Hamilton Accies 0
Clydebank 2
League (Division 1)

Match Report

Campbell McKeown celebrated his 19th birthday by shooting Clydebank into second place in the league with a magnificent goal.

Kilmarnock's home defeat by St. Johnstone left the way open for Bankies to leap-frog Ayr United in the promotion race, leaving themselves six points behind runaway leaders Motherwell.

The key to Saturday's win was the ability of the Clydebank players to keep their feet and lay as much skilful football as the rock-hard pitch allowed.

While Accies slipped and slithered on the icy surface, Bankies, with McKeown and Gerry Ronald outstanding, went about the game exactly the right way.

They played quick one- twos, held the ball for as long as possible and were never reduced to the long hopeful punts employed by their Lanarkshire opponents.

Accies were never happy on Saturday. Bankies always had a man snapping at their heels, and what possession they did have was wasted by high balls downfield for their strikers to chase. Unfortunately for them, they found Jim Fallon and Budgie McGhie in good form.

Fallon used his head much better on the icy surface than his opposite number, Hamilton sweeper John Blackley.

The former Scottish internationalist was so flustered by the confusion in his own defence and the waves of Clydebank attacks that he resorted to two clumsy tackles on Gerry Ronald.

The first, just before the interval, was the worse of the two, but referee McGunnigle, in his wisdom, let him off with a warning and booked him for the second challenge, a trip caused more by the conditions than anything else.

However, if the home defence was unsure, to say the least, Bankies were rock- steady at the back. Although the ice made passing a lottery and tackling suicidal, the back four of Mark Treanor, McGhie, Fallon and Davy Houston never put a foot wrong.

Houston, a surprise choice at left-back in preference to Gerry McLauchlan, looked as if he had been playing there all his life. After this showing, he just might.

Goal number one for Clydebank came in eight minutes. McKeown lofted a pass to Jim Given, and his header spun off Blair Millar to Hamilton's Alan McDougall. His pass-back was short and, although Rikki Ferguson saved Tom Coyne's first effort, the lanky number 10 slammed the rebound high into the net.

Campbell McKeown's goal, just into the second half, stunned Accies. Yet another clumsy tackle out on the left wing gave Bankies a foul: Gerry McCabe's kick glanced off Coyne's head and McKeown had bags of time to steady himself and volley the bail wide of Ferguson and into the far corner from 12 yards.

It's the oldest cliche in the book, but in this case the scoreline honestly didn't reflect the pressure Clydebank had.

McKeown was excellent, Gerry McCabe turned in another fine display of tackling and accurate passing and Jim Given chased and harried up and down the left all day. It was a fine team perform- once in trying conditions, but special mention must go to Gerry Ronald.

In Ronald, Clydebank have a great talent. He has that very special ability to find space in a crowded midfield, to stay calm and play football when the going gets rough. Here's hoping Bankies can hold on to him.