Winning In The Rain: Oh My Gowd

Saturday 21st November 2015
Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division
Clydebank High School 3G
Goldenhill AFC 4 - 4 Oban Saints AFC
Referee Gordon Hay

Saints starting line-up:-

Thomas McCulloch

David McArthur
Dene Cassells
Jamie Graham
Scott Maitland

Willie Gemmell
Paul Kerr
Donald Campbell (Captain)

Ross Maitland
Dean Smith
Craig MacEwan

Substitutes used:-

Shaun MacIver
Allan Mackay

Unused Substitutes:-

Martin Bonar
Alex Craik

Saints Goalscorers:-

Craig MacEwan
Paul Kerr
Ross Maitland
Dean Smith

Saints somehow contrived to snatch a draw from the jaws of victory in an enthralling match at Clydebank High School last Saturday afternoon. Despite being a goal ahead and two men to the good with only ten minutes remaining Saints couldn't see the match out and conceded a cheap headed last minute equaliser giving the home side an unlikely but deserved share of the points.

Manager Alex Craik was able to name the same starting line-up for the third match in succession however an injury sustained By Dougal Graham at training on Wednesday night and the non-availability of Keith Millar and Marc MacCallum forced a change on the bench. Allan Mackay returned after two week absence and Alex named himself among the substitutes.

Goldenhill started the stronger of the two sides and had Saints pinned back in their own half during the opening exchanges without really threatening the Saints back four of David McArthur, Dene Cassells, Jamie Graham and Scott Maitland. Saints carved out their first opportunity in the fifth minute when Ross Maitland made a good run up the right wing and sent in a terrific cross for Dean Smith at the back post who met the cross well but was thwarted by an excellent save by Scott Rennie in the Goldenhill goal. Five minutes later Saints had Dene Cassells to thank for an important goal-line clearance when the hosts exposed Scott Maitland and Jamie Graham on the Saints left. Martin Lawlor made a good run into the box and cut back from the bye-line to James Gallagher who fired in a low shot which was cleared by Dene Cassells who had taken up a god position inside the six yard box. Saints opened the scoring in the 12th minute when an excellently struck Donald Campbell shot from the corner of the eighteen yard box brought out a terrific diving save from Scott Rennie low down to his right. Unfortunately for the Gowdie the big keeper could only parry the ball into the path of Ross Maitland who coolly picked out Craig MacEwan on the six yard line with Craig tucking the ball into the net. At the other end Saints were once more exposed on their left and again it was Dene Cassells who foiled the home side this time with a timely interception on Daniel McKenna before the Gowdie winger could get his shot away. In the 25th minute Craig MacEwan came the width of the post away from doubling his tally. Scott Maitland made a good run forward on the Saints left and delivered a tempting cross which Craig MacEwan did well to head goalwards however, much to the frustration of the Saints contingent on the touchline, the ball struck the inside of the post and dropped into the grateful arms of keeper Rennie. Craig was again denied three minutes later when Ross Maitland sent in a cross from the right which looked perfect for Craig until Gary McNaught made an excellent last gasp headed clearance. Saints continued to make good use of the flanks and David McArthur was next to make a good run up the right picking out Dean Smith on the edge of the box where, with time and space to measure his shot, Dean was disappointed to see his effort fly over the crossbar. Saints second came in the 35th minute with the two holding midfielders Willie Gemmell and Paul Kerr combining for a rare goal for Paul. Willie sent a perfect delivery from the left towards the back post where Paul had made a late run to send a sensational header back across the goalkeeper and into the top corner of the net. Saints ended the first half seemingly well in control of the match but looking back ruefully on the missed chances which could have seen them already out of sight.

Saints didn't have long to enjoy their lead as it was wiped out in a blistering start to the second half from the home side. In the opening minute Saints conceded possession from their own throw-in on the left. Daniel Gibson raced into the inside right channel past a statuesque Saints defence and squared for James Gallagher to tap in at the back post. Barely sixty seconds later the Gowdie drew level when Gibson pounced on a speculative ball over the top splitting David McArthur and Dene Cassells. The Gowdie winger fired in a low shot which Thomas McCulloch got both hands to but couldn't keep out low down at his near post. Saints could scarcely believe that their lead had been so quickly eroded and had to quickly rediscover the high tempo passing which had inexplicably deserted them. This they nearly did straight from the restart when a good exchange of passes on the right between Willie Gemmell and Ross Maitland set up David McArthur for a run and cross along the six yard line which agonisingly eluded Dean Smith who looked well placed to score. In the 51st minute Dean Smith won a free kick just outside of the Gowdie box when he was chopped down by Jack Bennett who had already found his way into Referee Gordon Hay's notebook for a studs up challenge on David McArthur in the first half. The Referee took no further action but left the Gowdie defender in no doubt that he wouldn't be so lenient next time. The free kick was in perfect Willie Gemmell territory and the big Saints midfielder, who has thus far struggled to find his range since returning to the club at the start of this season, sent a good curling shot over the Gowdie wall but into the hands of Scott Rennie who had read Willie's intentions well. The home side completed the turnaround in the 53rd minute when a deep cross from their left was nodded down at the back post by Daniel McKenna into the path of the unmarked James Gallagher to complete his hat-trick with a sweet right foot finish past the helpless Thomas McCulloch. Despite this set back Saints refused to let their heads drop and came close almost immediately when Dean Smith made good progress to the dead ball line and sent a tempting cut back which agonisingly bisected the runs of Craig MacEwan and Donald Campbell in the centre. In the 57th minute Willie Gemmell stung the palms of Scott Rennie with a rasping long range effort which the big keeper did well to hold with Dean Smith waiting to pounce on any handling error. Saints twice almost gifted their hosts a fourth goal cheaply conceding possession in dangerous areas. Both opportunities fell to Daniel Gibson who firstly fired over the crossbar before bringing out a good save from Thomas McCulloch with his second effort. The Gowdie had adopted a higher defensive line in the second half and after a couple of tight calls from Mr Hay Saints finally sprung the home side's offside trap with a perfectly timed Craig MacEwan run onto a David McArthur through ball. Craig drew the keeper and squared to Ross Maitland for a simple tap-in to restore parity. Barely a minute later Saints hit the woodwork for the second time when Ross Maitland got on the end of a Paul Kerr pass and hit the inside of the post with the ball being scrambled behind for a corner kick. Ross flighted in an excellent ball from the Saints left which eluded everyone in the centre but was well controlled by Dene Cassells at the back post who turned and fired in a shot which was blocked on the goal-line and hoofed to safety. Saints got their noses back in front in the 75th minute by once again springing the Gowdie off-side trap. Willie Gemmell began the move with a delicious curling pass setting Ross Maitland off on a run in the inside left channel. Ross won the foot race with the Gowdie full back Steven Dock and cut the ball back to Willie Gemmell who thundered in a fierce right foot shot which this time was too hot for the keeper to handle and the ball broke loose to Dean Smith six yards out who eagerly gobbled up the opportunity the restore the lead for Saints. The home side momentarily lost their heads with substitute striker Chris McGrath receiving a straight red card for aiming a kick at Jamie Graham and defender Jack Bennett picking up a second yellow for a petulant kick at Dean Smith as he lay on the ground having been brought down on the half way line. In between the two red cards Saints missed yet another chance which would have finally made the points safe. Craig MacEwan standing on the six yard line missed a Ross Maitland corner kick from the left with the ball landing at the feet of Dene Cassells who, from a tight angle, could only find the side netting with his shot through a sea of legs. With match seemingly safe Manager Alex Craik made a couple of changes replacing Ross Maitland and Dean Smith with Shaun MacIver and Allan Mackay. In the 82nd minute Craig MacEwan chased down an almost lost cause wide on the Saints left back heeling the ball on the dead ball line just before it could run out of play. Shaun MacIver did well to close down full back Steven Dock and set up Craig MacEwan for a curling shot from the corner of the box which dipped just over the junction of post and bar. With the clock ticking down and the killer fifth goal eluding them Saints seemed to panic and dropped deeper and deeper inviting the nine men of Goldenhill onto them. A succession of needless fouls gave the Gowdie the chance to lauch long balls into the box which although Saints managed to deal with their failure to fully clear their lines meant the ball kept coming straight back. It was therefore with a large dose of inevitability that the home side equalised in the 89th minute from a long throw on the Saints right level with the eighteen yard line. The Gowdie piled everybody into the box for the long throw and Damon Gray looped a free header beyond Thomas McCulloch and into the net for an equaliser for which Saints have only themselves to blame.

At the outset a share of the points against an impressive Goldenhill side on a ten match winning streak would not have been a bad result but the manner in which the late equaliser was conceded against nine men leaves the result feeling more like a defeat than a draw.