Clydebank boss Gordon Moffat hailed matchwinner Lee Gallacher for his stunning strike on Saturday – and has called for more of the same from the tricky winger.
Gallacher set up one and scored another as Bankies picked up a 2-1 winner over Auchinleck Talbot at a packed Holm Park.
He picked out Adam Hodge to bullet home a header on the stroke of half-time however that was cancelled out by Mick Wardrope just before the hour.
Talbot were only level for a few minutes as Gallacher immediately put his side back in front, cutting in from the right and thundering a stunning strike into the top corner from 35 yards.
Bankies held out in fairly comfortable fashion in their first game in nearly a month to go seven points clear at the top of the division and Moff was pleased to see his troops grind out a victory, despite not being at their free-flowing best.
Speaking to The Clydebank Post, he said: I don’t think we were at our best so it was a big three points.
“In the first half, we looked like a team who had been out of competitive action for a month which is hard for the players so it’s understandable – you can train and play all the friendlies you want but a game at the tempo in which that was is hard to replicate.
“We got a bit control in the second part of the first half but if I’m Auchinleck I’m probably feeling a wee bit hard done by at half-time to be behind.
“Lee’s goal could win any game at any level and that’s no exaggeration.
“He was joking at the end and saying after he cut inside he didn’t have anyone to pass to so he put his foot through it and what a strike it was.
“Lee has got that bit of imagination to his play where he wants to come in off the wing and bounce it off a striker or find a wee pass but if he hits them like that then he can hit a few more.
“I thought our centre-halves were magnificent and protected the goal really well, they headed everything.
“We never got the third goal to kill it which made it a bit nervy but we held on and there was points dropped elsewhere which is important.”
Moff will welcome Craig Truesdale back to his squad next week as he returns from suspension, and he admits competition for places is tough ahead of this weekend's trip to Cumnock.
He added: “Craig is back next week and then we’ve only really got Jamie Darroch and Thomas Collins out with wee niggles so I’m going to have some sleepless nights about my team selection but it’s a good problem to have.
“The players can look all around them in the changing room and see they’ve got quality sitting there – you’ve got seven guys on the bench all thinking they should be playing.”
Kick-off at Townhead Park on Saturday is at 1.30 pm.
Elsewhere, it was a tough afternoon for Yoker Athletic who suffered a 4-0 defeat at promotion-chasing Kilsyth Rangers on Saturday.
Two goals in either half capped off a disappointing afternoon for Gordon Robertson’s side as attentions for them now turn to a home fixture with Craigmark Burntonians on Saturday.
Kick-off at Holm Park is at 1.30 pm.
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