Winning In The Rain: Droning On

The Ants drone keeps an eye on the action unfolding below

Saturday 23rd July 2016

Pre-Season Friendly

Oban Saints AFC 5 - 1 St Anthony's FC

Glencruitten 1, Glencruitten Drive, Oban PA34 4EB

Kick off 2.00pm

Referee Mr Martin Rae

Saints starting line-up:-

Thomas McCulloch

Jamie Graham
Craig Campbell
Dene Cassells
Dougal Graham

Donald Campbell (Captain)
Paul Kerr
Scott Maitland

Fraser MacFarlane
Martin Bonar
Craig MacEwan

Used Substitutes:-

Jay Cooper
Alex Craik
Daniel Croarkin
Graham Douglas
Ross Maitland

Saints Goalscorers:-

Donald Campbell ⚽ ⚽
Craig MacEwan ⚽ ⚽
Ross Maitland ⚽

Last Saturday Saints welcomed first time visitors St Anthony's to Glencruitten for a pre-season friendly match but quickly whipped away the welcome mat to give their semi-professional guests a torrid afternoon. Manager Alex Craik returned from holiday to resume team selection duties but found his options limited by a lengthy injury list. There were only six survivors from the eleven who started against Vale of Leven last week with Thomas McCulloch lining up in goal behind a back four of Jamie Graham, Craig Campbell, Dene Cassells and Dougal Graham. Paul Kerr took up his accustomed position anchoring the midfield with Donald Campbell and Scott Maitland for company. Alex was keen to have a look at the versatile Martin Bonar in an attacking role and handed him the number nine jersey flanked by young Fraser MacFarlane and Craig MacEwan. Marc Maccallum's continued absence meant that Donald Campbell kept the Captain's armband. The substitutes bench was once again a mixture of youth and experience with teenagers Jay Cooper and Daniel Croarkin keeping down the average age and Graham Douglas, Ross Maitland and Alex Craik threatening to push it off the scale at the other end.

After a quiet opening spell the match burst into life in the sixth minute when Donald Campbell thumped a right foot shot past Jon Connolly in the Ants goal from twenty two yards, The move started with Dougal Graham on the left wing with the full back swinging in a cross which the Ants defence could only clear as far as Scott Maitland who found his skipper on the edge of the D. Donald shifted the ball to his right opening up the angle for a shot which beat the Ants keeper low down to his right. Scott set up Donald again two minutes later this time from a set-piece. Scott was fouled on the corner of the Ants penalty area a yard outside the box, Donald lined up the free kick from the Saints left which he curled right footed around the two man wall but also wide of the junction of post and bar. Donald was in the thick of the action again in the tenth minute exploiting hesitancy in the Ants defence. With the Ants defenders leaving it to one another to clear their lines Donald nipped in to get away a shot away from fifteen yards which central defender Michael McDowell blocked with an outstretched boot with the loose ball narrowly eluding Craig MacEwan. The Ants made their first foray up field in the eleventh minute winning a free kick just outside the Saints box on the Ants right when Dene Cassells clipped the heels of Grant Reid. Full back Graeme Crawford curled the free kick high over the crossbar much to the frustration of the pack waiting for a cross to the back post. Martin Bonar was enjoying his aerial jousts with the Ants defence and won a free kick from Michael McDowell in the fifteenth minute for a push in the back when the pair went up for a header. Donald Campbell played the out wide to the left for Dougal Graham who kick started an intricate passing move involving Scott Maitland, Craig MacEwan and Donald Campbell which ended with Donald tucking the ball away from six yards only for Referee Martin Rae to deny Saints a sensational goal by ruling Donald offside. Martin Bonar's afternoon was cut frustratingly short when he landed awkwardly on his left heel forcing him to leave the field of play to be replaced by Ross Maitland. The Saints defence was caught out by a ball over the top in the eighteenth minute with Grant Kelly outpacing Craig Campbell and the big Saints central defender bringing down the Ants striker with a rash challenge just inside the Saints box. Kelly took the spot kick himself but couldn't beat Thomas McCulloch who made a good save down to his left. Dene Cassells was quickest to react ushering the loose ball behind for a corner kick under pressure from Craig Smith. Craig Campbell headed the corner kick from the right clear of the eighteen yard box but only as far as John McGowan who, despite the ball landing kindly at his feet, couldn't keep his shot down sending it high over the Saints crossbar. At the other end Scott Maitland stung the palms of Jon Connolly with a fierce strike from twenty two yards after an incisive pass from Paul Kerr. The Ants had their best spell midway through the first half and thought they had weathered the Saints storm but the home side came roaring back in the thirty third minute resuming the quick fire passing which the visitors struggled all afternoon to cope with. Fraser MacFarlane unleashed a shot from the corner of the box which was too hot for Jon Connolly to handle with Donald Campbell pouncing on the loose ball and skimming the top of the crossbar with his first time effort. Saints kept up the pressure and carved open the Ants defence in the fortieth minute with Craig MacEwan threading a perfectly weighted pass through to Ross Maitland who lifted the ball over the advancing Jon Connolly but narrowly wide of the big keeper's left hand post. The front three combined well again on the left to set up another shooting opportunity for Fraser MacFarlane however this shot lacked the power of his previous effort and was easily gathered by Connolly. Saints were rewarded for their first half dominance in the forty third minute when Craig MacEwan got on the end of another excellent move to tuck away a Jamie Graham cut back from the right. The Ants defence appealed in vain for an offside decision and although Jamie didn't have his glasses on he was pretty sure Craig was behind the ball when he played it!

Graham "Sugar"Douglas replaced Thomas McCulloch in goal for the start of the second half with a promise from the Manager that youngsters Jay Cooper and Daniel Croarkin would get a run out for the closing thirty minutes. A devastating start to the second half saw Saints score three times in five minutes to put the game well beyond the visitors' reach. Straight from the kick off Donald Campbell ran at the heart of the Ants defence winning a corner kick and setting the tone for another forty five minutes of Saints domination. Craig MacEwan netted his second goal of the day in the forty sixth minute clipping home from twelve yards range after a give and go with Ross Maitland. Three minutes later Donald Campbell completed his brace with Scott Maitland providing the killer pass. The match was all over as a contest by now and Ross Maitland completed the scoring with a stunning finish from the left slamming the ball into the net past Connolly's despairing left hand after a lay off from Donald Campbell. Both sides passed up decent opportunities to test the respective goal keepers from set-pieces. Firstly Ants striker Grant Kelly curled a free kick high over the cross bar after Dene Cassells had illegally halted a promising move from the visitors. Scott Maitland then returned the compliment after Ross Loughlin had brought him down twenty four yards from goal. The hour mark brought the promised line-up changes with Jay Cooper replacing Fraser MacFarlane up front and Daniel Croarkin replacing Dougal Graham at the back. Daniel joined Craig Campbell in the centre with Dene Cassells moving to left back giving the visitors some brief encouragement while the home defence adjusted to the positional changes. Donald Campbell almost tee'd up Jay Cooper for a shot on goal in the sixty fourth minute but the substitute was denied by a tremendous last ditch challenge by Paul O'Brien taking the ball off the youngster's toe at the expense of a corner kick. Jamie Graham was forced to concede a corner at the other end making a good interception to cut out a cross from the left from Grant Kelly. Ross Loughlin sent over a deep cross which reached the unmarked Graeme Crawford at the back post who, fortunately for Saints, sent his shot high and wide of target. Donnie Campbell tried to turn provider again in the seventieth minute almost picking out Craig Campbell in the centre after the big defender had made a lung busting run from the back to join in the attack. Former Postal United man Paul O'Brien got in a timely header in just in front of Craig to send the ball behind for a corner kick. Craig stayed forward for Ross Maitland's corner and was cursing his luck again when Ross Loughlin hoofed his net bound downward header off the goal line. Craig's luck worsened moments later when injury forced him to leave the field in favour of Alex Craik in a like for like replacement in central defence. Despite being second best for most of the match the visitors never gave up and were rewarded for their perseverance with a deserved consolation goal in the seventy seventh minute when Saints momentarily switched off at a free kick on the edge of their own box. Substitute Aiden Lennon slipped the ball to Graeme Crawford who raced into the box and squared the ball to Craig Smith who forced the ball home from three yards range. Graeme Crawford almost doubled the Ants tally three minutes from time when he smacked the outside of Sugar's left hand post with a fierce right foot drive. Fittingly Saints ended the match in control and the visitors had keeper Jon Connolly to thank for a fine last minute save to deny Donald Campbell his hat-trick turning a fiercely struck shot from the left of the Ants box round his near post. Referee Rae brought a dominant Saints performance to an end with the only disappointment on a day of many positives for Manager Alex Craik being the knocks picked up by Martin Bonar and Craig Campbell adding to an already lengthy injury list.

Next up for Saints is a visit from old friends East Kilbride of the Central Scottish Amateur Football League.