CLYDEBANK booked their place in the semi final of the Sectional League Cup with a 3-2 win over Kirkintilloch Rob Roy on Wednesday night.
Ciaran Laffrety opened the scoring for the Bankies before Gary Carroll levelled from the spot. Reece Pearson regained Bankies lead, before the visitors pulled the game back to 2-2. Lafferty grabbed his second of the night thereafter and set up a semi final away to Cambuslang Rangers next Wednesday evening.
Bankies boss Kieran McAnespie made four changes to the side that lost to Glenafton on the opening day of the league campaign, with Scott Morrison, Calum Gow, Reece Pearson and Ciaran Lafferty returning to the starting eleven in place of Josh Lumsden, Ross Forsyth, Johnny Allan and Phil Johnston.
And Bankies came flying out of the traps, breaking the deadlock inside three minutes. Good tracking from Josh Watt saw him regain possession before playing a wonderful through ball for Lafferty, with the striker slotting the ball under Steven McNeil.
The lead wasn’t to last long as Rob Roy were awarded a spot kick when Jordan Maguire took a tumble inside the area following contact from Alan Vezza. Jordan Carroll assumed resumed responsibility and sent Morrison the wrong way to level for the Rabs.
21. Goal Rob Roy. The visitors level from the spot as Carroll sends Morrison the wrong way. (1-1). #bankies pic.twitter.com/T1HNppjkid
— Clydebank FC (@clydebankfc) August 23, 2017
The visitors should’ve taken the lead midway through the first half after a quick counter attack saw Kevin Watt take the ball round Morrison, with Bankies defender Andy Paterson on hand to clear the ball of the line.
On the half hour mark, Bankies took the lead. Morrison’s goal kick found Josh Watt wide on the left with the winger finding Pearson with a well weighted dink over Rabs stopper McNeil. Pearson allowed the ball to bounce before nodding in his first of the season.
Midway through the second period, Rob Roy were level again. A quickly taken free kick saw the goalscorer Carroll released down the left channel, with Jordan Maguire getting the break of the ball before finding the bottom corner.
Less than a minute later, Bankies retook the lead for the third time. Chris Black was alert to McNeik’s poor clearance, nodding the ball perfectly into the path of Lafferty who took a touch before stroking the ball home for his fourth goal of the season.
Rob Roy’s last roll of the dice saw substitute Shaun Fraser cross for Danny Boyle, but the centre back’s looping header bounced wide as Bankies held on and set up a semi final against Cambuslang Rangers. Kick off at Somervell Park next Wednesday evening is 6:30pm.
Bankies return to league duty on Saturday with the visit of Kilwinning Rangers, kick off at Holm Park is 2pm.
