CLYDEBANK manager Gordon Moffat hailed his sides character as they battled back from two goals down to earn a point against promotion contenders St Cadoc’s on Saturday.

Ronan Hughes’ goal on the half-hour and Richie McKillen’s early second-half strike had the home side in a commanding position at New Tinto Park.

Liam McGonigle pulled one back for Bankies when his curling free-kick evaded everyone in the penalty area and bounced into the net.

With five minutes to go, substitute Nicky Little netted an equaliser for the visitors – making it goals in 10 consecutive calendar years in a Clydebank jersey for the club captain.

Despite his side needing three points to keep their faint title hopes alive, Moff was pleased to see his troops put something on the board and had special praise for his skipper.

He told the Post: “It was one of those ones where you are happy with a point in some ways but when you are the team who finishes in the ascendancy, you feel like you maybe could have got three points.

“You need to take the game as a whole, though, and looking it at then a draw was probably fair.

“St Cadoc’s were on top for the first 35 minutes until they got their goal and after that it was as if that had switched us on suddenly. We had changed shape as well just before that and it helped us get on top and made us much more of a threat going forward.  

“I was really proud of the players after the game, as much as I was frustrated after the first half-hour, because we have been on bad wee run and it would have been easy for the players to go into a shell when they are 2-0 down.

“They stood up to it and we maybe could have won it, so from the bad run we had we now need to look at the positives from the last two weeks which is a 5-1 win at home and a decent point on Saturday, though we know draws aren’t much good to us.

“Nicky was as frustrated as anyone with his form and things not quite happening for him but he’s not the type of player to shy away from that, if anything he is training harder when he has been out the team and showing everyone he is desperate to get back and lead the team out again.

“I can’t speak highly enough of him, he’s a great leader for us.”

Bankies host Arthurlie this weekend with the Barrhead side fighting for their life at the foot of the division.

They suffered a disappointing 2-1 defeat to fellow relegation-battlers Troon on Saturday – but had run out 3-0 winners over promotion chasing St Cadoc’s prior to that.

Despite Bankies title hopes fading away, Moff insists his side won’t be looking to let the season fizzle out.

He added: “They are fighting for their life and you don’t look at any game and think you should be winning it. You’ve got to be on it to win every week.

“We’ll be looking to build on our last home game, and they are desperate for points but so are we.

“We’ll keep fighting for every point and get to a total and see where we land. We’re not going to suddenly take our feet off the gas, and I think we showed that on Saturday.”

Kick-off at Holm Park on Saturday is at 2.00pm.