Inside Verdict: Third Lanark Start With a Statement

Opening morning at Clydebank Sports Hub certainly wasn’t short of entertainment. Nine goals, two penalties and a game that remained fiercely competitive until Third Lanark eventually pulled away to record a 6-3 victory over Chandlers.

At 2-2 at half-time, there was little between the sides. Chandlers had caused plenty of problems, while their goalkeeper produced several excellent saves to keep Third Lanark at bay. But after the break the visitors increasingly took control, turning an evenly balanced contest into an impressive opening-day victory.

For Third Lanark’s Brian Dornan, the transformation was particularly satisfying.

“We were proud of the boys. They took the instructions from us at half-time, took control of the game and went on to dominate the second half. I think we were the only team going to win it.”

Despite an emphatic first result, there will be no grand declarations about what Third Lanark intend to achieve this season.

“We haven’t set any goals at all this season. We’ll take each game as it comes because, as we all know, in amateur football anything can happen. We’ve added a lot of quality this season, so it’s like a small rebuild.”

A pitch that became part of the story

There was another talking point that was impossible to ignore.

Clydebank Sports Hub is primarily marked for Rugby and home of Clydebank Rugby club leaving the football pitch competing with a maze of different coloured lines. From the sideline, it could be difficult enough to follow; in the middle of a fast-moving game, the challenge for players and the referee was obvious.

It was something Dornan’s players raised at half-time.

“In my personal opinion, the park was very difficult for our players to get to grips with in the first half. They spoke about how hard it was to get into the game because you could hardly see where the lines were, and it stopped us playing our game.”

Brian also felt the markings created difficulties for the referee:

“There were a few occasions when the referee couldn’t see the lines and I think just had to blow the whistle for a corner or goal kick.”

His conclusion was straightforward:

“For me, all games of football must be played on a park with visible lines that can be seen clearly by both sets of players and the referee.”

For Third Lanark, though, the morning ultimately belonged to the football. A tricky opening fixture negotiated, six goals scored and three points secured — a strong start for a side which may describe itself as undergoing a “small rebuild”, but certainly showed plenty of attacking quality on opening day.