Largs Thistle beat Clydebank to make it three wins on spin

IN-FORM Largs Thistle made it three wins on the bounce with a memorable victory at league leaders Clydebank on Saturday - their first win at Holm Park since 2019.

Largs were quick off their marks with a fourth minute goal from David Ramsay, and before Clydebank could recover, Thistle moved two up thanks to Jamie Martin.

While a penalty on the stroke of half-time from the hosts halved the deficit, the two goal cushion was restored by skipper Scott Adam - and though a late second for the hosts set up a nervous final few minutes, Stuart Davidson's men held out for all three points.

It was a richly-deserved three points following another strong performance on the road as Thistle made it 10 points from 12 in their last four away games - leapfrogging Pollok and Hurlford in the process to move up to ninth place in the table.

Manager Stuart Davidson and Cory Hughes (Image: Newsquest)

Davidson retained the same starting line-up from the previous week's 1-0 win over bottom side Irvine Meadow as he aimed to inflict a second straight home defeat on the Bankies after Gordon Moffat's men lost out to Gartcairn.

And Largs couldn't have got off to a better start, with Ramsay converting Will Sewell's assist to give the visitors the advantage with just four minutes on the clock.

David Ramsay joins in celebrations (Image: Newsquest)

Largs doubled their lead on 35 minutes courtesy of a great strike from Jamie Martin, the winger making it two goals in two matches to more than justify his return to the starting line-up following a spell on the sidelines earlier in the season.

Clydebank, though, got a foothold in the game just before the interval when James Grant was brought down inside the area and former Thistle hot-shot Nicky Little converted from the spot to make it 2-1 at half-time.

But just two minutes after the restart Largs restored their two-goal advantage when Adam reacted quickly to a blunder by Bankies keeper Kieran Hughes, seizing on the shot-stopper's heavy touch before rolling the visitors' third goal into the empty net and leaving the big home support stunned.

David Ramsay on the run (Image: Newsquest)

The Largs skipper had scored the match-winning goal with a stunning strike from near the halfway line on Thistle's last away win over Clydebank in 2019, and he was almost smiling again as the visitors nearly made it four, Hughes redeeming himself to save a Ramsay effort.

Bankies made a quadruple substitution just before the hour mark as Moffat tried to turn the tide of the match, and a fifth change followed for the hosts on 70 minutes, but Largs stood up to everything the home side could throw at them.

Largs made two changes of their own for the final stages, with Martin and Adam making way after their tireless running for Darryl Duffy and Blair Devine.

Will Sewell in action (Image: Newsquest)

David McGrath and John Cummings also replaced Liam Lapsley and Cory Hughes for Largs as the minutes ticked away.

Largs keeper Joe Wilton made a good save from Thomas Collins, but with four minutes left the nerves were well and truly jangling among the travelling support when Callum Graham pulled another one back for Clydebank from a corner.

But it proved too little too late, with Largs holding on in the final moments and huge cheers from the away fans greeting the final whistle as Thistle chalked up another win, and another fine performance, on the road.

LARGS: Wilton, McLeod, McMaster, McCreath, Hughes, Faulds, Martin, Lapsley, Sewell, Adam, Ramsay. Subs: Duffy, Devine, McGrath, Cummings, Forbes, Johnstone (GK)