Clydebank Post | Sport | Stagecoach Central Division 1

Thursday, 8th January, 2009

Published: Wednesday, 11th April, 2007 09:58

Stagecoach Central Division 1

By Frank Cassidy

Yoker Athletic 2 Clydebank 2

It was honours even in a pulsating match that saw Yoker storm into a two goal lead inside ten minutes before a rousing comeback from Clydebank saved a point.

In the end it was a much better result for Budgie McGhie’s promotion-chasing Bankies than Jim George’s Whe Ho who are playing catch up.

Yoker were unchanged from the previous week’s demolition of Cambuslang while the visitors brought Andy Kenna back into their starting line-up to add steel to a skilful midfield.

Clydebank started the brighter side with Clinton Maxwell firing inches wide after some decent early pressure.

But after ten minutes Yoker found themselves two ahead thanks to two superb finishes that punished slackness in the opposition defence.

Ex-Bankie Billy McClafferty notched the opener against his old mates with a fine finish after Robert Cuthbert’s inch-perfect cross created the opening.

Two minutes later Yoker doubled the lead through a superb Gerry Joyce volley after Raymond Dunne nodded a Gary Bisland corner into his path.

Clydebank have gone behind so often this season, but their supporters think nothing of it and expect a rousing comeback.

The lead could have been halved when Gordon Lappin showed wonderful technique to fire a 25-yard volley that looked a goal all the way until Kenny Meechan produced the save of the season to push the ball wide for a corner.

Both sides were giving their all and the tempo didn’t dip after the break.

Yoker’s impressive defender Graham Japp could have increased his team’s lead when he rose unchallenged to meet another Bisland corner but his downward header bounced over the bar.

Clydebank pulled one back when leading score Maxwell turned the ball home after Yoker’s Scott Cameron could only help a Kenna throw-in into the striker’s path.

The momentum was with the Bankies in the closing stages and when Davie Fisher was hauled down on the edge of the box, they were presented with a great chance to level.

Alan Jack, who was on the field of play for no more than five minutes after replacing Lappin, stepped up to curl the sweetest of left-foot strikes over the wall and into the net to send the Bankies bench and support wild.

Mark Hailstones could have won the match minutes later but his angled right foot strike clipped the outside of the post to let Yoker off the hook.

The final whistle sounded to warm applause from both sets of fans on what was a great day for junior football.

Yoker Athletic: Meechan, Joyce, Jaap, Marshall, Brady; Bisland, Cameron (Mark Collins), Smith, Cuthbert (Chisholm), Dunne, McLafferty.

Clydebank: Gonet, McInnes, Allum, Kenna, Cunningham, Docherty, Kelly (Bowie), Lappin (Jack), Kennedy (Hailstones), Maxwell, Fisher.

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