Winning In The Rain: Back On Track

Saturday 7th May 2016

Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division

East Kilbride Rolls Royce AFC 1 - 3 Oban Saints AFC

Ballerup Leisure Complex, Skovlunde Way, East Kilbride G75 0SD

Kick off 2pm
Referee Mr Thomas D'Alessandro

Saints finally ended their win-less streak, penalty shoot-outs aside, and got back on track with a 3 - 1 victory over relegation threatened East Kilbride Rolls Royce at Ballerup last Saturday. The result sadly consigns the Rolly to a second relegation in four years leaving Alba Thistle, Campbeltown Pupils, Finnart and Shawlands FP to battle it out to avoid joining them in falling through the trap door into Premier Division One.

Saints welcomed back Thomas McCulloch and Paul Kerr to the squad that squeezed past Kings Park Rangers in the Jimmy Marshall Trophy quarter final in midweek but were once again without Keith Millar and Skipper Marc Maccallum. Also missing were Donald Campbell, Craig MacEwan, Brian Mackay and penalty shoot-out hero Graham Douglas. Manager Alex Craik was therefore forced to shuffle his pack once again but was still able to name a strong starting line-up of Thomas MacCulloch in goal; a back four of David McArthur, Craig Campbell, Dene Cassells and Dougal Graham; a midfield of Myles McAuley, Willie Gemmell and Skipper for the day Paul Kerr; and a front three of Ross Maitland, Dean Smith and Scott Maitland. Alex named himself on the bench alongside Paul Carmichael, Jamie Graham and Allan Mackay.

Paul Kerr won the toss of Referee D'Allesandro' s coin and opted to play into the stiff breeze in the first half. The aerial prowess of recent signing Craig Campbell has proved a valuable addition to the Saints armoury and a free kick won by Scott Maitland in the second minute gave Saints an early chance to deploy this new weapon. Willie Gemmell swung in the free kick from the left which Campbell flicked on at the near post with David McArthur climbing well to win the second header although he was unable to generate enough power in his header to trouble keeper Dean Trainor. Saints took the aerial route again in the fifth minute this time with Ross Maitland providing the delivery from a free kick on the right after he had been sent sprawling by Rolly full back Mark Johnston. Ross flighted in a terrific ball from ten yards inside the Rolly half which took out the entire defence and was met perfectly on the volley by Craig Campbell who had peeled off at the back post to lash an unstoppable shot into the postage stamp corner. Rocked by the early set-back the Rolly began to push forward and had Saints on the back foot in a good ten minute spell. Wide men Paul Innes and Paul Byrne were giving Saints full backs Dougal Graham and David McArthur plenty to think about as they looked to provide the ammunition for central striker Gavin Miller. It was Miller who came closest during this spell heading over after making a good run to meet a Paul Byrne corner kick from the Rolly right. Saints eased the pressure with a Scott Maitland run on the right which was finally halted level with the six yard line by a heavy challenge by Craig Duncan. The big central defender cleared Ross Maitland's free kick but only as far as Dean Smith on the edge of the box who turned well and fired a good shot across Dean Trainor and inches wide of the keeper's right hand post. The Saints defence had Myles McAuley to thank for a covering run in the eighteenth minute. Paul Innes was brought down by Dougal Graham and took a quick free kick from the right looking for the run into the box of Paul Walker. Myles tracked the run well and put Walker under just enough pressure to skew his shot wide of target. Walker was in the thick of the action again three minutes later but failed to connect properly with an overhead kick after a long Mark Johnston throw-in from the right had been flicked on by Gavin Miller. There was a load appeal for a penalty kick from the Rolly contingent on the touchline when Paul Innes tumbled in the box under a challenge from Dougal Graham but Referee D'Allesandro ruled there had been no infringement and dismissed the appeals. There was a let-off for Saints on the half hour mark when Myles McAuley headed a clearance straight into the path of Gavin Miller who squandered a great chance shooting well wide of Thomas MacCulloch's left hand post. Scott Maitland showed some of the pace and trickery on the left which has caught the eye of Scottish Amateur Football Association Select Manager Bruce McNaught. Scott collected a long clearance by Thomas McCulloch and outstripped full back Craig Smith before shaving the outside of Dean Trainor's left hand post with a flashing drive across the keeper. In the thirty fourth minute it was Saints turn to have a loud penalty appeal rejected. Dean Smith appeared to be pushed in the back by Ross Moore but Mr D'Allesandro didn't have a clear view of the incident waved play on. Saints doubled their lead two minutes later after good work on the right from David McArthur and Ross Maitland. David chipped deftly over the heads of Paul Byrne and Mark Johnston with Ross spinning off the Rolly full back and tearing up the right wing. Ross hit the bye-line and fizzed a tempting ball low across the face of goal. Myles McAuley was inches away from connecting with cross but Scott Maitland was on hand at the back post to bundle the ball over the line despite the best efforts of Dean Trainor to keep it out. The Rolly continued to look dangerous in the wide areas with Paul Innes getting the better of Dougal Graham in the thirty eighth minute to send in a terrific cross which Myles McAuley did well to nip in front of Paul Walker to head clear. In the fortieth minute Craig Campbell again demonstrated the threat he poses in the opposition box winning a good near post header from a Willie Gemmell throw-in, unfortunately there was no takers for Saints at the back post and a good chance was lost. A long wind assisted clearance from Dean Trainor quickly turned defence into attack with a back pedaling David McArthur only succeeding in finding Paul Byrne with his headed clearance. Fortunately for Saints the Rolly winger was unable to find the target with his low shot which he sent wide of Thomas McCulloch's right hand post. Moments later the Rolly finally hit the target through Byrne who switched to the right wing and fired in a shot which Thomas McCulloch saved well at his near post. At the other end Scott Maitland drew a good save from Dean Trainor when he collected a Ross Maitland lay off from a Willie Gemmell pass on the edge of the Rolly box. Scott pulled away from Mark Johnston and fired in a left foot shot from twenty yards which Trainor held just inside his left hand post. The dangerous Byrne created one final chance before the half time whistle skinning David McArthur and sending a tempting ball along the six yard line which, fortunately for Saints, found no takers in red and white.

The home side made the better start to the second half but Saints defended well and kept the Rolly attack comfortably at arms length with Dene Cassells showing up well in his first start since returning from suspension. Danger man Byrne did manage to break through in the fifty third minute but was again foiled by an excellent Thomas McCulloch save. Saints finally managed to get out of their own half in the fifty sixth minute and did so to devastating effect. Myles McAuley made a rampaging run at the heart of the Rolly defence and slipped a perfectly weighted ball for Dean Smith to beat the off-side trap and pass the ball into the bottom corner of the net past Dean Trainor's left hand to give Saints a three goal lead. The goal heralded the start of a good spell of Saints pressure with Dean Smith coming close to doubling his tally on three occasions. A good ball from Willie Gemmell found Dean on the left of the Rolly box before cutting inside a curling a shot on target which Dean Trainor palmed over the cross bar. Dean made a well timed run to get on the end of Ross Maitland's corner from the right but couldn't direct his header on target. In the sixty second minute Dean was inches away from getting on the end of a defence splitting pass from Paul Kerr but was beaten to it by Dean Trainor who anticipated the danger and sprinted off his line to smother the ball at Dean's feet. In the sixty eighth minute a long ball over the top from David McArthur sent Scott Maitland in behind the Rolly defence only for Craig Duncan to get back well with an excellent saving tackle at the expense of a corner kick. That was the last involvement for Scott as he and Dean Smith made way for Paul Carmichael and Allan Mackay. From Ross Maitland's corner kick from the right Craig Campbell was again dominant in the air but sent his header wide of near post. The Rolly issued a reminder of their attacking threat in the seventy first minute with Gavin Miller making a good run to get in between Dene Cassells and Dougal Graham to fire a powerful shot across Thomas McCulloch and just wide of his right hand post. With fifteen minutes remaining Saints Manager Alex Craik made his final change replacing David McArthur at right back with Jamie Graham. Barely a minute after the change Saints lost their clean sheet. Mark Johnston launched another of his long throws which caused panic in the Saints defence with substitute Andrew Woods reacting quickest to tuck away the loose ball past Thomas McCulloch for a deserved consolation goal. The home side came close to adding to their tally five minutes later when Saints completely switched off at a free kick allowing Gavin Miller a free header which fortunately the Rolly centre forward sent high over the cross bar. With five minutes remaining a miserable day for the Rolly was completed when Ross Moore received his marching orders for pulling back Ross Maitland just outside the box after the wee man had robbed him of possession. Ross took the free kick himself but sent a poor effort well off target. A frustrated Gavin Miller was lucky not also to see red for a bad challenge on Paul Kerr in the centre circle, however Mr D'Allesandro considered the challenge worthy of only a yellow card which he also flashed at Willie Gemmell and second half substitute Mark McFadden for a spot of pushing and shoving after the free kick had been awarded. It was not lost on Manager Craik that the three Saints goals had come from former Oban Athletic players and recent signing from their sadly folded neighbours Paul Carmichael almost completed the set in stoppage time. Dougal Graham skipped past Andrew Woods on the left wing and sent over a terrific cross from the bye-line which somehow Paul completely missed at the back post with the ball drifting harmlessly behind for a goal kick. Referee D'Allesandro blew for full time immediately after Dean Trainor's bye kick confirming a morale boosting victory for Saints ahead of this Wednesday's Scottish Amateur Football League Jimmy Marshall Trophy semi-final against Motherwell Thistle.