Clydebank 0
Dumbarton 1
League (Division 2)

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Clydebank
0 - 1
 Dumbarton

League (Division 2)
Saturday, September 7th, 1968
New Kilbowie Park. Att. 2,189
3:00 PM Kick-off
Goalscorers
None. Jim Fallon (30 og)

Team Managers
Jack Steedman
 Unknown.

Starting Eleven
1 Dick Madden
2 Graeme Brockett
3 Jim Fallon
4 Ernie Collumbine
5 Dennis Ruddy
6 Dougie Hay
7 Eddie Rutherford
8 Gerry O'Brien
9 Alan Munro
10 Ian Hawkshaw
11 Jimmy Caskie
 Walter Smith 1
Bill McMurray 2
George Muir 3
Ronnie Curran 4
Bobby Johnstone 5
Billy Wilkinson 6
Roy McCormack 7
John McGhee 8
Johnny Graham 9
Allan Watson 10
Henry McCully 11

Bench
12 Paul McCone
 Michael Wynne 12

Substitutions
None. None.

Cautions
None. Alan Watson (65)
Ronnie Curran

Red Cards
None. None.
Match Officials

W Syme (Referee)



Match Report

Clydebank Press

Brute strength robbed the youngsters of Clydebank of this game. Bankies were fielding almost exactly the same team as last week, with the exception of Eddie Rutherford playing at outside right, and the Clydebank lack of weight was certainly a disadvantage against a much heavier and taller Sons side.

The only goal of the game came in the 30th minute after centre forward Graham latched onto the ball 10 yards from the Clydebank goal. He was faced with a bunch of Clydebank defenders and hammered a lovely shot through them at goal, Young let back Fallon, seeing the danger, launched himself at the ball, but succeeded only in helping it on its way into the net.

Until then Clydebank had been playing by far the best game in attack. They were passing superbly and continually knocking holes in a very shaky Dumbarton defence.

Dumbarton's saviour was certainly keeper Smith. On several occasions he stopped almost impossible shots, and had it not been for him, the final result would certainly have tallied against the visitors.

Alan Munro, centre forward for Clydebank, punched several holes in the Dumbarton defence finding their weakness down the centre of the field. On one occasion he took the ball down the centre but was forced out on the wing by the bulky Dumbarton defence.

Alan tried a shot from a very acute angle and keeper Smith was forced to dive to clear the ball. Alan ran in again for a second shot but was forced off the ball by right back McMurray who cleared upfield.

On another occasion right half Curran of Dumbarton had a chance to score coming in from the right wing. Unfortunately he hesitated for a moment before shooting, giving keeper Dick Madden a chance to line up with the shot and save.

The second half opened badly. Roy McCormack, of Dumbarton, formerly of Yoker Athletic was barging about like a bull in a China shop, the Clydebank players being the China, of course, and coupled with some very heavy tackles by Curran, referee Syme had a full time job on his hands keeping the peace. Eventually Curran had his name taken for perpetual fouling.

Clydebank badly wanted an equaliser and this was obvious in their play. The lads lack experience and in their enthusiasm tended to out-run themselves, spoiling a lot of good chances. They were getting the breaks but the Sons defence always managed to squeeze them out.

Even right back Brockett made a break in the 65th minute and tore up the right wing. He tried to cut in to the centre of the field, but was forced to shoot from fifteen yards out. The ball went over the bar, missing its target by inches.

With only ten minutes left to play Clydebank were getting desperate. The other back, Fallon, tried a shot from 30 yards out on the left wing; it surprised the Dumbarton defence, but went over the bar. Another shot from O'Brien from the same distance, only a minute later, went exactly the same way.

Two minutes from time Dick Madden saved face for Clydebank when he dived and grasped the ball from the feet of Dumbarton inside right McGhee who was coming through solo like an express train.

Despite this result this was not a bad game for Clydebank and I think the real reason behind the defeat lay in Dumbarton's constant use of the offside rule.

Lennox Herald

Seventeen year-old Clydebank full-back Jim Fallon sent the ball spinning behind his own keeper after 30 minutes of the local derby at Kilbowie Park on Saturday to give Dumbarton victory and two invaluable points.

Dumbarton won, it's true, but the manner of their victory over a very inexperienced Clydebank side left a lot to be desired. The new forward line-up of McCormack, McGhee, Graham, Watson and McCully, was only a partial success although Johnny Graham was a constant source of worry to the Bankies defence with his darting runs.

One Dumbarton player who had a fine game was new keeper Walter Smith. Young Billy Wilkinson at left-half put on an outstanding display, and must have secured his position for a good few weeks to come.

A crowd of well over 3000 made their way to a sunlit Kilbowie Park anticipating an exciting duel which never materialised. Dumbarton were obviously intent on making an early impression and they came close twice within the first three minutes.

First of all Roy McCormack, playing with number seven on his jersey, but roaming all over the field, was crowded out by the home defence as he raced in on goal. Only a minute later Henry McCully sent in a great cross from way out on the left which the agile Dick Madden got a finger to before Brockett hooked the ball clear.

An encouraging start from the Sons but even at this early stage the major weakness was obvious: an ambling build-up to attacks which allowed the Clydebank youngsters to cover up.

The Sons defence got their first taste of the guile of their teenage opponents after four minutes. Gerry O'Brien, the inside-right, sent the visiting defence the wrong way before unleashing a vicious shot which went past.

Walter Smith then had a great save from the Bankies centre Munro who latched on to Rutherford pass and shot goalward. Smith showed fine anticipation and leapt to grab the ball. Time and time again the Clydebank forwards were being caught offside at free kicks as the Sons defenders raced out whenever the ball was hit. A highly effective tactical move this but hardly one that makes Dumbarton an attractive side to watch.

As the stalemate continued, Walter Smith had two further fine saves in the space of a minute from O'Brien and Caskie and then play switched to the other end where Dumbarton got (or were given) the goal that was to prove the winner.

Johnny Graham broke through the Bankies defence with an exhilarating sprint, took the ball to the by-line and then sent it low across goal. McCormack got a foot to the ball but his effort seemed too weak until in slid Jim Fallon to touch the ball in his own net, with keeper Madden watching despairingly two yards away.

The goal was a signal for the young Bankies with the old head of Ernie Collumbine in charge to launch a series of assaults on the Dumbarton goal but the interval arrived with Dumbarton holding on to their fortuitous lead. It was taking the Sons defence all their time to contain the Clydebank forward line when the second half got under way and tempers got a bit frayed. This culminated in the booking of Alan Watson after 65 minutes for a heavy tackle on Ian Hawkshaw and things calmed down again.

As the game wore on the Clydebank team who had run themselves into the ground since losing the first goal began to tire and the time was obviously ripe for Dumbarton to cash in. Still, however, the Sons insisted on the deliberate build-up and this undoubtedly met with little success. In the 78th minute a grand move almost brought the Sons their second goal, A Graham free kick to the far post was nodded into the middle by John McGhee but McCormack pounding in just failed to reach the ball.

Dumbarton were dominant now but still lacked the finesse of their younger opponents and they got a shock six minutes from the end when little O'Brien shot from 30 yards but his effort went inches over.

In the last minute, John McGhee, got a foot to a ball right in front of the Bankies goal but as his shot seemed to be trickling past Madden, the keeper twisted round and blocked the effort with his right hand before completing the save.

Two points gained away from home is always a noteworthy achievement but in a poor game Dumbarton were not an attractive side to watch. There were promises of better things to come, however, in the displays of Smith, Wilkinson and Graham, the best man on the park. The experimental forward line for Dumbarton looks good on paper and could indeed prove a winner on the field, but too often the forwards got in each others way when they could have employed their efforts more sensibly in seeking the open space.



Squad Statistics (as at September 7th, 1968)

1968-69 All Time
League Cups All
Dick Madden (GK) 3 - 6 - 45 -
Ian Hawkshaw 316293
Jim Fallon 2 - 2 - 4 -
Dennis Ruddy 3 - 6 - 13 -
Graeme Brockett 2 - 1 - 3 -
Ernie Collumbine 3 - 52872
Dougie Hay 3 - 4 - 211
Eddie Rutherford 3 - 4 - 23 -
Alan Munro 2 - 2 - 4 -
Jimmy Caskie 2 - 3 - 111
Gerry O'Brien 3 - 6 - 12 -







Recent Results

League results since Clydebank's last match
7th September 1968
Brechin City2-1Montrose
Clydebank0-1Dumbarton
East Fife1-0Cowdenbeath
East Stirlingshire7-3Berwick Rangers
Forfar Ath1-0Motherwell
Hamilton Accies3-5Albion Rovers
Stenhousemuir4-4Alloa Athletic
Stirling Albion3-0Queen's Park
Stranraer2-0Queen of South

League Table (as at September 7th, 1968)

Pld W D L +/- Pts
1. Stirling Albion 3 3 0 0 +5 6
2. Brechin City 3 2 1 0 +3 5
3. Forfar Ath 3 2 1 0 +3 5
4. East Fife 3 2 1 0 +3 5
5. Ayr Utd 2 2 0 0 +4 4
6. Montrose 3 2 0 1 +2 4
7. Queen of South 3 2 0 1 +1 4
8. East Stirlingshire 2 1 1 0 +4 3
9. Stranraer 2 1 1 0 +2 3
10. Motherwell 2 1 0 1 +6 2
11. Dumbarton 3 1 0 2 -2 2
12. Albion Rovers 2 1 0 1 -5 2
13. Stenhousemuir 1 0 1 0 0 1
14. Clydebank 3 0 1 2 -3 1
15. Alloa Athletic 3 0 1 2 -4 1
16. Hamilton Accies 3 0 1 2 -4 1
17. Queen's Park 3 0 1 2 -5 1
18. Cowdenbeath 3 0 0 3 -3 0
19. Berwick Rangers 3 0 0 3 -7 0