Clydebank 0 – 0 Pollok (4-5 on penalties)

match reports

Pollok edged past Clydebank on Saturday to progress to the fourth round of the West of Scotland Football League Cup. After a goalless ninety minutes at a damp Holm Park, the match was decided on penalties with goalkeeper Jordan Longmuir again the hero for Pollok.

Pollok were the first to threaten with some nice interplay between Main, McKenzie and Forde ending with a low cross that was well gathered by Donnelly in the slippery conditions. Main then saw a header go over the bar after a great bit of closing down by Christie. At the other end Clydebank were having plenty of shots but they were all from outside of the box and off target. At the other end a simple pass over the top set Marc McKenzie free but he was thwarted by a tremendous last gasp tackle just as he was about to pull the trigger.

McKenzie almost finds a way in but is stopped in his tracks.

With two minutes to go until half time Clydebank fashioned the first real opening. Some fantastic work by Hodge on the right touchline generated some space for him to run at the Pollok defence. He slipped the ball through for ex-Lok player Callum Graham whose right footed shot cannoned back off the post. Kelly’s first time shot on the rebound was blocked on the line by captain for the day Fraser Mullen and hammered clear by Scott Forrester.

HALF TIME:

CLYDEBANK 0 – 0 POLLOK

Pollok started the second half on the attack, with McKenzie just losing out in a race to the ball with keeper Donnelly. The home side’s dominance then resumed with a shot from Nicky Low going just wide and a Graham header sailing over the bar. The game was predominantly a niggly midfield battle with chances few and far between and the low cloud even made plane spotting difficult for fans who were struggling to keep an interest in the miserable conditions.

Adam Forde keeping tabs on Nicky Little.

With Jamie Henry on for Burns for his second Pollok debut, Mullen moved over to left back and was involved in one of Pollok’s rare second half attacks. The move down the left wing ending with Main heading McKenzie’s cross just wide. The home side really ramped up the pressure in the last ten minutes with a series of shots and corners as Pollok were forced into a backs to the wall rear-guard action. Two headed chances were the best opportunity for a late breakthrough but both efforts were off target.

Jamie Henry made his second Pollok debut after signing for the club again in midweek.

Having had very few saves to make in the ninety minutes Donnelly and Longmuir were given the chance to be the hero as the game went to penalties. For Pollok, Mullen, Henry, McGregor and Lindsay all scored, with the latter’s effort just squirming under Donnelly’s body and the Bankies responded each time with penalties that were out of Longmuir’s reach.

Henry scores Pollok’s second penalty.

 

Longmuir was unable to save any of the first four Bankies penalties.

So it was 4-4 it when Hugh Kerr stepped up and sent Donnelly the wrong way. McHugh then had to score to keep Clydebank in it, but Longmuir sprung to his left to push the ball away. This sparked wild celebrations from the Pollok players as Donnelly protested that Longmuir had not been on his line when the final kick was struck. The protests were in vain and Pollok were through to the next round.

There was little doubt that the home side had enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and territory, but they had come up against a resolute Pollok rearguard who put everything in to keeping a clean sheet. This was the first nil-nil the Southsiders had been involved in since January but with the penalty shoot[1]out win the Lok fans left the ground a lot happier than they had been leaving Dunterlie Park after that previous scoreless game.

FULL TIME:

CLYDEBANK 0 – 0 POLLOK

(Pollok win 5-4 on penalties)

Man of the Match: Jordan Longmuir

He didn’t see a lot of goalmouth action during a game bereft of clear goalscoring chances, but was calm in collecting the ball and he kicked well despite the windy conditions. Stepped up when it matter though as he has done for a decade with yet another penalty save in the shootout to put his side through.

Honourable mention: Scott Forrester

A colossal performance from the centre half, who stood firm in the face of a second-half Bankies onslaught. Assured in the tackle and utterly dominant in the air, he won near enough every aerial ball to preserve his side’s clean sheet and see the game into penalties.

Report by Peter Thomson

Photographs from Finlay Thom

Highlights from Mark Donnelly

 

Post-match interview with Stewart Maxwell