Winning In The Rain: A Tale of Four Keepers

Saturday 30th July 2016

Pre-Season Friendly

Oban Saints AFC 0 - 0 East Kilbride AFC

Glencruitten 1

Glencruitten Drive

Oban

Argyll

PA34 4EB

Kick off 2pm

Referee Mr John Scott

Saints starting line-up:-

Thomas McCulloch

David McArthur

Willie Gemmell

Dene Cassells

Scott Maitland

Myles McAuley

Matthew Kelly

Donald Campbell (Captain)

Fraser MacFarlane

Dean Smith

Craig MacEwan

Used substitutes:-

Jay Cooper

Graham Douglas

Paul Kerr

Unused substitute:-

Alex Craik

Regular pre-season visitors East Kilbride AFC returned to Oban last Saturday afternoon where they and hosts Saints served up an entertaining goalless draw in front of a healthy crowd at Glencruitten. Injuries and holiday commitments forced Manager Alex Craik to make five changes to the starting XI that had put five goals past St Anthony's a week earlier. The changes included a first start since the D&K Lafferty Cup tournament for David McArthur who lined up on the right of the back four alongside Willie Gemmell, Dene Cassells and Scott Maitland. With Paul Kerr arriving late due to work commitments the Gaffer handed a starting role to Matthew Kelly where he joined Myles McAuley and Donald Campbell in the middle of the park. Dean Smith returned to spearhead the attack flanked by Fraser MacFarlane and Craig MacEwan. Alex named himself on the substitutes bench for the second week running with Jay Cooper and Paul Kerr making up the outfield options. The goalkeeping duties were once again shared between Thomas McCulloch who started the match and Graham Douglas who would take over for the second half.

The visitors kicked off attacking the pavilion end but it was Saints who were first to threaten with Myles McAuley and Matthew Kelly combing well on the right and Matthew sending over a tempting cross which was fractionally too high for Dean Smith waiting on the penalty spot. East Kilbride ended last season in fifth place in the Central Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division and were to prove a significant step up in class from the previous weeks opponents St Anthony's. Saints were unable to exert the midfield domination they had enjoyed seven days previously with the visitors matching them stride for stride and creating by far the better opportunities to break the deadlock. In the seventh minute Thomas McCulloch produced the first of several high quality saves to keep the East Kilbride men at bay. Scott Gillespie outpaced Scott Maitland on the right wing and sent in a dangerous low cross which Dene Cassells did well to turn behind for a corner ahead of Steven McClung. The corner kick from the right was hooked on target through a ruck of players by Matthew Gray with McCulloch showing good reactions and handling to catch the ball cleanly. Barely sixty seconds later Thomas held well again this time from last season's East Kilbride Player of the Year Kevin McLean. In the seventeenth minute Donald Campbell was penalised, harshly in his opinion, midway inside his own half on the Saints left. While Donald continued his protests Callum McLean took the free kick quickly releasing Scott Gillespie on the right for another dangerous low cross into the box which Dene Cassells again turned behind for a corner. Willie Gemmell beat Andrew Winter in the air to clear the corner kick from the right to the edge of the box where Ross Liddell met it with a sweet strike which Thomas McCulloch saved well low down to his right. Craig MacEwan was having an interesting tussle with East Kilbride right back Callum McLean and got the better of the Players Player of the Year award winner in the twentieth minute. Tricking his way into the box Craig delivered an early cross which was met spectacularly by Fraser MacFarlane whose overhead kick from fourteen yards was blocked by the chest of Ryan Duffy before being thumped to safety by the big defender. Thomas McCulloch was in action again in the 29th minute saving another effort from Matthew Gray diving full length to his right to deny the East Kilbride midfielder. Saints edged closer to testing Scott Henderson in the East Kilbride goal from a good move on the left involving Scott Maitland and Matthew Kelly. Matthew picked out Fraser MacFarlane on the edge of the box who beat Callum McLean, Graham Marshall and the right hand of keeper Henderson but only succeeded in finding the side netting of the East Kilbride goal. Thomas McCulloch remained the busier of the goalkeepers and made the best of his first half saves in the fortieth minute. Dean Smith picked up the games only yellow card for a late challenge on Kevin McLean conceding a free kick just inside the Saints half which the visitors took quickly. McLean set off up the left wing and cut inside before curling a right foot shot towards the postage stamp corner which drew a flying finger tip save from the Saints number one. Saints ended the half on the front foot and won a set piece opportunity on the corner of the East Kilbride box to finally test Scott Henderson in the visitor's goal. Donald Campbell lifted the ball over the two man wall towards the near post with Graham Marshall reacting quickest to head behind for a corner kick. Fraser MacFarlane flighted a good ball into the six yard box which Henderson, under pressure from Dean Smith, couldn't gather at the first attempt eventually smothering the ball on his goal line surrounded by a forest of legs. Unfortunately the big keeper injured his left knee in the process and limped from the field on Mr Scott's the half time whistle to be replaced by Graeme McMillan.

Saints also changed their goalkeeper for the second half with Graham Douglas taking over from Thomas McCulloch. Paul Kerr also made an appearance replacing Fraser MacFarlane in a switch which brought about a change to a 4-4-2 formation. Saints were slow to get going in the second half however the back four remained solid and kept the visitors attack in check. It took fully twenty minutes for Saints to bring East Kilbride replacement keeper McMillan into the action from a long Graham Douglas clearance. Donald Campbell won the flick-on with Craig MacEwan and Paul Kerr combining well for Craig to send a ball into the box where Donald had continued his run. However Graeme McMillan anticipated the danger and slid out to smother the ball at Donald's feet. Saints then made their final change when young Jay Cooper came on the replace Dean Smith up front. Saints replacement keeper Graham Douglas received his first taste of the action in the sixty seventh minute turning a Kyle Gatens shot around his left hand post after the East Kilbride substitute got the better of Willie Gemmell on the edge of the Saints box. Playing more centrally in the second half Craig MacEwan adjusted well to his new position and in the seventy fourth minute held up a Willie Gemmell long pass long enough to release David McArthur on a rampaging run up the right touchline. David fired over a cross looking for Craig's run to the back post but Graeme McMillan intercepted the danger clawing the ball behind for a corner kick. Scott Maitland's out-swinger from the Saints left found the head of McArthur who couldn't direct his effort on target sending it two feet over the crossbar. From McMillan's bye kick the visitors moved swiftly to the other end where Graham Douglas produced his best moment of the match springing to his right to finger-tip a Kyle Gatens drive behind for a corner. Having looked decidedly flat for long periods of the second half Saints finally upped their game for the closing fifteen minutes. Having forced a corner on the left Jay Cooper was on hand to receive the ball short from Scott Maitland and sent over a dangerous cross which Dene Cassells threw himself at getting his header on target only to see Ryan Duffy head the ball off the goal line. Dene was in the thick of the action moments later linking up with Myles McAuley and Paul Kerr to carve out a chance. Myles and Paul forced their way through the East Kilbride massed ranks eventually picking out Dene's run into the box. Unfortunately Dene's finish lacked the power to seriously trouble Graeme McMillan and the East Kilbride keeper gathered comfortably. Saints rounded off the goalmouth action with a good run through the inside right channel from Craig MacEwan who sent a low shot fizzing past Graeme McMillan's right hand post. Referee John Scott, who handled proceedings well in his own inimitable style, brought a fairly even contest to an end with the visitors perhaps just shading a good workout for both teams on chances created.

Saints conclude their pre-season preparations next Saturday with a trip to Lochgilphead where they will defend the Argyll and Bute Cup in an eight team tournament organised and hosted by Lochgilphead Red Star.