Clydebank defeat Braves in SIX Goal Thriller Under the Floodlights

Clydebank began the game with steady possession between their backline, but it was the Braves who had the first shot on goal, with winger Dean Watson spraying a pass over the Clydebank defence to find the blistering pace of his opposite winger, James Graham. However, the shot that followed didn’t trouble Andrew Leishman in the Clydebank goal.

While the Braves had the first shot of the game, it was Clydebank winger Blair Rossiter who forced the first save of the game from Caledonian Braves keeper Ross Connelly after delightfully flicking the ball over the head of Connor McLaren at left-back.

The game didn’t have to wait much longer for the opener, and it was Clydebank who claimed it through their other winger, Aidan Callaghan, as a long drop-kick from Leishman bounced awkwardly between the retreating Graham and Connelly just outside the penalty box.

Miscommunication between the two saw Graham’s header deflect off Connelly and towards the feet of the onrushing Rossiter, but the ball was taken from him by his own teammate, Callaghan, who slotted it into the back of the Braves’ half-empty net to make it 1-0.

Clydebank put the pressure on after going ahead and, on another day, might have doubled their lead mere minutes later after striker Neil McLaughlin drove a low effort off the post from outside the box following some neat play by his captain, Oisin McHugh.

The first of the game’s ten yellow cards was shown to McLaren in the 27th minute for obstructing Callaghan on the halfway line, leading to a minor spat between the managerial teams in the dugouts.

Graham’s pace continued to threaten the Clydebank defence as his run past McHugh was found by Watson. Facing down Leishman once again, he fired a shot against the woodwork, which deflected back off the keeper dangerously towards goal before being cleared by Christopher McGowan.

Another mishap in the Braves’ defence led to the second goal of the game, as McLaren misjudged the flight of Nicky Low’s pass into Rossiter on the right of the box. Rossiter coolly took it past Craig Clay and placed the ball into the bottom-left corner of Connelly’s net to make it 2-0.

Caledonian Braves halved their deficit three minutes later to make it 2-1 going into half-time, as Ross Lyon floated a cross into the Clydebank box, which Ross McNeil got on the end of, firing a header towards goal. The effort was punched away from the goal but towards Watson, who was arriving at the back post to fire it into the roof of the net.

In the third minute of the second half, Clydebank scored their third goal, as Connelly rushed out of his net to clear the looping pass played by midfielder Dean Cairns. However, the ball went past him and McLaughlin took advantage, just about bobbling it past Connelly’s reach to make it 3-1.

Down by two again, the Braves saw McNeil running through on goal after an inch-perfect, defence-splitting pass by Aiden Malcolm, but before he could get a shot off, he was robbed of the ball strongly but fairly by McGowan.

Dominic Docherty struck next for Clydebank to make it 4-1 to the home side, and he could hardly miss, as Connelly’s save from Rossiter’s shot came back out to James Grant, who selflessly passed to Docherty on the six-yard line for an easy finish.

The fieriness of the match intensified moments after the game restarted, as Struan Thompson was fouled by his opposite number, Cairns, in the middle of the pitch. This led to a scuffle between the two teams and two yellow cards being shown: one to Cairns for the original tackle and the other to McNeil for his involvement in the aftermath.

McLaren and Lyon were taken off shortly after for club captain John Guthrie and Rico Quitongo, before Watson scored his and the Braves’ second goal of the match to make it 4-2. Thompson slipped a deft pass through Grant and McGowan to find his winger, who then clinically guided the ball past Leishman to claim his brace.

Despite two headed efforts by McNeil, the first veering just wide and the second cleared off the line once again by McGowan, Caledonian Braves couldn’t force a late comeback, and the game ended 4-2.

It’s a great three points for Clydebank, taking them up to third place in the league, while the loss leaves the Braves sitting in sixth, now facing an eleven-day wait for a chance to get back to winning ways against Newton Stewart at Alliance Park on 26 September.

Match report written by Jack Burns

Photography by Dana Omar