Clydebank 2
Dumbarton 1
League (Division 2)

Match Report

What a start to the New Year for the Bankies faithful! They witnessed their team vanquish their arch-rivals Dumbarton in a pulsating encounter at Kilbowie Park, a match brimming with excitement and ferocious tackles.

From the get-go, both sides threw themselves into the fray. Bankies, with fire in their bellies, immediately threatened the Dumbarton goal. Tommy McGhee unleashed a stinging effort in the 9th minute that had Dumbarton keeper Meikleham scrambling, his fingertips just enough to divert the ball for a corner. The home side maintained the pressure, and Dumbarton's frustration boiled over in the 12th minute when Lynas clattered into Bankies centre-half Jim Fleming, earning a well-deserved yellow card.

Dumbarton threatened a response on the 20-minute mark. Ian Henderson unleashed a thunderbolt that rattled Clydebank keeper Madden's palms, forcing him to parry the ball away. Ten minutes later, Alan Watson found himself unmarked on the wing, but Clydebank's Australian right-back, Malcolm Henderson, produced a last-ditch tackle to snuff out the danger.

Disaster struck the Sons just past the half-hour mark. Their left-back, Donald May, collided with Clydebank's John Baxter and suffered a broken arm, a sickening blow as Dumbarton were just finding their feet. May was stretchered off the pitch to be replaced by Wilkinson, manager Ian Spence rushing onto the park with the physiotherapist.

This setback seemed to galvanise the Sons momentarily. They came close to drawing first blood just five minutes later when Madden produced a breathtaking acrobatic save to deny McCormack's ferocious long-range effort.

The second half began with a missed opportunity for Clydebank's Jim Fleming, who blazed his shot straight at the keeper. However, the deadlock was broken just a minute later in spectacular fashion. Tony Moy unleashed a thunderous 25-yard shot that rocketed into the net, leaving Dumbarton goalkeeper Meikleham grasping at thin air.

Dumbarton refused to surrender and hit back almost immediately. McGoldrick slipped a clever pass to Moffat, who slotted the ball home to restore parity. Shortly after this, Clydebank's John Baxter was shown a yellow card for a foul on Henderson.

The match remained a see-saw affair, with the 4,000-strong crowd creating a cacophony of encouragement for their respective teams.

The winner came in fortuitous circumstances for the Bankies 20 minutes into the second half. Tony Moy sent in a looping shot that seemed destined to be collected by the goalkeeper, but a cruel twist of fate saw it squirm out of the unfortunate Meikleham's hands and into the net. The crowd and Tony Moy erupted in delight, while the Sons supporters slumped in their seats, heads in their hands.

Dumbarton didn't give up, battering away at the Clydebank defence. However, the resolute backline, marshalled by Eddie Moore and Ernie Collumbine, held firm. John McGoldrick had two golden opportunities to level the score for Dumbarton but spurned both chances, one a shocking miskick when clean through.

Despite the treacherous pitch conditions due to snow and ice, both teams put up a spirited performance. The tackles flew in, some perhaps a consequence of the slippy surface, but adding spice to this already thrilling encounter.

While Dumbarton fans might argue a draw would have been fairer, the Bankies ultimately emerged victorious in a pulsating encounter. Credit must go to new signing Pat Henderson, a former Arbroath player returning from injury, who impressed on the right wing for Clydebank.

Match report written by Adapted by Stuart McBay