Winning In The Rain: No Fireworks

Saturday 5th November 2016
Scottish Amateur Football Association Challenge Cup Competition
Third Round
FC Clydebank 1 - 3 Oban Saints AFC
Thorn Park
Thorn Road
Bearsden
East Dunbartonshire
G61 4BP
Kick Off 2pm
Referee Mr Michael Auld

Thorn Park, Bearsden

Oban Saints booked their place in the Scottish Amateur Cup fourth round draw with a hard fought third round victory over FC Clydebank in Bearsden last Saturday. Despite the date there was no fireworks in a very sporting contest which saw Saints bang in three goals to see them safely through to the next round. With nine players missing for various reasons, and several others nursing injuries, Manager Alex Craik had his selection options severely curtailed. Despite a badly bruised right foot Jamie Graham once again lined up at left back alongside Dene Cassells, Captain Marc Maccallum and David McArthur who made up the back four. Injury concerns for Paul Kerr and Brian Mackay were bravely brushed aside as they joined Willie Gemmell in midfield. Up front Dean Smith lead the line flanked by Ross Maitland and Craig MacEwan. In goal was Thomas McCulloch looking for a third consecutive clean sheet. Lack of numbers once again forced the Gaffer to name himself on the bench where he had youngsters Matthew Kelly and Fraser MacFarlane for company.

Saints skipper Marc Maccallum won the toss of Referee Michael Auld's coin and elected switch ends giving the opposition the problem of dealing with the bright low sun in the first half. The Bankies kicked off on the large grass surface which was in good condition despite some recent heavy rain. Saints settled into their passing game early without being able to find any penetration. Bankies danger man Kevin McInally gave an early indication of the threat he would pose on the right wing forcing Marc Maccallum into a block to concede a fifth minute corner kick which Thomas McCulloch did well to hold under pressure from Gavin Mcqueen. McCulloch was in action again two minutes later making a comfortable save from Mark Bird who didn't quite make the connection he would have liked with a low shot from twenty five yards. Craig MacEwan returned the compliment at the other end cutting inside from the left after being picked out by Willie Gemmell only to miscue a weak effort straight at Lewis Wood in the Bankies goal. Saints looked ready now to pick up the tempo with Dean Smith slipping a good ball into the box for Craig MacEwan to run onto however Craig couldn't get the ball under control quickly enough and was closed down by the Bankies defence. Dene Cassells sent Jamie Graham tearing up the left wing in the ninth minute however there was no takers for Jamie's dangerous cut back. A patient twelfth minute passing move started by Paul Kerr inside his own half lead to another cut back from Jamie Graham on the left which this time found Brian Mackay inside the Bankies box. Mackay made space for a shot but saw his effort blocked by the combined efforts of Kyle Cruickshank, Martin Fleming and Andrew Weir. The Bankies immediately launched a counter attack on the right with Kevin McInally skipping past Dene Cassells before shooting across Thomas McCulloch and, fortunately for Saints, wide of the far post. David McArthur moved forward to join the attack for a fourteenth minute corner after good work on the left by Dean Smith. McArthur was able to get his head on Ross Maitland's in-swinger from the left but couldn't generate the power to beat Lewis Wood who made a simple catch. Wood was relieved to be able to make another easy catch two minutes later after another excellent run on the left from Jamie Graham was sadly not matched by his final ball which he fired straight at Wood at his near post. Saints continued to ask most of the first half questions but remained unable to put the Bankies goal under serious threat. Just after the half hour mark long range efforts were exchanged with Andrew Weir forcing a save from Thomas McCulloch down to his left and Willie Gemmell sending a thirty yard shot high and wide of target. Wood was however called into action saving well from Dean Smith after he and Paul Kerr had combined well on the edge of the box to create the opening. Saints made the breakthrough in the thirty eighth minute when David McArthur made a good interception on the half way line launching a swift Saints counter attack. McArthur played the ball up to Craig MacEwan on the right who held the ball up well before rolling it back to Brian Mackay. Mackay then threaded a defence splitting pass for Dean Smith who ran in behind the Bankies defence to slot the ball past the exposed Lewis Wood. With the goal in the bag Saints switched to a 4-4-2 formation dropping Ross Maitland back into midfield. Saints survived one further scare before ending the half one goal to the good. Andrew Campbell robbed Marc Maccallum on the left and raced in to fire in a dangerous low ball across the face of goal which Dene Cassells did well to cut out before it could reach Allan Sillars.

Jamie Graham found himself unable to continue and was replaced for the start of the second half by Matthew Kelly who took up the right back berth which he had filled so well against Petershall Villa two weeks previously. David McArthur moved across to fill the left back slot vacated by Jamie. Ross Maitland thought he had doubled the Saints lead in the forty sixth minute when his deflected shot from twenty yards left Lewis Wood hopelessly wrong footed but the ball slipped inches wide of the base of Wood's left hand post. Willie Gemmell had another sighter in the fiftieth minute this time sending a low shot from twenty five yards wide of Lewis Wood's right hand post. At the other end Bankies full back Ross Hollinsworth pushed forward on the right to join the attack and sent in a looping shot from the corner of the box which Thomas McCulloch comfortably fielded. In the fifty second minute Kevin McInally easily tricked his way past David McArthur and only an excellent save from Thomas McCulloch diving full length to his right preserved the Saints lead. Encouraged by this the Bankies pressed forward again on the right with McInally picking out a good near post run from Allan Sillars who, fortunately for Saints, guided his effort inches wide of Thomas McCulloch's left hand post. The Bankies had their tails up now and had a disjointed Saints pinned back in their own half. A measured pass from Gavin Mcqueen sent Allan Sillars through on goal pursued by Dene Cassells who was relieved to see Thomas McCulloch sliding out to smother the ball at the feet of the Bankies striker. Failure to clear their lines properly heaped more pressure on the Saints defence in sixty seventh minute with a weak headed clearance from Ross Maitland landing at the feet of Mark Bird who failed to test Thomas McCulloch sending a snatched effort wide of target. With Manager Alex Craik threatening to burst a blood vessel on the touchline Saints finally started to get back into the game and launched a swift counter attack from a Dene Cassells interception on the half way line. Brian Mackay raced forward and had his net bound effort turned behind by a timely block from Kyle Cruickshank. Craig MacEwan and Dean Smith carved out a seventy fourth minute chance with Dean's cut back from the dead ball line agonisingly out of reach for Craig racing in at the near post. Ross Maitland was extremely unfortunate to be given offside from what appeared to be a perfectly timed run to beat the Bankies offside trap. Willie Gemmell continued his protests too long for Mr Auld's liking earning him the only yellow card of the match. With ten minutes remaining Manager Alex Craik made his second change introducing Fraser MacFarlane to replace Dean Smith. This proved to be an inspired decision by the Saints Gaffer as young Fraser pounced on a loose ball in the Bankies box in the eighty third minute to fire Saints into a two goal lead. A frantic few minutes ensued as the game entered the closing stages. Allan Sillars threatened to burst into the Saints box but was halted by an excellent sliding challenge from Marc Maccallum at the expense of a corner kick. Kevin McInally and Andrew Campbell worked a quick short corner kick routine which caught the Saints defence completely unawares with Campbell advancing a long the goal line and cutting the ball back to Ross Hollinsworth who hooked the ball into the net past the bemused Thomas McCulloch. From the restart Willie Gemmell spotted Lewis Wood off his goal line and attempted to lob the keeper from the half way line only narrowly failing to hit the target. Saints kept the pressure on from Wood's goal kick with Brian Mackay drawing a desperate tackle from Kyle Cruickshank to prevent the Saints man from breaking through on goal. Willie Gemmell lined up the free kick twenty yards from goal and slightly left of centre. Unable to find the target with any of his previous efforts from open play Willie made absolutely no mistake with the dead ball placing the ball perfectly into the postage stamp corner beyond the despairing dive of Lewis Wood. Manager Alex Craik then joined the action replacing Brian Mackay in his third and final change. The Gaffer took up an unfamiliar position in the Saints midfield to help his charges see out the final two minutes plus the additional three allowed by Referee Auld. Saints survived one final scare when Gavin Mcqueen skipped past Alex Craik and sent a looping shot over the head of Thomas McCulloch onto the top of the crossbar and behind for a goal kick. Mr Auld, who had a good game made easy by both sets of players, decided he had seen enough and blew for full time.

Whilst lacking the fluency of the previous weekend's win over reigning Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division champions East Kilbride FC Amateurs Saints can be well pleased with a hard fought victory over an improving FC Clydebank side who can now concentrate fully on their Central Scottish Amateur Football League Divsion 1A campaign.

Next up for Saints is a return to league business with a first ever trip to face Drumchapel Amateurs Colts.