Bankies lose out to an early goal in Monday nights challenge match.
Match Report from Peter Ferguson courtesy of the excellent Glens website at http://www.freewebs.com/rutherglenglencairn/index.htmThe Glens went into this match with the criticism of co-managers Willie Patterson and Scott Smith ringing in their ears after the recent friendly defeat to Beith Juniors. The attitude of the players had been called into question after that game, so the Glencairn fans were waiting with interest to see if there was to be the reaction that the management demanded in yet another friendly against higher league opposition. And they weren't to be disappointed.
The opportunity was taken to try out a new central defensive partnership, with new signing David Barr selected to start the game alongside Chris Paul who continued his comeback from a long term knee injury. Other than that it was a fairly recognisable starting side from The Glens, although the strength of the squad was emphasised with the eight changes at the interval not weakening the side in any respect.
The match was fairly even in the early stages with nothing much to talk about in terms of goalmouth incidents in the opening 10 minutes. Glencairn had the bulk of the pressure, however, and Barr headed just over the bar from Dickson's corner after 12 minutes.
It was no surprise, therefore, when The Glens took the lead after 15 minutes. Davie Dickson prodded a ball in between the Clydebank central defenders, and Richie Burke showed great pace and strength to get to the ball first, hold off his marker and fire the ball into the net with a firm right foot shot.
Clydebank reacted to this and almost equalised straight away when a snapshot from the edge of the box by no.11 flew inches over Glens no.1 Mark Wilson's crossbar. Glencairn frontmen David Carr and Stephen O'Keane were combining extremely well, and a second goal for Central District League leaders seemed certain when former Clydebank striker Carr turned his marker and slipped a delightful pass in front of O'Keane, who beat the Bankies' keeper to the ball but his shot slipped inches wide of the post.
Most of Clydebank's efforts on goal were restricted to long distance efforts, and on the half hour another shot from the edge of the area by no.11 seemed to deceive Wilson, and the ball hit the top of the crossbar and flew over to safety for The Glens.
Wilson produced a terrific point blank stop right on the half time whistle to keep Glencairn ahead, blocking a fierce header at his near post from a corner kick.
Half-time : 1-0
Glencairn made eight changes at the interval, but it didn't seem to interrupt the rhythm of the team at all. Colin Boylan, also playing against his old club, took over in central midfield from captain Davie Dickson, and produced an eye-catching performance in the second period that will have done his selection prospects no harm at all.
Richie Burke almost doubled The Glens' lead in the 48th minute when he powered away from his marker on the left side of the penalty area, but the Bankies' keeper made an excellent diving save to keep out the young midfielder's firm shot.
A couple of minutes later Glencairn had a three on two situation as McGladrigan raced away on the left, but he chose to shoot instead of squaring to his strike partner McDougall, and the shot slipped just wide of the post.
Defensively Glencairn were looking very strong with regular centre back pairing of Kane and Prunty now in place. Prunty's long passes into the channels for the willing running of McGladrigan has been a feature of Glencairn's play this season, and it was a notable feature again as The Glens' stretched Clydebank's defence to the full.
Clydebank's no.7 was given three opportunities to hit long distance free kicks, and after two efforts that had flown well wide he finally got one on target which Wilson saved comfortably. However an equaliser seemed certain after 80 minutes when Bankies' no.10 latched onto some uncertainty between Mark Wilson and Tony Kane and dribbled round the Glencairn goalkeeper, but Kane got back onto the line to make a brilliant last-ditch block to the Clydebank player's shot.
That was Clydebank's last chance to score, and if anything The Glens looked the more likely side to hit the net in the closing minutes as McGladrigan's pace and high workrate stretched the Bankies' defence constantly, and Clydebank's goalkeeper made an excellent diving save from McGladrigan's late angled shot under pressure from a covering defender.
And so Glencairn saw the match out in a degree of comfort, and it was another morale-boosting result against a team from the league which is Glencairn's ultimate target for the season.
