Winning In The Rain: Demolition Derby

Saturday 13th August 2016
Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division
Oban Saints AFC 10 - 0 Campbeltown Pupils AFC
Glencruitten 2, Mossfield Avenue, Oban, Argyll PA34 4EH
Kick Off 2pm
Referee Mr James Litster

Saints starting line-up:-

Thomas McCulloch

David McArthur
Marc Maccallum (Captain)
Dene Cassells
Scott Maitland

Myles McAuley
Paul Kerr
Willie Gemmell

Ross Maitland
Donald Campbell
Craig MacEwan

Used Substitutes:-

Daniel Croarkin
Fraser MacFarlane
Dean Smith

Unused Substitutes:-

Alex Craik
Graham Douglas

Saints Goalscorers:-

Craig MacEwan ⚽ ⚽ ⚽
Donald Campbell ⚽ ⚽ ⚽ ⚽
Ross Maitland ⚽
Daniel Croarkin ⚽ ⚽

Two goals on his competitive debut for youngster Daniel Croarkin put the icing on the cake for Saints Manager Alex Craik as he watched his charges put ten past Argyll rivals Campbeltown Pupils at Glencruitten last Saturday afternoon. An Argyll Derby had all the makings of a tricky opening day fixture for Saints however the home side received a major boost when injuries and holidays forced Pupils to name a virtually unrecognisable line-up. Only four players remained from the corresponding fixture last season with the absence of Gary Grumoli, Pupils top scorer for the past eight seasons, a significant omission. Saints welcomed back Willie Gemmell and Dean Smith to the squad that narrowly lost out in the Argyll and Bute Cup the previous week. Also making a welcome return was Skipper Marc Maccallum missing through injury since the D&K Lafferty Cup. Saints lined up with Thomas McCulloch in goal; a back four of David McArthur, Marc Maccallum, Dene Cassells and Scott Maitland; a midfield three of Myles McAuley, Paul Kerr and Willie Gemmell; and a forward line of Ross Maitland, Donald Campbell and Craig MacEwan. On the bench were Alex Craik, Daniel Croarkin, Fraser MacFarlane, Dean Smith and substitute goalkeeper Graham Douglas.

Marc Maccallum won the toss of Referee Jimmy Litster's coin and elected to kick off attacking the railway end. Glencruitten 2 had successfully passed an early morning pitch inspection and was in remarkably good condition given the recent heavy rain which continued to fall before eventually clearing away after the opening ten minutes. Saints made a sluggish start and survived a scare in the fifth minute when the visitors almost punished some docile defending at a free kick. Paul Kerr was penalised for a foul on Ryan McConnachie thirty yards from goal and slightly right of centre. Pupils took the free kick quickly sending Martin McCallum tearing off up the right wing and catching the Saints defence asleep. McCallum sent a dangerous cross into the box which was turned goalward and cleared off the line before Ryan Gilchrist fired the loose ball narrowly wide of Thomas McCulloch's left hand post.

Saints were eventually awoken from their slumber by some stern words from the sidelines from Gaffer Craik and tested Robert Coffield in the Pupils goal for the first time in the eighth minute. Craig MacEwan flicked on a Willie Gemmell pass into the path of Donald Campbell who sent in a looping right foot shot from twenty two yards to which Coffield got both hands pushing the ball over his crossbar. Two minutes later Willie Gemmell tried to pick out David McArthur at the back post from a free kick on the left but Keith Mitchell tracked David's run well to head behind for a corner kick. Ross Maitland's outswinger from the corner flag went deep to the back post where Dene Cassells climbed well to head back into the danger area only for Shaun Grumoli to win a powerful clearing header. Ross Maitland then had two chances within a minute firstly being foiled by a finger tip save by Coffield after cutting in from the right and firing a low shot across the keeper. Secondly making poor contact with an effort from sixteen yards screwing his shot wide with Coffield caught in no man's land. The Saints pressure finally bore fruit in the seventeenth minute when Craig MacEwan stooped on the six yard line to head home a Ross Maitland cross from the right. Ross was the provider again in the twenty third minute picking out Donald Campbell in the box to slot past Robert Coffield in the Pupils goal after a good passing move from a Scott Maitland throw-in on the left had carved open the Pupils defence. Saints experienced midfield triumvirate of Myles McAuley, Paul Kerr and Willie Gemmell were totally dominant in the middle of the park allowing Willie to use his excellent passing range to good effect. A raking ball from Willie started the move for Saints third goal in the twenty fifth minute sending Craig MacEwan towards the bye-line wide on the right. With an exquisite touch Craig pulled the ball down and looped a cross into the six yard box for Ross Maitland to knock into the roof of the net with his left foot. Frustration was starting to creep into the visitors play with some meaty tackles and Robin Barr finally stretched the patience of Referee Litster too far with an over the ball tackle on Myles McAuley earning the Pupils midfielder a twenty eighth minute yellow card. Saints added a fourth in the thirty first minute from a corner kick on the right won by Donald Campbell. Ross Maitland found the head of David McArthur with another good delivery with the Saints full back unlucky to see his powerful downward header stopped on the line by Grant Grant. Myles McAuley won the ball from the Pupils defender and laid it back to Donald Campbell who thumped an emphatic finish into the net from seven yards. The movement of the Saints front three had the Pupils defence chasing shadows and almost immediately from the restart only a well timed last ditch tackle from Keith Mitchell prevented Donald Campbell from adding to the scoring after a perfectly weighted through ball from Craig MacEwan had Donald bearing down on goal. In the thirty fifth minute Myles McAuley sent Ross Maitland off on another run up the right wing with the wee man picking out Scott Maitland's run from the left and Grant Grant this time on hand to provide the vital interception. From the corner on the left Donald Campbell made a near post run to glance Ross Maitland's delivery across the face of goal and narrowly wide of the far post. The incessant pressure told just two minutes later when Scott Maitland made a driving run into the box passing up a shooting opportunity in favour of a lay off to Donald Campbell. Donald cracked a shot of Robert Coffield's left hand post and with the Pupils defence all at sea Craig MacEwan was on hand to roll the rebound into the net for goal number five. In a quieter spell leading up to the interval Martin McCallum demonstrated his shooting ability fizzing a free kick inches wide of Thomas McCulloch's right hand post before Referee Litster blew for half time.

Running repairs were required at half time for foot and back injuries to Craig MacEwan and Donald Campbell respectively however both were able to take their places for the restart. Willie Gemmell's passing from midfield remained effective however his forty ninth free kick from twenty eight yards after Paul Kerr had been felled by Martin McCallum proved less so clearing the crossbar by some distance. The visitors managed to keep the Saints attack at bay for only nine second half minutes before Donald Campbell defied his sore back to complete his hat-trick. Ross Maitland made a devastating run on the right leaving two defenders trailing in his wake and flighting over another excellent cross to the back post where Donald Campbell climbed well against Grant Grant to head back across Robert Coffield and into the postage stamp corner. Pupils third choice keeper Coffield made an excellent save to deny Donald Campbell a fourth goal within a minute of his third finger tipping Donald's right foot shot round the post for a corner kick. Coffield however was powerless to stop Craig MacEwan from completing the second hat-trick of the day when Craig made a near post run to glance Ross Maitland's corner from the right inside the far post for Saints seventh. A rare loose finish from Donald Campbell after beating the offside trap was a let-off for the beleaguered Pupils defence however that was only a brief stay of execution before Donald and Ross Maitland took their respective goals and assists totals to four in the sixty second minute. Donald got the better of Shaun Grumoli at the back post to divert a cross from Ross high into the net putting Saints eight goals up with twenty eight minutes still to play. Despite being totally outplayed the visitors never gave up and Saints central defensive pairing of Marc Maccallum and Dene Cassells had to maintain their focus to preserve their precious clean sheet. A rare slack pass from Willie Gemmell briefly endangered the Saints goal gifting Martin McCallum a shooting opportunity however despite making good contact McCallum sent his effort high and wide of target. The Gaffer withdrew Myles McAuley, David McArthur and Craig MacEwan giving substitutes Daniel Croarkin, Fraser MacFarlane and Dean Smith a twenty five minute opportunity to influence proceedings which they were to grab with both hands. Shortly after entering the fray Daniel Croarkin made a good block on the edge of his own box to block another shot from Martin McCallum who had been the visitor's most potent goal threat throughout. As the match briefly threatened to boil over Keith Mitchell found his way into Referee Litster's notebook for a late challenge on Paul Kerr and was closely followed by Dene Cassells after a spot of retribution on the Pupils Skipper. Mr Litster quickly brought things under control before Saints once more increased the pressure on the Pupils goal. All three Saints substitutes were involved in the build up for the ninth goal with Daniel Croarkin finishing off the move showing good strength on the ball to force his way into the box and calmly slot past the Pupils keeper from ten yards. Young Daniel made it a dream debut double in the eighty eighth minute heading a Donald Campbell cross from the left high into the net to complete the scoring and send Saints into double figures. Referee Jimmy Litster, who successfully kept the lid on a highly competitive fixture, ended the agony for Pupils allowing only a bare minimum of stoppage time before blowing the final whistle.

Despite the emphatic scoreline full credit must go to the depleted Pupils team who kept plugging away all afternoon and will hope to be back to full strength before their next two extremely daunting fixtures against St Joseph's and East Kilbride.

Next up for Saints is a visit to Motherwell to face newly promoted Motherwell Thistle.