match report written by Stuart McBay