Bonnyrigg Rose 3
Clydebank 2
League (Lowland League)

Match Report

Clydebank’s long run of unbeaten league matches away from home finally came to an end at New Dundas Park this afternoon. Twenty-one games – only three of them draws – was a remarkable record, but it couldn’t last forever.

The stage was probably set for the streak to fall. Not only are Bonnyrigg Rose one of the toughest sides in the league, but this match coincided with their return to New Dundas Park after several months groundsharing with Whitehill Welfare due to extensive work to remove the famous slope from the pitch. The result was a much larger attendance than would normally be expected for this fixture, and the home players clearly fed off the backing, finding an extra yard in their stride.

Clydebank fans were also met with the disappointing news that Nicky Low and Thomas Collins had joined the ever-growing injury list, leaving the squad threadbare and with few options from the bench. Even so, we were still able to field a strong starting eleven, and it’s hard to use this as an excuse – especially as Bonnyrigg did not make a single substitution over the 90 minutes, which is unusual in the modern game.

There’s nothing worse than being the visitors on a red-letter day for the opposition. The Bankies know this well – we were the first side to play competitive matches at both McDiarmid Park and Forthbank Stadium. You’re on a hiding to nothing in such situations, but with Linlithgow Rose losing last night, there was a great opportunity to open up a six-point gap at the top of the table.

Lee Gallacher returned to the starting line-up after missing Tuesday’s game, and Adam Hodge came in for Low, pushing Jimmy Grant into midfield. There was a case for sending Grant to left-back and moving McGowan into midfield, but the chosen setup has worked before.

The match was played at a terrific tempo, with the 250-plus Clydebank supporters adding to the atmosphere. It was something of a clash of styles – Bonnyrigg more direct, the Bankies looking to play – and the new pitch helped create an action-packed contest.

Right from the off, the pace was frantic and the Bankies looked to quieten the home crowd. A long throw from McLaughlin was half-cleared to the edge of the box, where Grant volleyed over with four minutes gone.

A brief complaint. We seem to have just realised the long throw weapon that is Neil McLaughlin, and to be fair, it produced two goals in midweek. But today we leaned on it far too heavily. We’re usually good at varying our set plays, and I’d have liked more variety from our throw-ins. It made sense when we were chasing the game late on, but for long stretches it felt a bit one-dimensional to be launching it into the box every time.

The first real chance came after eight minutes when Gallacher was sent through by Keir Samson. He did little wrong – his shot beat Connolly – but was hooked off the line by Neil Martyniuk. Gallacher started with a far more positive mindset than in recent weeks and soon fired another effort wide after some sharp one-touch play in midfield.

Bonnyrigg responded well and threatened down both flanks. Stott had to be alert to hold a header from Devine after a dangerous cross from the left.

Clydebank looked the more likely in the middle part of the first half. A Gallacher shot struck a defender square on the head, and Nicky Little couldn’t quite adjust to divert a powerful McLaughlin cross goalwards from close range. But as the interval approached, Bonnyrigg began to impose themselves and it became end-to-end.

With six minutes before the break, the Bankies took the lead with a fine goal. Samson threaded the ball to Little inside the box on the left. As Connolly came out to narrow the angle, Little outfoxed him with the deftest of chips, and Gallacher was perfectly placed at the back post to run the ball into the net.

Clydebank probably deserved the lead at the break, and early in the second half it looked well-founded. A second goal would have made life extremely difficult for Bonnyrigg – especially with our lack of options on the bench – so the sooner it came, the better. For ten minutes or so after the restart, the visitors continued to probe.

The best chance fell to Samson when McLaughlin and Niven combined to set him up. From an awkward position he tried a flicked finish, but it went over the bar.

Then came the turning point. McLaughlin inadvertently knocked the ball into the middle of the park, exposing the Bankies defence. From there it was worked into the box for Billy King, who evaded his marker and drilled it past Stott.

That changed the game completely, and from then on Bonnyrigg deserved the three points. Spurred on by the big home support, they pressed and stretched the Bankies time and again. Gordon Moffat will be disappointed in how his side reacted to adversity. As in the Linlithgow game, we didn’t recover our composure and became our own worst enemies at times.

The second goal began when Gallacher was dispossessed by Jay McGarva as he looked for a foul that was never coming. McGarva skipped past Hodge as if he wasn’t there and unleashed a bullet of a shot that Stott could only parry. King reacted quickest and thrashed the loose ball high into the net.

To our credit, the Bankies weren’t prepared to give up the unbeaten run without a fight. We threw men forward to try to rescue a point, but that was ultimately our undoing. In stoppage time, a quick break down the right left Bonnyrigg two against one. Alassan Jones tried to square it, and as David Syme attempted to block, he unfortunately wrong-footed Stott and the game was over.

We still kept going, though. Samson drew a good save from Connolly, and Grant was brought down for a clear penalty. McLaughlin converted, but time was up and Bonnyrigg were worthy winners.

This day was bound to arrive – it’s all about how we respond. The injury situation never seems to improve: as soon as one returns, another drops out. Hopefully Low and Collins are short-term absentees, but with Mulcahy undergoing surgery this week and the departures of McCann and Truesdale, we may need to accelerate plans to bring in a new face or two.

Personally, I feel we need more cover in midfield and up front. Nicky Little seems to be lasting only an hour or so in games, and maybe a long-term solution at number ten needs to be found. Losing Low or Cairns in the engine room is hugely disruptive, and more competition in that area wouldn’t hurt.

We host East Stirlingshire next week in the Scottish Cup. It feels like broken record territory, but it’s vital we progress. The Shire have had a difficult season since we beat them at Holm Park in July, and it should be the ideal match to bounce back from today’s defeat.

Match report written by Stuart McBay