Clydebank Post | Sport | Brave Bankies

Monday, 13th October, 2008

Published: Wednesday, 17th October, 2007 10:00

Brave Bankies

East Kilbride 3 Clydebank 3

NEVER-SAY-DIE Bankies twice came back from two goals down to save a point against fellow undefeated Super League side East Kilbride.

In another great advert for junior football, goals flew in at either end as both teams went all out to build on their impressive starts to the season.

Clydebank had a bad day at the back, though, and never made Thistle work too hard for their chances, falling behind in the opening minute when Steven McLung turned the ball home from close range.

Andrew Ward doubled the lead midway through the first half, despite Bankies dominating play with some superb passing football.

Alan Jack has been in great form this season and is now the club’s leading scorer, a remarkable achievement from a wide midfield berth.

Jacko chipped in with two goals against Thistle and his first was typical of the player, audaciously passing the ball home from outside the box to give the keeper no chance.

Bankies should have pushed on from this point and should have ended the first half on level terms, at the very least.

But it was Thistle who were next on the score sheet, just before the hour mark, when McLung made it 3-1 thanks to a fine early finish and awful defending.

At this stage it looked as if the home team could go on and add to the lead, as there were gaps opening up all over the place, leaving keeper Stefan Gonet exposed.

But Bankies kept pushing forward and got their reward.

It was Jack again who threw his team mates a lifeline with another fine strike from outside the box, which dipped under the cross bar with the aid of a deflection.

A few minutes later Gordon Lappin capped a fine personal performance when he curled home a free kick from the edge of the box to complete the scoring.

Thistle could have won it late on but a last-man tackle by Sinclair Soutar denied a clear goal scoring chance and earned another red card for the big defender who was sent off in the Scottish Cup a week earlier.

Jack almost clinched a win for Bankies in injury time when he went on a gut-busting run from his own half, shrugging off a couple of challenges on the way, before seeing a right foot chip drift wide of the target.

It was another fine effort from a player who has emerged from an injury-hit season to become one of the stars of Bankies’ bid to establish a foot-hold in the Super League.

Clydebank are on West of Scotland Cup duty this Saturday when they visit Lanarkshire Central League outfit, Stonehouse Violet, in the first round of the competition.

Social Bookmarking What are these?