Budgie McGhie’s men gifted two goals to the hosts inside the opening six minutes and lost a late winner after clawing their way back into the match.

The Holm Park side have a dismal record in the Junior game’s second most important cup competition.

But they had what looked the perfect chance to progress this year against a team that had lost 10-0 in a league match a week earlier..

Even after defensive hesitancy in the face of two mighty kick-outs from the Craigmark goalkeeper saw Clydebank fall two behind, the visitors had plenty of time to recover.

Despite plenty of effort, they lacked the clinical edge to turn domination into goals.

Ian Gold squandered a great chance when he took a heavy touch after Graeme Ramage split the defence with a well-weighted pass.

Ross Harvie, making his first start of the season, blasted wide from the edge of the box at the end of another good move.

The hard-working Jordan Shelvey then looked on in agony when his lofted shot came back off the post and was booted clear.

Bankies halved the deficit just before the break when Tommy Martin was pulled down in the box for a penalty converted by Ramage.

The visitors’ domination continued in the second half with Stevie Gardiner, Harvie and Shelvey all coming close early on.

The leveller came through a Martin header at the near post from a Graeme Mort cross.

Clydebank looked set to go on and win the game and put an uncomfortable afternoon behind them, but Craigmark had other ideas.

Inside the last ten minutes, Bankies’ defence yet again failed to deal with a route one kick out from the home keeper and they were roundly punished when the alert Craigmark striker drilled the ball past Robert Hamilton.

Clydebank looked bereft of ideas in the closing minutes and a cup exit began to look inevitable.

The final whistle was greeted by loud cheers from the home support but rarely have a Clydebank side looked so dejected as they trudged from the field.

This Saturday, Bankies are back at Holm Park when they face Lossiemouth in the second round of the Scottish Junior Cup, kick off 2.30pm.