Bankies suffer late heartache

Published 16 Sep 2009 12:00

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Clydebank 0 Ashfield 1

CLYDEBANK slumped to their first league defeat of the season after a smash-and-grab winner in the dying seconds from Ashfield.

Budgie McGhie's men were aiming to make it three wins on the trot to stay among the Super League First Division's early pace-setters.

The Bankies boss was able to name an unchanged team from the eleven who convincingly took full points from Whitletts and Neilston but a spirited Ashfield outfit, newly promoted from the Central League, made life difficult from the start.

The visitors rarely threatened Stefan Gonet's goal but they worked hard and largely succeeded in knocking the hosts out of their stride.

Clydebank had the game's first real chance on 17 minutes when John Harvey delivered a great cross into the heart of the Ashfield box.

Both Stevie Dallas and Paul Allum went for it, with the former volleying just wide of the target.

Allum then had a vicious shot saved by former Bankie Chris Prior after good work by Stevie Dymock.

Harvey fizzed a free-kick inches over as Clydebank threatened to overwhelm their opponents.

Shortly into the second half McGhie made a tactical switch to a 3-4-3 formation in a bid to break the stalemate and within minutes Dymock had come close to scoring, but his header from a Harvey cross crashed off the bar.

It was about the last action the striker took part in as a bad tackle left him needing

carried from the field.

Dymock was later told he had knee

ligament damage and could be out of action for at least six weeks

At the other end, Darren O'Donnell clipped the bar with a lob after hesitancy in the home defence, as Ashfield showed they were still a threat.

Clydebank created a series of half chances but the Glasgow outfit were always

dangerous on the break.

In stoppage time they showed just how dangerous when they snatched the winner through a Martin McInnes own goal.

The big defender could only turn the ball into his own net when he tried to defend a cross at the near post to give Ashfield all three points.

Shortly after the restart O'Donnell was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for a bad tackle on Mark Hailstones.

The ten men held on to their lead to inflict defeat on the Bankies, on a day that promised much but delivered precious little.

A gutted McGhie said: "I think it was a game we should have won.

"We had at least half a dozen decent chances but we never took them and it

basically came back to bite us.

"Stefan didn't have a save to make, but that said, it wasn't a great performance."

Clydebank are on the road on Saturday with a trip to East Kilbride.

The supporters' bus leaves Hardgate Cross at 12.10pm, the Atlantis at 12.20pm and Holm Park at 12.30pm.

To book seats phone Fred on 07890410606.

This article appeared in Clydebank Post 16 Sep 09

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