Match Report
Anybody leaving Holm Park after our friendly match with Irvine Meadow who thinks that we even deserved to win, never mind by such a margin, is kidding themselves.
It is quite incredible that the scoreline ended 4-1 despite the visitors having the lion’s share of possession, threat and goalscoring opportunities.
The Bankies are usually quite stingy at conceding chances, but referring to my notes, I counted 16 shots at goal from Irvine Meadow. To these eyes, only one team looked ready and locked in for the new season, and it wasn’t Clydebank.
It’s not as though we didn’t create chances of our own, we did, but we were overrun in the middle of the park by Boland, Gaffney and Brophy. Baird was disciplined in keeping wide to allow quick transitions into attack, leading to our defence being badly exposed time and time again.
Meadow were very impressive and, if this is anything to go by, they will be red-hot favourites for the West of Scotland Premier League this season.
The Bankies, on the other hand, were disjointed and lethargic on the ball. Thankfully, we have two top-quality forwards who can make the difference in any game. With the curtain-raiser to the season against Newton Stewart just seven days away, we are going to have to be a hell of a lot better than we were today. Another team creating that many chances will surely punish us.
By the time the Bankies took the lead in the eleventh minute, Irvine Meadow had already peppered the home goal with five shots. Stott had to be lively to block a Whittaker effort after the striker latched on to a short pass-back after just four minutes. Within 60 seconds, the same man brought out a fantastic stop from Stott, who dived full length to his right to tip away a 25-yard thunderbolt. Baird, Holding and Gallacher also had efforts on Stott’s goal but were all off target.
The Bankies goal came from a corner kick, and the trialist keeper wasn’t great as he flapped at the cross, with Neil McLaughlin perfectly placed in the six-yard box to bundle the ball over the line.
Any thoughts that this might settle the Bankies down were quickly dispelled after Meadow equalised 60 seconds later. With Clydebank too busy claiming for a free-kick on Rossiter that never came, the visitors simply pushed the ball out to Whittaker on the right, and he rammed it past Stott.
Further chances were passed up by Baird and Docherty before Meadow shot themselves in the foot with an atrocious back pass which Keir Samson, who was one of the few to earn pass marks, was alert to. The striker calmly rounded the keeper and slotted the ball home.
The “hydration break”, as we call them nowadays, disrupted Irvine’s flow and the last fifteen minutes of the half were much more evenly contested. Oisin McHugh was unlucky with a close-range flick/lob which agonisingly bounced outside of the post, and Keir Samson should have done better with an angled drive when he could see the whites of the keeper’s eyes.
At the other end, Matt Niven made a tremendous block from Baird, who looked favourite to score, and then there was some comic-cuts defending when Syme had to clear the ball off the line twice in the space of ten seconds just before the interval.
The second half opened with Samson testing the keeper from the right-hand side of the box, but as the game settled back down, it was Irvine Meadow who carried all the threat.
The Bankies defence were cut open down the left wing, and I’m not sure what Stott was thinking as he seemed to pull out of a clearance. This allowed Baird in behind him, and from the tightest of angles he could only hit the outside of the post.
Baird fired another shot over the bar before both sides made a whole raft of substitutions. Nothing changed as Gaffney arrowed a shot straight at Stott. Even the subs were getting in on the act as McPeake smashed a tremendous shot from distance, which Stott did superbly to turn away with a two-handed stop to his left.
Meadow were no doubt incredulous that they were still behind in the contest, and when the number 16 trialist went past McGowan without any attempt at a tackle, only to hit the side netting, they must have known it wasn’t going to be their day.
There was to be not one but two stings in the tail as the Bankies incredibly scored twice in the last three minutes. Kieran Dolan received the ball from a Nicky Little knock-on, and his touch and shot were terrific, leaving Lyle with no chance.
Then McLaughlin, with his back to goal, held off his marker to produce a fantastic overhead kick which gave the scoreline a look that did not resemble anything like the 90 minutes of play which preceded it.
So, pre-season is over and the Bankies secured five wins from five. Apart from the Musselburgh game, we have been less than impressive. Personally, I’ve been disappointed with the midfield, who have been way too pedestrian for my liking. Teams just aren’t going to sit off us and let us strut around like superstars.
Irvine Meadow’s attitude was spot on today. They were lively, pressing off the ball and quick on it, even if they didn’t get the reward they deserved. Clydebank can play that way too, but there has been precious little evidence of it so far.
Standards and expectations are higher than ever, and it is up to the players to rise to the challenge. Newton Stewart arrive at Holm Park for the first league game of the season and we need to see a marked improvement.
Match report written by Stuart McBay
