Winning In The Rain: Safely Through

Saturday 3rd September 2016
Scottish Amateur Football Association Challenge Cup Competition
1st Round
Finnart AFC 1 - 3 Oban Saints AFC
Glasgow Green Football Centre
28 Kings Drive
Glasgow
G40 1HB
Kick Off 2pm
Referee Mr James Gallacher

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

Substitutes used:-

Craig Campbell
Paul Carmichael
Matthew Kelly
Dean Smith

Unused substitute:-

Alex Craik

Saints goalscorers:-

Craig MacEwan
Paul Carmichael
Donald Campbell (Penalty)

Saints successfully negotiated an extremely tricky Scottish Amateur Cup first round away tie at former Scottish Amateur Football League rivals Finnart last Saturday. All seven previous encounters with the men from Bridgeton being tight affairs the tie was therefore approached with a degree of trepidation that this season's Scotttish Cup adventure could falter at the first hurdle. Ultimately the nervousness proved unfounded and Saints produced a largely dominant display against the Caledonian League Division 1B table toppers to safely secure their passage to the second round.

Manager Alex Craik restored Scott Maitland and Dene Cassells to the defence alongside David McArthur and skipper Marc Maccallum in favour of the unavailable Jamie Graham and Craig Campbell who dropped to the bench. A late change of playing surface from the previously intimated 4G to a tight and bumpy grass park necessitated a formation change from the favoured 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2 with Ross Maitland dropping deeper to form the point of a midfield diamond with Paul Kerr at it's base flanked by Myles McAuley and Willie Gemmell. Up front were Donald Campbell and Craig MacEwan with goalkeeper Thomas McCulloch completing the line-up. Keeping Craig Campbell and the Gaffer company on the bench were Paul Carmichael, Matthew Kelly and Dean Smith.

The heavy rain that had followed the Saints bus all the way from Oban cleared by the time the travelling party reached Glasgow Green and, once the heavy grey clouds had rolled by, the match kicked off in excellent overhead conditions. After some early sparring Saints slowly began to gain the upper hand in the midfield battle and probed for the openings that would unlock the experienced Finnart back four marshaled by skipper Brian Blair. The best of Saints early opportunities came by way of set pieces however Finnart keeper Brian Paton dealt comfortably with Willie Gemmell's eleventh minute free kick after Paul Kerr had been brought down on the corner of the eighteen yard box and punched clear Ross Maitland's inswinging corner after Craig MacEwan had won a corner kick on the left in the fourteenth minute. The narrow pitch made it difficult for Saints to get behind the Finnart defence however when the opening did present itself in the eighteenth minute Saints exploited it ruthlessly. Myles McAuley won possession on the half way line and quickly played the ball forward to Donald Campbell on the right. Donald worked a give and go with Craig MacEwan and set off up the right wing past full back Andrew Robertson. Donald hit the byeline and lofted a deep cross to the back post where Paul Kerr had made a good run to nod the ball into the path of Craig MacEwan who made no mistake from six yards. Donald Campbell escaped the shackles of the home defence again two minutes later but snatched somewhat at the chance shooting first time from the eighteen yard line and sending his effort well wide of Brian Paton's right hand post. With little service coming their way Finnart's front pairing of Dale Wallace and Ryan McLean were being kept well in check by Marc Maccallum and Dene Cassells and set pieces looked to be the home sides best hope of getting on the score sheet. Myles McAuley gave them just the opportunity they wanted in the twenty sixth minute with a rash challenge on Paul McLean resulting in a free kick on the Finnart left midway inside the Saints half. Finnart's dead ball expert Andrew Robertson sent a dangerous cross into the box for Dale Wallace who got between Marc Maccallum and Dene Cassells but slightly mistimed his header getting underneath the ball and heading high and wide of Thomas McCulloch's left hand post. Saints then upped the tempo a notch increasing the pressure on the home defence for the closing fifteen minutes of the first half. On the half hour mark Donald Campbell and Craig MacEwan linked up well on the edge of the box from where Donald had a left foot shot blocked. The loose ball broke to Willie Gemmell supporting on the left who lofted a cross to the back post for Craig MacEwan whose close range header was well saved by Brian Paton who showed good reactions to push the ball over his cross bar. Despite Craig's protestations Referee Gallacher ruled him offside denying Saints the corner kick. Paton was in action again just moments later diving full length to his left to gather a Donald Campbell shot from twenty two yards. Craig MacEwan had a thirty third minute shot deflected wide for a corner kick from which he flashed a header across the face of goal and inches wide of Brian Paton's left hand post. Craig then attempted to turn provider sending a terrific hanging cross into the danger area after linking up well with David McArthur on the right. Unfortunately there was nobody in navy blue to take advantage and Kieren Molloy headed behind for a corner kick. Ross Maitland's inswinger from the left was headed out for a throw-in giving Willie Gemmell the opportunity to keep the pressure on. Willie's long throw found the head of Craig MacEwan whose glancing effort looked a goal all the way only for Brian Paton to pull off another fine save pushing the ball out to his left. David McArthur was first to the loose ball however the Saints full back was also denied by the reactions of Paton who was finally able to drop and smother the ball keeping the half time scoreline at 1 - 0 to Saints.

Frustratingly after such a dominant first half performance Saints continued their alarming recent trait of slow second half starts allowing Finnart back into the game within four minutes of the restart. Dene Cassells conceded a cheap corner kick knocking a hopeful long ball behind when a shout from Thomas McCulloch would have seen the ball run harmlessly through to the goalkeeper. Predominantly right footed left back Andrew Robertson put his corner kick right into the danger area for central defender Kieren Molloy to run off Myles McAuley and head home the equaliser from six yards. Saints reacted well to this set back and re-established their midfield dominance but still had to be wary of Finnart's set-pieces which remained their main threat. A fifty eighth minute free kick from the corner of the box had Thomas McCulloch scrambling across his goal line to push Andrew Robertson's cross over the crossbar. Two minutes previously Saints had their first attempt of the second half when Willie Gemmell's long free kick was nodded down by Donald Campbell to Craig MacEwan who quickly returned the ball to Donald to curl a shot over the bar from eighteen yards. Just before the hour mark Manager Alex Craik gave Paul Carmichael his first run out of the season putting him on to replace Ross Maitland who had acquitted himself well in an unfamiliar withdrawn role. The substitution proved to be an inspired one with Paul getting his name on the score sheet just three minutes after coming on. Craig MacEwan and Myles McAuley linked up well on the right with Myles powering forward before cutting the ball back to Paul Carmichael who cracked a fierce shot Geoff Hurst style off the underside of the cross bar and over the goal line before the ball ended up in the arms of goalkeeper Paton. The Finnart players complained long and hard that the ball hadn't crossed the line but, even without a Russian linesman to assist him, Referee James Gallacher was confident it had and awarded the goal. Spurred on by a sense of injustice Finnart continued their aerial assault from Robertson's deadly set-pieces but the Saints defence remained firm with Kieren Molloy's frustrations boiling over earning him a yellow card for an over zealous challenge on Marc Maccallum. Being forced to sit deeper Saints were looking to hit on the counter attack and did so in the sixty eighth minute with Craig MacEwan cutting in from the left to meet a good run and pass from Scott Maitland before shooting just wide of Brian Paton's left hand post. Paul Carmichael's powerful running from midfield was proving a handful for the home side and Philip Morrison had his name taken by Mr Gallacher for pulling back the Saints substitute inside the centre circle. Worse was to follow for Finnart in the seventy fifth minute when Kieren Molloy upended Carmichael earning himself a second yellow card in the process. The Referee's patience with Finnart skipper Brian Blair's questioning of every single decision finally snapped and he too ended up in the book. Saints set about making their numerical advantage pay and forced Brian Paton into another smart save from Paul Carmichael. A good passing move on the left involving Willie Gemmell, Donald Campbell and Craig MacEwan ended with Willie picking out Paul Kerr's run into the box with the Saints midfield anchorman cutting the ball back to a similar position from where Carmichael had previously scored only for Paton to deny him a second goal. Craig MacEwan maintained his goal threat cutting in from the left in the eightieth minute and curling a shot just over Brian Paton's crossbar. The Finnart keeper was on hand two minutes later to produce another excellent save to deny Donald Campbell from a narrow angle however his good work was undone by a rash challenge on Craig MacEwan by David McHendrie which gave Donald the opportunity to make the tie safe from the penalty spot. The Saints top scorer was clinical with his finish thumping the ball high into the net giving the keeper no chance. Manager Alex Craik used the remaining minutes to give late run outs to Matthew Kelly, Craig Campbell and Dean Smith replacing Willie Gemmell, David McArthur and Donald Campbell respectively. Saints survived one last free kick from Andrew Robertson before Referee Gallacher's final whistle brought a good all round performance against difficult opponents from last season's beaten semi-finalists to a close confirming their place in this season's second round draw.

Brian Paton punches clear