Clydebank 1
Falkirk 1
League (Division 1)

Match Report

A solitary flash of brilliance from Gerry McLauchlan wasn't enough to give Clydebank victory in a match spoiled by monsoon-like conditions.

The big sweeper's bending free kick after 37 minutes was cancelled out by a scrambled Smith goal 12 minutes into the second half. A draw, it must be said, was always the most likely result.

Really, though, it was a day more suited to sitting in front of the telly with your feet up. The kind of day when ducks wear plastic macs! Certainly not the kind of day when you'd expect to see sparkling football.

Swirling winds and driving rain made it almost impossible for either side to string together the kind of moves they are both capable of.

Falkirk, in fact, could have snatched victory after their equaliser, but despite the urgings of the Bairns' sizeable travelling support, they could not turn their pressure into goals.

Their goal was a messy affair. Winger John Perry sent over a corner, substitute Mike Oliver flicked the ball on, and with the Bankies' defence playing statues, Gordon Smith stooped to head the ball home from about a yard out.

But there was nothing scrambled about McLauchlan's first-half counter. Jim Given almost had his hair permanently parted in a midfield challenge and from the resultant free kick Gerry curled the ball round the wall, past the keeper and into the top corner for a superb goal.

The big No. 4 seems to be making a habit of this these days remember his marvellous effort against Berwick Rangers? and that must be good for Bankies. There are so few players around today who can hit the target from that sort of position that McLauchlan must be an ace card at free kicks from now on.

His goal livened a first half which saw the players slipping on the treacherous surface, misplace passes or finish woefully. Both sides strived manfully to build up attacks, only to see pass after pass skim yards past their intended targets.

The first half belonged mostly to Clydebank, but with both Millar and McGorm sadly out of touch in front of goal, it was obvious that the only way they were going to score would be via a defender or at a set-piece. Falkirk's attacking ideas were limited to a couple of shots from Herd and Smith, dealt with comfortably by Jim Gallacher.

Reluctantly, Falkirk made two half-time substitutions, with Mike Oliver making an early impression, laying on Smith's leveller.

At the other end, George Watson, shaky in the first period, redeemed himself with fine saves from Millar and Given, the latter, a 20-yard volley, bringing out a spectacular stop.

Following his booking for a petty foul on Rose, Tom McGorm was replaced by Tommy Harkins, after a kamikaze challenge on Allan Mackin, which left the little No. 10 sprawled on the turf.

McGorm wouldn't have been too disappointed at missing some of the second half, for he had had a lean time of it.

Out of form, soaked, and elbowed more often than Malcolm Allison – it wasn't one of Tom' better days.

And really his plight summed up the whole the match from a Clydebank point of view. A bit frustrating. Still, they would have been quite pleased to take a point from a game which could end soon enough for the 776 fans.

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How the other side saw it
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A bold decision by Falkirk boss John Hagart to bring on both substitutes at half-time paid dividends as the Bairns staged a revival to grab a share of the points.

After a first half of mind- numbing mediocrity at rain- lashed Kilbowie, in which the home side had eased into a one-goal lead, Falkirk seemed so out of sorts that they needed nothing less than a miracle if they were to get a result.

However, Gary Thompson and Mike Oliver appeared after the break to give the Bairns the kind of drive and aggression in midfield which had been so sadly lacking in the first half and at once they looked a different prospect.

But even then the man who deserves most of the credit for Falkirk earning a point is keeper George Watson, who made three superb reflex saves during the second half to keep his side's hopes alive.

Falkirk's positive contribution to the match in the first half was restricted to two efforts separated by a full half an hour of deadly dull play.

In the third minute Willie Herd jinked past two players on the left as he raced into the penalty box but his shot lacked strength, and keeper Gallacher saved easily. Early promise from Herd, but sadly he faded.

In the 33rd minute Wilson Hoggan, one of Falkirk's better performers on the day, forced his way into the 18-yard box on the left and pushed the ball to Gordon Smith at the near post. The striker drew the ball wide of the keeper and turned to chip the ball across goal, his effort flying just wide of the far post.

The talented Gerry Ronald was the man dictating play for Bankies in midfield, and when he made space for a cross in the 36th minute, striker Blair Millar headed just past despite a challenge from Brian Brown.

One minute later the home side took the lead. From a free-kick all of 30 yards out, Gerry MCLAUGHLAN struck a curling shot which rose high into the top corner of the net, giving Watson no chance.

After the break the Falkirk substitutes came on for John Gillen and Alan Oliver, neither of whom had made any impact whatsoever, and Thompson made his presence felt early on with a shot which flew just past the post.

Smith, battling tirelessly up front but receiving little support, was unlucky in the 51 minutes when he connected with a John Ferry cross only to see his header slip inches past the post.

However, six minutes later the striker was rewarded for his efforts when he snatched the equaliser. A Perry corner on the right was headed down towards the far post by Mike Oliver and SMITH flung himself at the low ball to head home from close range.

In the 62nd minute Smith again worried the Bankies' defence as he ran on to a fine through ball from Archie Rose. He cut inside the full- back but shot weakly straight at the keeper when instead he should have cut the ball back for one of his team- mates, who were present in numbers in the 18-yard box.

But as the Bankies, inspired by substitute Tommy Harkins, fought back, it was left to Watson to deny the home forwards. The keeper, who had earlier done well to push a Given drive over the bar, again tipped a 20-yard drive from the same player to safety in the 71st minute.

Eight minutes later when Millar met a Harkins cross to send in a seemingly unsaveable glancing header, the Bankies striker had turned away to celebrate a near certain "goal". But he hadn't accounted for the agility of Watson, who was at full stretch to stop the ball on the goal-line.

Falkirk boss Hagart must have been questioning the wisdom of using both substitutes at half-time when Perry slipped and fell awkwardly. The right-winger was obviously in great pain but stayed on the field, although barely able to move or kick the ball.

With Falkirk in effect reduced to ten men it wasn't really surprising that Watson and Alan Mackin should indulge in a spot of time wasting in the dying seconds.

However, referee Douglas Ramsay of Edinburgh didn't see it that way - he booked the keeper and surprisingly awarded a direct free- kick just inside the Falkirk 18-yard box. To Falkirk's relief the shot was blasted straight at the defensive wall and was deflected away from the danger zone.

Two other players were booked - Rose of Falkirk and McGorm of Clydebank.