Winning In The Rain: Saints March On

Saturday 9th January 2016
The Scottish Amateur Football Association Challenge Cup Competition

5th Round Tie
Oban Saints AFC 4 - 1 Craigshill Thistle AFC
Glencruitten 2, Mossfield Avenue, Oban, Argyll PA34 4EH
Kick off 2pm
Referee Mr James Gallacher

Saints starting line-up:-

Thomas McCulloch

David McArthur
Marc Maccallum (Captain)
Jamie Graham
Dougal Graham

Willie Gemmell
Paul Kerr
Donald Campbell

Ross Maitland
Dean Smith
Ross Maitland

Subs used:-

Dene Cassells
Allan Mackay
Scott Maitland
Keith Millar

Unused Substitute:-

Alex Craik

Match Report

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There was no sign of a new year hangover as Saints returned to action after the festive break for their biggest fixture of the season so far at Glencruitten last Saturday. A tremendous all round team performance earned the D&K Lafferty sponsored side a thoroughly deserved 4 - 1 win over last season's beaten finalists in the Scottish Amateur Cup fifth round inflicting the Livingston sides first defeat of the season in the process. Manager Alex Craik stuck with the same starting eleven that had beaten Postal United in the last round with Dene Cassells and Keith Millar returning to join Alex, Allan Mackay and Scott Maitland on the bench.

Craigshill won the toss and elected to change ends leaving Saints to kick off attacking the Mossfield Avenue end. Saints started brightly and forced Craigshill keeper Robert Sinclair into action in the second minute with the big keeper having to look lively to punch a Willie Gemmell cross from the left off the head of David McArthur who had made a terrific run to the back post. Donald Campbell won a corner kick from the resulting throw in but despite a good delivery from Ross Maitland Saints were unable to capitalise of the set piece and the danger was cleared. The Jags keeper was in action again two minutes later when Dean Smith won possession on the half way line and released Donald Campbell for a run at the Jags defence. Donald strode forward purposefully and unleashed an effort on goal however his shot from twenty yards had the sting taken out of it by the retreating Craigshill defenders and the bounced kindly into the arms of Robert Sinclair. Saints keeper Thomas McCulloch saw his first action of the afternoon in the sixth minute rising confidently to catch a deep cross from Jags right back Gary White. Three minutes later another cross from the right, this time from a free kick, was met by the head of Paul McCracken fortunately for Saints the Jags central defender was unable to keep his header down and the ball flew high and wide of target. Saints had the Craigshill defence under pressure in the thirteenth minute with some tenacious tackling by Dean Smith wide on the left creating another opening for Donald Campbell. Donald worked the ball along the edge of the box and picked out Ross Maitland with a terrific pass to the corner of the six yard box. Ross shot across the keeper who produced an excellent save low down to his right, Donald Campbell was first to the loose ball and could scarcely believe his eyes as Sinclair recovered to pull off another save low down at his right hand post tipping the ball round the post for a corner kick. Ross Maitland's cross from the left was headed behind for a another corner this time from the Saints right. Donald Campbell rose eight yards out and, despite stretching back, met Ross Maitland's flighted delivery perfectly finding the bottom corner of the net with his header to give Saints the lead. A timely interception by Paul Kerr halted a promising Craigshill attack at the expense of a corner kick as Alexander Lurinsky threatened to burst through on goal. The low trajectory corner was cleared back to Shaun Martin whose deep cross was headed out by David McArthur. David's header landed at the feet of Scottish Amateur International David Swan who turned well and steered a curling left foot effort inches wide of Thomas McCulloch's right hand post. Ross Maitland was giving Jags left back Robert McGregor a torrid time on the Saints right and burst past his man in the twenty first minute linking up with Willie Gemmell for a give and go on the edge of the box. Unfortunately Ross went slightly early for Willie's return pass and was given off side but not before once again drawing another good save from Robert Sinclair in the Jags goal. Two minutes later Ross burst through the inside right channel onto a slide rule pass from Donald Campbell once again leaving Robert McGregor trailing in his wake. Ross unleashed a powerful swerving shot which Robert Sinclair could only parry into the path of Dean Smith who drilled the ball home to double Saints lead. The visitors began to exert more of an influence on the game and enjoyed a good period despite being unable to break down the Saints defence. Another threatening attack by the Jags was halted at the expense of a free kick twenty six yards from goal. The free kick deflected off the Saints wall and hit the junction of post and bar with Thomas McCulloch struggling to get close. Three minutes later Gary White got forward on the right and sent over another good cross picking out Paul McCracken who out jumped Saints skipper Marc Maccallum to send a powerful header inches over the crossbar. Donald Campbell earned some respite for his defence with a terrific fortieth minute run and cross which was headed behind for a corner with Dean Smith ready to pounce. Ross Maitland flighted over another excellent cross from the right which narrowly eluded Craig MacEwan and was nodded back across goal to David McArthur at the near post who rose well but couldn't direct his header on target. Referee James Gallacher, who was excellent throughout, produced his first yellow card of the match in the forty fourth minute when a late Donald Campbell challenge on the half way line brought a dangerous looking Craigshill counter attack to a halt. It was definitely a case of Donald taking "one for the team" and proved to be worthwhile as the free kick came to nothing and the half ended with Saints in a commanding 2 - 0 lead.

Saints made a storming start to the second half with dazzling twenty minute attacking display which eventually made the tie safe. In the forty sixth minute both full backs combined to create the first chance of the second half. Dougal Graham made a strong run up the left wing before cutting inside and picking out David McArthur who had made a good run from right back to join the attack. David unleashed a thundering right foot shot from the edge of the box which keeper Sinclair did well to turn behind for a corner kick. Saints came close again two minutes later when Dean Smith delivered an excellent cross from the left picking out a Ross Maitland who had made a good run to the back post post. The delightfully cushioned effort off his instep from Ross beat the keeper but slipped agonisingly wide of the post. More persistence from Dean Smith in the fiftieth minute won a free kick twenty yards from goal and slightly left of centre. Willie Gemmell took responsibility for the kick and curled a delicious effort around the wall and onto exactly the same spot on the junction of post and bar that Craigshill had hit in the first half. One minute later Craig MacEwan won a corner on the left wing giving Ross Maitland another chance to test the Craigshill defence with his excellent deliveries. Before the kick could be taken Jags full back Gary White picked up the game's second caution ironically for remonstrating, not with the Referee but with one of his own men. This time Ross picked out Craig MacEwan whose towering header from the edge of the six yard box was acrobatically tipped over the cross bar by Robert Sinclair. From the corner on the right Willie Gemmell produced his own acrobatics with a spectacular bicycle kick which beat Robert Sinclair but flew narrowly over the crossbar. In the fifty sixth minute a perfectly weighted pass from Donald Campbell split the visitor's defence and set Dean Smith through one-on-one with the keeper. Robert Sinclair stood up well and managed to block Dean's effort which rebounded back to Dean who miscued his attempted pass to Ross Maitland in front of the posts allowing the Craigshill defence to get back and clear the danger. Dean fared distinctly better in the fifty ninth minute when he beat the Craigshill offside trap to find himself once again with only the keeper to beat. With far more grass between him and the goal line Dean this time lobbed the advancing keeper with ball rolling into the unguarded net for Dean's second and Saints third goal. A rare sixty third minute breakaway gave the visitors their first corner kick of the second half after Jamie Graham made a good clearing header to cut out a dangerous looking cross. Thomas McCulloch held the corner kick well rising well at his back post to claim the ball under pressure from Tony Jaconnelli. The Jags midfielder then found his way into Referee Gallacher's notebook for a foul on Craig MacEwan after the Saints wide man had skinned him on the left of the Jags box. Willie Gemmell rolled the free kick short to Donald Campbell who steered his shot from the edge of the box well wide of target. In the seventieth minute Freddie Coyle brought down Dean Smith twenty two yards from goal and right of centre. The angle didn't favour a strike on goal from a right footer but Willie Gemmell once again took responsibility and curled a delightful effort around the wall and in off the keeper's right hand post to give Saints a four goal lead. Despite David Swan forcing a good save from Thomas McCulloch in the seventy third minute Saints continued their purple patch and came close to adding a fifth immediately from McCulloch's clearance. A good ball from Craig MacEwan found Donald Campbell who picked out Dean Smith inside the box. With a hat trick firmly in his sights Dean blazed over the bar when perhaps a lay off to the better placed Ross Maitland would have been the better option. With fifteen minutes remaining Saints Manager Alex Craik gave a well earned rest to Dean Smith and Craig MacEwan replacing them with Allan Mackay and Dene Cassells. Dene in particular showed up well in an unaccustomed forward role continuing the agony for the Craigshill defence. In the seventy ninth minute the irrepressible Donald Campbell won possession inside the centre circle and threaded another defence splitting pass sending Dene Cassells through on goal. Dene made a good run and squared the ball to Allan Mackay on the edge of the box whose shot was charged down and the danger cleared. Saints final changes came in the eighty fifth minute with Keith Millar and Scott Maitland coming on to replace Willie Gemmell and Ross Maitland. The consolation goal for the visitors came with just four minutes of the ninety remaining. Substitute Mark Shipton made an excellent run up the left wing and crossed low across the face of goal past the despairing dive of Thomas MacCulloch for fellow sub Jason McGowan hammer into the unguarded net. Saints comfortably saw out the remaining time plus the three additional minutes added by Mr. Gallacher to secure their place in the sixth round where a trip to face Central Scottish Amateur Football League Division 1B side Stirling City awaits.