Winning In The Rain: Into The Quarters

Saturday 5th March 2016
The Scottish Amateur Football Association Challenge Cup Competition

7th Round Tie
Oban Saints AFC 5 - 1 Doune Castle AFC
Glencruitten 2, Mossfield Avenue, Oban, Argyll PA34 4EH
Kick off 2pm
Referee Mr Peter Laing

Saints starting line-up:-

Thomas McCulloch

David McArthur
Marc Maccallum (Captain)
Dene Cassells
Scott Maitland

Willie Gemmell
Paul Kerr
Donald Campbell

Ross Maitland
Dean Smith
Craig MacEwan

Substitutes used:-

Dougal Graham
Jamie Graham
Allan Mackay
Myles McAuley
Keith Millar

Saints Goalscorers:-

Dean Smith ⚽
Craig MacEwan ⚽
Donald Campbell (2)⚽ ⚽
Scott Maitland

Match Report

⚽

Saints pursuit of the Holy Grail of the Scottish Amateur Cup gathered pace last Saturday afternoon when the valiant Knights of Doune Castle were put ruthlessly to the sword in a seventh round tie at Glencruitten. The Castle had been widely tipped as one of the favourites for the cup and understandably so as they were on a twenty four match winning streak, sitting proudly on top of the Caledonian League Premier Division sixteen points of closest rivals Giffnock North, and also through to the semi finals of the East of Scotland Cup. However Saints demonstrated that they are also a force to be reckoned with and added the scalp of the much fancied visitors to that of last season's runners up Craigshill Thistle whom Saints defeated in the fifth round. Manager Alex Craik's plans were dealt a blow in midweek when Martin Bonar limped out of training with a recurrence of the foot injury which has kept him out of action since the beginning of December. Jamie Graham added to the problems with his failure to recover fully from a flu bug opening the door for a return to the starting line up for Dene Cassells. Dene, whose recent appearances from the bench have been in an attacking role, slotted into a far more familiar central defensive position alongside inspirational skipper Marc Maccallum. With that exception Manager Alex Craik named the same starting eleven and bench that had defeated East Kilbride FC Amateurs in the SAFL Jimmy Marshall Trophy on the previous Saturday.

The visitors kicked off attacking the Mossfield end but it was Saints who were first to provide an attacking threat. With only one minute on the clock Scott Maitland and Craig MacEwan combined on the left to win a throw-in level with the eighteen yard line. Willie Gemmell's long throw was flicked on at the near post by Donald Campbell to Craig MacEwan who couldn't connect as he would have liked with an attempted hook shot over his shoulder allowing Castle central defender Kenneth Feaks to clear off the goal line. Saints were seeing plenty of the ball in the early stages and continued their positive start making the breakthrough after just five minutes. Donald Campbell clipped a high pass out to Craig MacEwan on the left who expertly took the ball down with his left foot and continued his run forward cutting along the eighteen yard line to fire in a shot which deflected across the box to Dean Smith who drilled a first time right foot shot under Castle keeper Steven Fotheringham. The visitors had their first sight of the Saints goal in the seventh minute when Paul Kerr was harshly judged to have fouled Lukasz Duszvnski twenty eight yards from goal and slightly left of centre. Richard Smith opted to ignore the aerial threat waiting in the box and went for goal firing the free kick harmlessly high and wide of target. Unfortunately the flowing start to the match wasn't to continue as Referee Peter Laing, taking charge of his first match in the later stages of the Scottish Amateur Cup, produced an over fussy display making for a stop start match which suited neither side. Doune showed a glimpse of what they are capable of when Scottish Amateur International Sean Heaver and Christopher Ogilvie worked a neat one-two on the right to send Ogilvie through on goal however Scott Maitland recovered quickly to match Ogilvie's run and see the ball behind for a goal kick. In the eleventh minute Saints began a period of sustained pressure which ultimately resulted in the second goal. Donald Campbell found Dean Smith with a crisp pass from midfield which Dean controlled well and rolled to Craig MacEwan on the edge of the D. Craig tried to trick his way through the tangerine wall in front of him but was scythed down by Kenneth Feaks. Willie Gemmell's free kick over the wall was on target but close enough to keeper Fotheringham to allow him to claw the ball out to the Saints left where Ross Maitland picked up the loose ball. Ross turned the ball back across goal looking for the head of Craig MacEwan only for Ryan Duncanson to head clear and threaten to launch a Doune counter attack up the right wing. Saints skipper Marc Maccallum had other ideas and acrobatically intercepted Doune's progress teeing up David McArthur for a cross field pass to Ross Maitland to get in behind the advancing Doune back line. Ross cut into the box beating full back Jonathon Burns to find himself one on one with Fotheringham. The keeper narrowed the angle well and made an excellent save down to his right to deny Ross and turn the ball behind for a corner kick. Ross swung in the corner from the left which Craig MacEwan met with a perfectly placed glancing header inside the far post to double Saints lead. Thomas McCulloch was called into action for the first time in the fourteenth minute when Sean Heaver fired in a shot from the left which the big Saints keeper did well to hold low down to his right. Ross Maitland was almost in on the keeper again in the nineteenth minute after good work from Dean Smith and Donald Campbell tee'd up Willie Gemmell for a long ball looking for Ross. Unfortunately Willie's usual accuracy deserted him and his long ball over the top was fractionally too heavy for Ross and the ball slipped behind for a goal kick. Fotheringham obtained good distance with his bye kick which was flicked on by Richard Smith to Alan Inglis with his back to goal on the eighteen yard line. Inglis turned well to get his shot away but couldn't completely escape the attentions of Dene Cassells and Scott Maitland who combined to take the sting out of his shot giving McCulloch an easy save to make. McCulloch showed good handling again in the twenty second minute to hold a Sean Heaver free kick from the left which bounced just in front of the keeper with Inglis waiting to pounce on any mistake. In the twenty fourth minute Kenneth Feaks became the first name in Referee Laing's notebook for a heavy challenge on Craig MacEwan in the centre circle. From yet another free kick shortly afterwards Doune full back Jonathon Burns swung in a deep cross from just inside the Saints half which Alan Inglis got up well to meet but sent his header high over the cross bar. At the other end Saints launched a swift attack up the right wing with Willie Gemmell playing a crisp cross field pass to Dean Smith who narrowly failed to pick out Craig MacEwan in the middle with a good cross. Referee Laing continued to punish almost every challenge and harshly penalised Paul Kerr for allegedly climbing on the back of Lukasz Duszvnski. Dead ball specialist Sean Heaver squandered the opportunity to test Thomas McCulloch by firing his free kick from twenty five yards and the rebound into the Saints wall. Saints dead ball expert Willie Gemmell fared little better with his efforts sending his thirty fifth minute cross from the right straight into the hands of keeper Fotheringham and his thirty ninth minute shot into the wall after Dean Smith had been brought down by Ryan Duncanson thirty yards from goal. In between times Dean Smith picked up a yellow card for a lunging challenge on Jonathon Burns which, although he didn't appear to make any contact, Mr Laing judged to be sufficiently dangerous to warrant a booking. Craig MacEwan followed Dean into the book on the stroke of half time for an over the ball challenge on the right touchline on Kenneth Feaks. Dene Cassells headed the resulting free kick behind for a corner with Thomas McCulloch coming through a ruck of players to punch clear Sean Heaver's in-swinger from the left before Mr Laing blew for half time.

Manager Alex Craik ordered more of the same from his charges in the second half but it was the visitors who started the stronger encouraged by the large travelling support and finally stringing some passes together in midfield. The Saints back four however stood firm with Dene Cassells and the effervescent Marc Maccallum forming a solid partnership to keep Doune danger man Alan Inglis in check. Maccallum's obligatory charge up field came in the fifty second minute after he had charged down a corner from the Doune right conceded by Dene Cassells. The Saints skipper took off up the left wing pursued by two Doune players and was finally closed down just over the half way line when two further Doune defenders converged on him to bring the charge to an end. Saints came close to extending their advantage in the fifty fourth minute when Ross Maitland won a throw-in on the right wing. David McArthur found Donald Campbell with the throw who sent a low cross along the six yard line to Willie Gemmell. Willie opted not to take on the shot with his left foot but turned onto his right and fired back across goal unfortunately hitting Craig MacEwan on the backside with Alan More thumping the loose ball to safety. Two minutes later Thomas McCulloch had to look lively to keep his clean sheet in tact diving low to his right to turn a rasping Christopher Ogilvie drive around the post for a corner kick. McCulloch comfortably collected the corner kick from the left and launched a counter attack where Craig MacEwan and Dean Smith combined on the Saints left to send Craig through on goal and one on one with the advancing Fotheringham. The Castle keeper made an excellent job of closing Craig down and, as Craig attempted to pass the ball round him into the net, stuck out a strong left hand to make the save. The visitors, cheered on by the travelling support, were pressing further forward looking for the goal that would bring them right back into the game but dogged Saints defending continued to keep the Castle's prolific strike force at bay. With the game beginning to stretch Manager Alex Craik decided to make the first of his changes withdrawing Dean Smith and Ross Maitland replacing them with Allan Mackay and Myles McAuley. In the sixty fourth minute Saints skipper Marc Maccallum produced another inspirational moment to take the ball off the toes of Alan Inglis with a perfectly timed challenge just inside the box after the big Doune striker had turned Dene Cassells. The Doune players screamed for a penalty kick but Referee Laing was unmoved by their appeals. In the sixty eighth minute Saints capitalised on Doune's desire to press forward when Allan Mackay closed down and dispossessed central defender Ryan Duncanson twenty five yards from goal setting up Donald Campbell to slot the ball into the bottom corner past the despairing left hand of Fotheringham. The third goal from Saints not only knocked the stuffing out of the Doune players but also silenced the vociferous support on the touchline. Doune's best chance of the match followed two minutes later from yet another Sean Heaver free kick from the left. Heaver's flighted cross cleared everybody and was met by second half substitute Colin Burke stealing in at the back post but his cushioned effort off his right instep slipped wide of the post. The Castle continued to threaten from set pieces and main goal threat Inglis sent a spectacular overhead kick high over the crossbar from a Christopher Ogilvie free kick from the right. Saints replied with a good run and cross on the right from David McArthur which Myles McAuley got his head to but unfortunately only succeeded in diverting the ball away from Craig MacEwan steaming in at the far post. More free kick pressure followed from Doune but, under severe pressure from Kenneth Feaks and Alan Inglis, Thomas McCulloch pushed the ball up into the air and gathered safely at the second attempt. Referee Laing ruled that the challenge of Inglis while McCulloch was on the ground was illegal and booked the big Scottish Amateur International striker. David McArthur joined him in the book shortly afterwards after losing possession inside his own half and bringing down Sean Heaver in his attempts to redeem his error. Saints fourth goal came from a lightning quick counter attack up the right wing. David McArthur found Craig MacEwan who tricked his way past Alan More and picked out a terrific pass along the eighteen yard line to Scott Maitland cutting in from the left. The predominantly left footed Scott surprised everybody, possibly even himself, by striking the ball first time on his right foot and into the bottom corner giving keeper Fotheringham no chance. That stunning strike proved to be Scott's last involvement as he made way for Dougal Graham for the closing ten minutes. The Castle pounced for a deserved consolation goal with just four of the regulation ninety minutes remaining. Alan Inglis took advantage of a rare mistake in the Saints defence to notch his forty fifth goal of the season so far bundling the ball over the line from eight yards out. Saints then made their fourth change with Keith Millar coming on to replace Paul Kerr in central midfield. Despite the shortage of remaining time there was no let up in the action and almost immediately from the restart Craig MacEwan and Donald Campbell combined to release Allan Mackay in the Doune box but with Keeper Fotheringham once again doing a good job to narrow the angle Allan could only find the side netting with his shot. To their credit Doune kept plugging away and were unlucky not to add a second goal when David McArthur got a vitally important touch to deflect an Alan Inglis strike wide for a corner kick. From the corner kick on the right Marc Maccallum produced more heroics diving to chest a clearance and quickly recovering to charge down the loose ball. Deep inside the six minutes added by Mr Laing Craig MacEwan limped off with an injured toe to be replaced by Jamie Graham in an extremely unfamiliar striker's role. In the ninety fifth minute Donald Campbell completed the scoring exploiting another mistake in the tiring Doune defence to drill the ball past Fotheringham for Saints fifth. After one final minute of the thrilling cup tie Mr Laing brought proceedings to an end sending Saints through to the quarter finals where they will face Shortlees of the Ayrshire Amateur Football Association First Division on Saturday 19th March.