CLYDEBANK manager Gordon Moffat insists work for next season is already well under way after his sides title hopes were all but finished at Troon on Saturday.

A 1-0 defeat at Portland Park leaves the Bankies needing a miracle in their quest for the Premier Division title having hit a run of poor form at a critical end of the season with just three wins in their last ten games.

The Holm Park side do remain six points clear at the top of the division, but only having played up to six games more than the chasing pack with the likes of Beith, Auchinleck Talbot and Darvel all poised to make their move in the coming weeks.

A second-half header from Logan Smith was the difference between the sides in Ayrshire, and it was a goal that left Moffat fuming – just a few weeks after his side had thrashed the same team 5-1.

Only three league games remain of the 2023/24 campaign for Clydebank and Moffat is expecting his troops to end the season on a high, despite a difficult few months.

Speaking to The Post, he said: “We knew it was going to be a different game from the one at Holm Park last month and there were a few factors in that – they had picked up since then and it’s generally just a difficult place to go.

“We need to look at our own part in that and we didn’t do enough to win the game but with that being said we shouldn’t be losing it.

“It’s a very unforgiving league and although we didn’t do too much clear cut, the game was played in their half before all of a sudden the ball is in our net.

“It was a really cheap goal to lose which we have seen before so we’re going to need to deal with that. It’s a difficult one to know why we’re conceding so many goals from set plays because we haven’t been like that in recent seasons so it’s been frustrating.

“I’ve been sitting with the club and speaking about a few things that we need to change for next season and work has started on that already.

“Other teams will be looking at their own situations as well, it’s that time of year where everyone is looking at where they came up short and what they need to add.

“Between [chair] Grace [McGibbon] and myself with everything we have done off the park in the last few years we have a structure which is all where we want it to be.

“The main thing we need to look at is areas in the squad where we haven’t had the depth we’ve needed and we need to address that.

“Saturday was a good example with Frazer Johnstone missing in that number six position so we need to have someone in there to compete with him, and that’s on me.

“We’ve got a lot of very good footballers that are forward thinking but we definitely somebody to give us that protection so it’s one area we are looking at. There are other areas we need to strengthen in as well.”

Clydebank go to Hurlford on Saturday with Moffat keen to give the final few games of the season to give players a chance to grab a jersey ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

He explained: “We need to see a lot more in the last few games that we seen on Saturday.

“I’m not going to accept, and the club and fans won't either, just letting the season peter out.

“Guys will get chances across the final three games to show what they can do, and we need to finish the season strong.

“It’s in the DNA of the club that we give everything for every point and that’s not going to stop now.”

Kick-off at Blair Park on Saturday is at 2.00pm.