MATCH REPORT: ARTHURLIE 0-1 CLYDEBANK

Saturday 30 September 2023 14:00

WoSFL Premier Division

Arthurlie 0-1 Clydebank

Scorer: McGonigle (18)

Red-Card: Dykes (90)

Dunterlie Park, Barrhead

AFTER last week’s thrilling win at Troon it was back home to Dunterlie for Arthurlie on Saturday with Clydebank the visitors.

Jordan Leyden and Lee Roulston had been missing from last week’s squad and they were the only changes to the team, starting in place of Connor Bradley and Ciaran McPherson.

The first opening of the game fell Clydebank’s way on 15 minutes when a ball over the top sent Thomas Collins through on goal. The striker’s shot from an angle was well saved by Max Clarke before Mo Sugufara cleared the rebound.

It was only a temporary reprieve for the home side though as a Clydebank corner on 18 minutes caused confusion in the goalmouth and Liam McGonigle turned the ball home with a clever backheel.

The game was flowing quickly from end to end with the visitors looking the most threatening in the forward areas as they seemed the likelier to add to the scoreline.

Their speed in attack almost grabbed them a second when Sam Greenwood was pressured into a mistake and Lee Gallacher was played in on goal but Clarke again saved well.

Bradley was introduced at the break, in place of the cautioned Mark Docherty, as ‘Lie looked to find a way back into the match.

It was only a minute after the restart, however, that Bradley received a yellow card himself, somehow making his way into the referee’s book for what appeared to be an excellent challenge on Gallacher.

After the resulting free-kick came to nothing, Bradley was involved at the other end, getting forward on the left and playing Roulston into the box but the midfielder’s ball across the box evaded everyone when it just needed the slightest of touches.

It was a much brighter Arthurlie that had came out for the second half and Max Kerr came close to creating a leveller with a stinging cross from the left that was deflected wide at the front post.

As they pushed forward looking for that elusive goal, there would prove to be gaps at the back and only a great save from Clarke denied Collins on the hour mark.

Dylan McGuigan had been quiet in the first half but was now getting on the ball more and he found space at the edge of the area on 66 minutes to set up Mick MacNeil for a shot that went narrowly wide.

With 10 minutes remaining it looked like the equaliser was arriving when an inswinging corner from Leyden found Dylan Dykes just a couple of yards out, but the striker’s header somehow drifted wide with the goal at his mercy.

With the game into injury-time, and the referee having needed no encouragement to use his cards, Arthurlie were reduced to ten men when Dykes received a second yellow card for an over-exuberant challenge in the Clydebank half.

Arthurlie continued to push but the man advantage had perhaps ended any hope of an equaliser, with Clydebank using their numerical advantage well to run down the clock and claim the points.

Arthurlie team: Clarke, Roulston, Greenwood, MacNeil, Sugufara, Leyden, Docherty (c) (Bradley 46), McGuigan, Bolger (Kangni-Soupke 82), Dykes, Kerr (Fletcher 82)

Subs not used: Magee, McPherson

Clydebank team: Hughes, Grant, McHugh, Niven, Darroch, Johnstone, Gallacher (Graham 72), McMahon (Slattery 72), Collins, N.Little (Black 85), McGonigle (Kelly 63)

Subs not used: C.Little, Mackenzie, Miller (GK)