Trade Radiators South of Scotland Cup third round encounter.

Clydebank 4 Largs Thistle 0

This was always going to be a stiff challenge for Largs - and it was made much tougher with a string of players unavailable due to injury and suspension.
Largs conceded two soft goals in a poor first half which was almost a carbon copy of the league encounter earlier in the season
Also in parallel, Largs really took the game to Clydebank in the opening phase of the second half, but this time they didn't win the penalty they did the last time.
Thistle rustled up around five or six good goalscoring chances which they were unable to take - and the killer goal from Little against the run of play swung the game back in favour of Clydebank who went on to rubber stamp their win with a fourth.
Largs were missing both Alan Frizzell and Scott Lewis due to suspension while the deepening injury list included Connor McGoldrick, Sean McLeod, Laurie McMaster, David McGrath and Scott Adam.
New signing Dario Nimmo was thrown into the deep end as was youngster Louis Thompson, along with 18 year old Lewis Davidson in midfield, against an experienced Clydebank who opened the scoring in only four minutes.
It was a deep corner kick to the back post as Matt Niven rose above the defence to send a looping header into the top left corner of the net.


Largs had a good measure of possession but Clydebank were not allowing Thistle any clear openings.
And Bankies scored with basically their second opportunity on 31 minutes as Weir raced the left wing and delivered a good cross to the far post with Mulcahy there unattended to chest the ball into the net.

Little then headed an effort over the bar as Bankies looked for a third.
The second half was only a few minutes old when Faulds delivered an excellent diagonal ball from the right of midfield to release Thompson on the opposite flank.
He broke through on to goal but appeared to be taken down as he was about to pull the trigger. 


No penalty awarded - but Largs went on to dominate and were genuinely unlucky not to get a goal with Simon McBryde striking the base of the left post from another good Thistle move.


Faulds then sent a dangerous curling shot from the right which was well saved by the Bankies keeper Donnelly, while the home side went close with a diving header at the other end.
David Ramsay burst through on goal on the right wing but a defender managed to deflect the ball to allow Donnelly to get a hand on to the ball to save.
And Davidson had a long range blast which was smothered by the keeper on 65 minutes, while Ramsay tested the keeper with a firm low strike to the bottom left.
The killer blow came on 67 minutes as Little scored with a half volley from midfield fully 30 yards out for what was a truly spectacular strike.


Largs never let their heads drop and still battled away and should have definitely got a goal back for their efforts as Ramsay had a one on one with Donnelly but through a tangle of legs the ball was somehow cleared to safety.
It summed up Thistle's luck on the day - and Clydebank finished off matters with a fourth goal as Connor Higgins rounded a defender to net from close range on 78 minutes.


It was a very harsh manner of defeat with a depleted Largs side having nothing to show for their efforts coupled with the lack of a penalty at a critical point proving so costly after that poor first half.
LARGS: Walker, Sewell, Devine, Hughes, McCreath, Faulds, Nimmo, Davidson, McBryde, Ramsay, Thompson. Subs: McLeod, McGoldrick, McGowan (GK)