St Johnstone 0
Clydebank 1
League (Division 1)

Match Report

Clydebank threw the promotion race wide open with a fighting win at Muirton Park. But as fans and players alike celebrated the end of the country's best home record, they were left with one regret... that defeat at the hands of Partick Thistle the previous week.

With Hearts dropping points for the second week running - ironically to Thistle - Bankies could have been just three points behind the leading pair, with Jags another three points further back.

Instead, five points separate them from the top two, with Peter Cormack's men breathing down their necks in fourth spot.

However, Saturday's courageous win over St Johnstone gave them heart of three points. One, it brought them back into contention at the top. Two, It gives hope for the Scottish Cup tie against Celtic. And three, it proved that Alex Rennie's men are rapidly running out of steam.

For although there will have been a few tired legs after a bruising encounter which saw referee Renton fail to assert his authority, Bankies surely must have expected a better quality performance from the home side.

They might have expected to be treated with the same contempt which Hearts and Thistle showed for them.

But instead the found that all they had to do was block Saints long ball game, keep the ball on the deck and beat them for skill.

That's exactly what they did... but ironically the winning goal came from a header.

After 62 minutes of tousy soccer, with most of the goalmouth incidents happening around Jim Gallacher, Gerry Ronald was upended for the umpteenth time on the edge of the box.

Mark Treanor floated in the free kick, Mike McDonald missed his punch completely and Budgie McGhie got there first to nod home another vital goal.

The centre back's headed goal capped another impressive performance at the heart of the Bankies defence and there were times when the back four really had to be on top of their game to hold Saints.

Eventually the goal came and then Saints already weakened by injury and suspension, threw away their last chance with the dismissal of Jim Morton.

Booked in the first half, he tripped Gerry McCabe on the edge of the box and then proceeded to argue black was white with Mr Renton.

Off he went – and no doubt will be in hot water after his little confrontation with the referee, which saw him escorted from the field by a team-mate and reported to his bench.

From then on it was only a case of hanging on for Clydebank.