Navigation

• Home page
• League Table and Fixtures

CLYDEBANK EXIT CUP AS MAYBOLE MAUL THE BANKIES

Clydebank 1-3 Maybole

On a humid day that showed that the cold Winter was finally over, Maybole visited Glenhead Park and deservedly won out and booked their place in the quarter finals of the West of Scotland Cup, with some risky yet classy play.  403 spectators witnessed how the Bankies were out-played for most of the 90 minutes, and now Budgie can concentrate on the league, and our push for promotion.

This is how both sides lined up:

After a minute's silence in memory of Davie Cooper, observed wonderfully by 400 people but partly ruined from small boys pretending to sneeze, Ian Craig got the match underway.  And the first chance of the game saw Maybole take the lead.  On the official Clydebank website, it says he scored from a header.  I'm positive that the deflected cross from the right saw someone head it, but Halpin did well to save it.  But it fell to Andy Stenston, who had a simple tap-in, to make it Clydebank 0-1 Maybole, after 3 minutes.

Clydebank responded a minute later through a Gary Esdale free header, but saved relatively easily by Chris Kelly.  Andy Stenston once again had a great chance to put the visitors another goal up with only 7 minutes gone, but running through on goal with pressure from a Bankies defender his lob was completely mis-hit, and Halpin had no bother saving it.  Then Ryan Waddell blasted a free-kick well over the crossbar on 11 minutes.

Derek Readie had a glorious chance to score on 13 minutes, with only the goakeeper to beat.  But he poorly struck the shot, and in the end the keeper once again had no real trouble saving the shot.  Clydebank kept up the spell of pressure, but Waddell's corner was cleared.  From this came another goal for Maybole, thanks to a strong run from Joe Flanagan.  He was on the ball, and suddenly changed pace to breeze past Dempsey.  He continued to run as the Clydebank defence failed to clear and with such horrid luck the ball broke back to Flanagan, who wrong-footed Halpin with a lofted shot to the near post, Halpin being out-foxed in a one-on-one scenario.  The score was now Clydebank 0-2 Maybole, after 15 minutes.

Clydebank did not drop their heads, and kept fighting for a way back into the game.  Fallen saw a looping header just go over the crossbar on 21 minutes, and a couple of Ryan Waddell corners in between that saw no chance being made.  Alan Love had a volley being saved with 23 minutes gone, and this was followed by a Waddell free-kick going out for a goal-kick, a shot from Waddell being well-saved from Kelly, a Readie cross/shot that just trickled past the post and another Waddell shot that went wide of goal.

Del Readie had a glorious chance when he turned his man well, but fired well over the bar on 31 minutes.  WIth ten minutes to half time, Waddell crossed in a free-kick, and it either found the head of Esdale of Scobie.  But whoever got on the end of it headed it clear for Maybole, instead of heading it towards goal.  Completely mis-timed header, and it was another chance gone.  But two minutes later, the Bankies were cheering when Esdale got his first goal for the club.  Graeme Dempsey swung in a deep cross from the right with a free-kick, and Esdale got something on the ball, I think it hit his knee or thigh.  It was enough anyway, as the ball seemed to somehow go through Kelly and it crossed the line, and it was now Clydebank 1-2 Maybole, after 37 minutes.

Maybole responded to this Bankies fight-back by coming close to scoring themselves once again.  Tom Murphy dragged his shot wide of goal, but it was a good chance to test Halpin.  The only other chance fell to Esdale, yet another header.  It deflected wide for a corner, which then was cleared.  Ian Craig blew for half time, and the scores stood at:

CLYDEBANK 1-2 MAYBOLE

Clydebank made a change at half-time, Graeme Dempsey (Who I thought was having a decent match) being replaced by David Fisher.  This in turn meant that the defence of Clydebank was changed to a back 3, and Fallen was playing wide on the right covering runs by Flanagan and others.  Maybole are very capable of attacking on both wings, though.

John Mitchell had a clash of heads mid-way through the first half, and at half time had a bandage wrapped around his head.  Now he reminded folks of Terry Butcher!  Tom Murphy tried his luck at a free-kick on 47 minutes which went over Halpin's crossbar.  Then 2 minutes later, Esdale did very well to bring the ball down, and his volley just went past Kelly's post.  Then Waddell saw his shot sail over the crossbar on 51 minutes.

Gary Esdale once again attempted to score, but his header from outside the box just didn't have enough power and Kelly had no trouble with it.  Then on 57 minutes Scobie had his best chance of the afternoon, a chip shot on the right side of the penalty box going wide of Kelly's post.  Clydebank made their second substitution a minute later, Clinton Maxwell making way for Mark Hailstones.  This was met with a storm of applause from the Bankies faithful, welcoming back the influential midfielder.

Hailstones' first contribution to the match was from a corner on the left.  Maybole failed to clear, and shots from various Bankies players were blocked and the ball eventually cleared.  But then Maybole winded Clydebank with what turned out to be the final goal of the game.  A swift counter-attack saw Alan Love shoot and score, Halpin coming very close to keeping the shot out but the ball just crossing the line.  The heads went down after this, from fans and players.  The score was now Clydebank 1-3 Maybole, after 63 minutes.

Ryan Waddell hit his best free-kick of the day on 65 minutes, a stinging drive that was tipped over from Kelly.  But Maybole kept pushing for more goals, and came mighty close to scoring on 69 minutes when a cross from the right found Flanagan, who volleyed his shot into the side netting.  This was followed by Alan Love once again seeing his shot go past the post.  Fallen tried his luck on 73 minutes, but like many other efforts from his team-mates the shot went well over the crossbar.  Clydebank made their final substitution on 78 minutes, Paul McGlinchey coming on for Ryan Scobie.  All credit to Tiny for trying his best to create chances, he skinned a guy on the right and made a run on the left, but both times the final ball was poor.

Just as the clock went into injury time, Readie once again showed some good ball control, but his shot was saved from Kelly in goal.  This was the last chance for the Bankies, and they were now out the cup.  The final score at Glenhead Park was:

CLYDEBANK 1-3 MAYBOLE

In-depth Analysis

Well, in the first half I noticed a trend in the Maybole attacking.  They were very capable of switching the play with ease, and stretched us very often.  The wing backs were rarely even in defence, as they double-teamed Brady and Dempsey in the first 45.  Attacks coming from the wings is how the opening 2 goals were scored, and Clydebank found it hard to deal with that.  The stats don't tell the whole story of the match - Maybole were deserved winners, they took their chances well, passed it around well, worked well together and were very professional in their play.  They did not taunt the Clydebank fans when they scored, they didn't waste time by making any substitutions - not one sub was made by them throughout the match!  Billy Findlay, apparently their star player, didn't even feature!  He didn't need to, really, the team that was put out took care of they job and Maybole are deservedly in the quarter-finals.

Let's take the good from the bad, that's what I say.  Mark Hailstones is back, and showed plenty of enthusiasm.  We don't have any cup distractions now, we can prioritise the league.  Our last two league matches were from opposition who were above us in the table - and we won both times.  Esdale looked bright, scored one and had other chances to score as well.  I know there's bad things about the performance, but that's just about been covered on the forum!  Take a leaf out of Monty Python's book - Always look on the bright side of life!  We are still in a good position in the league, and the team have a well-earned little rest for Easter.

C'mon the Bankies!