PENALTY MISS COSTS BANKIES

Published 17 Mar 2010 14:00 0 Comments

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CLYDEBANK had to settle for a point against 10-man Glenafton after missing a last-minute penalty.

For the second consecutive week skipper Gary Lynn failed to covert a spot kick to put his side ahead.

And there was further drama in injury time when Chris Mackie looked to have a perfectly good goal ruled out for offside.

It was a day of frustration for the Bankies at a blustery Loch Park against the New Cumnock side.

Conditions were soft underfoot which made for poor entertainment on a bleak day in Ayrshire.

Bankies had the best of the chances and Stevie Dallas could have opened the scoring early on but pulled his shot wide.

Gareth Armstrong then tested Stefan Gonet with a looping header, but the Clydebank number one had the situation under control.

The visitors played into a strong wind in the first half but were well in control despite a spirited home performance.

After the break, though, the expected Clydebank onslaught, with the wind at their back, never came.

When defender Chris Merrilees received a second booking shortly after the break to reduce Afton to 10 men, the scene was set for Bankies to go on and win it. Dallas had the ball in the net after great work from Brian Smith but the linesman spotted an offside.

Despite being a man down, Glenafton made a real game of it and worked hard at knocking Bankies off their stride.

In sub Simon Eeles they also had pace up front to cause Bankies' boss Budgie McGhie some concern. The slippery Eeles carved out his side's best chance 10 minutes from time but Gonet was more than a match and easily blocked the striker's net-bound shot.

In the last minute Afton's Jamie MacDonald gifted Bankies a great opportunity to take all three points when he inexplicably handled a John Harvey corner to concede a needless penalty kick.

Up stepped skipper Lynn, looking to make amends from his miss the previous week against Vale of Clyde. But it was spot kick woe again for the club captain as home keeper Ally Semple dived to his right and parried the ball wide of the target.

Bankies threw everything at Afton in stoppage time and once again had the ball in the net only to see a goal ruled out for offside. Subs Stevie Dymock and Chris Mackie combined, with the latter knocking the ball home at the back post. The linesman's flag was raised early but it was hard to tell which Clydebank player had strayed offside.

Still, Bankies have no one to blame but themselves for not seeing off the Glenafton challenge and coming away from Loch Park with all three points.

Clydebank take a break from league business this Saturday when they face Fifers Hill of Beath in the quarter finals of the Emirates Scottish Junior Cup.

The mouth-watering tie kicks off at Holm Park at 2.30pm.

This article appeared in Clydebank Post 17 Mar 10

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