Largs Thistle back with a bang in fiery Clydebank clash

It was an explosive start for Thistle as they returned to action in the new PDM Buildbase West of Scotland Football League, and narrowly lost out to old rivals Clydebank in a typically feisty clash.
Laurie McMaster was sent off after only eight minutes, but Stuart Davidson's side put in a spirited battle and were unlucky to lose out in the end.
Ex-Largs forward Nicky Little missed a first half penalty kick but got the job done with a typical predatory strike early in the second half to make the difference between the sides.
It was a surreal atmosphere with Barrfields Park divided into specific sections for social distancing purposes.
For the pre-match build-up and half-time pep talks, the home team occupied the terracing behind the dug-outs, and the visitors congregated in the stand, and both backroom staffs were based there during the match for social distancing purposes.
But with the shrill of the opening whistle signalled some kind of normality for everyone as we were allowed to concentrate on the match at hand for 90 minutes as Thistle played their first game at Barrfields since February 1.
Clydebank kicked off and launched the ball forward with new Thistle defender Kyle Chrystal clearing the ball, and we were underway. Chrystal, signed from Rutherglen U21s, partnered Corey Hughes for a new central defensive partnership.
On eight minutes, a melee happened after McMaster's challenge as he went for the ball but upended Slattery on the follow through which saw angry recriminations from the Clydebank players.
After much jostling and pushing, with several players falling to the ground, the dust settled and McMaster was shown red by referee Steven McDonald as two Bankies players saw yellow.

Laurie McMaster marches off after red card
Largs carried on undeterred as good work from Jack Haggerty on the right and a cute cut back found Ben Black as he slid an effort across the face of goal.
Bankies responded with Slattery and Gallagher combining for Mulchy to fire an effort across the face of goal. 
Thistle's best chance of the game came after Simon McBryde's low bullet shot from the edge of the box was parried with Scott Adam quickest to react on the right but his effort beat the keeper but was dramatically cleared off the line by a defender.
McBryde then had another good diagonal effort which tested Jamie Donnelly in the Bankies goal.
Haggerty was proving to be a handful as he put in a fine swerving cross after ghosting past defenders on the right but sadly there were no takers in the box. McBryde's deflected wide flashed past the post in a very open affair.
However, towards the end of the first half, Clydebank were beginning to assert control and won a penalty kick on 41 minutes as Chris Black's shot on the left hand side was blocked by Chrystal's arm, and referee Steven McDonald had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
Little lined up and fired to the bottom left but Thistle keeper Jamie McGowan, pictured below, parried the effort before smothering it to mass cheers from his fellow players and the Thistle dugout area.

Clydebank looked like they had netted the opener on 45 minutes as Mulchay rounded his man on the left as he raced into the box and fired an effort beyond the outstretched arms of McGowan only to see his effort rocket off the right hand post.
It was a thrilling open 45 minutes and a tad surprising that it was goal-less as it certainly didn't lack in excitement.
George Sewell had his head his hands after his headed effort ricocheted off a defender's back at the far post from Ben Black's dangerous corner kick - it was a great opportunity to net.
Ex-Thistle striker Little made no mistake when he got his next opening for Clydebank as he converted from six yards after a quick attack from Bankies, firing low into the bottom right of the net after a cutback.
Sewell's powerful diagonal effort from the left was gathered by James Donnelly in the Clydebank goal as Largs kept pushing on 67 minutes.
At the other end McGowan pulled off an excellent diving stop to deny Mulchy as the see-saw nature of the game continued.
Thistle made some substitutions with Blair McIntyre and Keir Milliken entering the field of play for Haggerty and Adam.
In the final ten minutes Thistle were raining in crosses and free kicks into the Clydebank box but to no avail.

One such move was magnificently picked out by Milliken on the right byeline with some brilliant one touch control before launching an angled volley which had to be parried away by Donnelly and cleared but the referee belatedly blew his whistle to indicate that the ball had actually gone out of play.
Despite this, it was still a piece of dazzling control and a sign of what the ex Auchinleck and Beith forward is capable of.
In the 94th minute, Thistle were again attacking the Bankies box as Clydebank again desperately cleared as the referee brought the match to a finish.
It was a very tough defeat for Largs who persisted well with only ten players for the majority of this game, and one wonders, what Largs could have achieved if they had kept a full team on the park.
LARGS: McGowan, Sewell, McMaster, Hughes, Chrystal, Faulds, Haggerty, McBryde, Adam, Forbes Black. Subs: McIntyre, Louden, Rutherford, Farrell (GK).