Winning In The Rain: Stroll In The Park

Saturday 21st January 2017
Scottish Amateur Football League
Jimmy Marshall Trophy
Second Round Tie
Port Glasgow Old Boys Union AFC v Oban Saints AFC
Parklea Playing Fields
Greenock Road
Port Glasgow
PA14 6TR
Kick off 2pm
Referee Mr Jim McNeil

Saints Starting Line-up:-

Used Substitutes:-

Willie Gemmell
Ross Maitland
Dean Smith

Last Saturday at Parklea Saints began their defence of the Scottish Amateur Football League Jimmy Marshall Trophy in confident style against one of the stalwarts of the Scottish Amateur Football League Port Glasgow Old Boy's Union AFC. Port Glasgow OBU celebrated their 110th anniversary in 2016 which is a fantastic achievement, particularly in the current climate of long established clubs having to fold. True to their motto, Port Glasgow OBU have remained Sure and Steadfast throughout their history and have a long and happy association with the Scottish Amateur Football League. OBU have admirably chosen not to follow the well worn path to other leagues taken by many long standing SAFL member clubs including close neighbours Greenock High School Former Pupils and Gourock Athletic, electing instead to stay with the Scottish Amateur Football League and battle on in search of that elusive promotion to the Premier Division.

Line-up

Martin Bonar, Jamie Graham and Matthew Kelly dropped out from the squad named for the Argyll Derby win against Campbeltown Pupils with Dean Smith returning to make up a fourteen man travelling party. Ever present Thomas McCulloch continued in goal behind a back four of David McArthur, Skipper Marc Maccallum, Dene Cassells and Scott Maitland. Myles McAuley and Paul Kerr anchored the midfield with Donald Campbell just in front. Paul Carmichael spearheaded the attack flanked by Brian Mackay and Craig MacEwan. The experienced trio of Willie Gemmell, Ross Maitland and Dean Smith made up a very attack minded bench.

Stroll In The Park

The one mile stroll from the changing rooms at Parklea bowling club along the banks of the Clyde to the good sized grass park was a pleasant one made all the better when it revealed a good sized grass park bathed in January sunshine. The hosts kicked off but it was Saints who immediately gained possession with Craig MacEwan wining a free kick twenty three yards out and slightly left of centre. Donald Campbell took responsibility for the dead ball but sent a poor effort into the wall. Donald fared slightly better with the rebound getting his shot on target but with insufficient power to trouble Mark Turner in the OBU goal. Restored to the full back slot after a three match stint at centre half David McArthur was relishing the chance to get forward on the right wing and sent in a teasing cross in the fourth minute which Turner did well to pick out in the low sun ahead of Craig MacEwan. Donald Campbell had another dead ball opportunity in the fifth minute and lofted a good ball into the box however the low sun shining across the park made any high balls from the Saints right difficult to pick out and Paul Carmichael miscued his header high and wide. Carmichael followed this effort up with a strong run on the left supported by Myles McAuley. A sixteen yard shot from Myles was blocked with Craig MacEwan reacting first to the loose ball and curling an effort towards the postage stamp corner which Mark Turner got his fingertips to at the expense of a corner kick. There was again no joy from Donald Campbell's delivery from the right with the home defence comfortably clearing the danger. OBU ventured forward for the first time in the tenth minute with Skipper Iain McEwan getting away from Dene Cassells and sending in a shot from a tight angle which Thomas McCulloch could only parry across the face of his goal. Fortunately for Saints Skipper Marc Maccallum was alive to the danger getting back to mop up the loose ball ahead of lone OBU striker Kevin Franck. Saints raced to the other end and Scott Maitland had a low left foot shot blocked behind for a corner kick. Donald Campbell's in-swinger from the left was met by David McArthur on the six yard line who climbed well but couldn't direct his header on target sending it just wide of Mark Turner's left hand post. With only one striker to occupy the back four Saints full backs David McArthur and Scott Maitland were able to push forward at every opportunity. McArthur linked up well with Brian Mackay in the fourteenth minute to create a shooting chance for Mackay which cannoned off George McGowan and out for another corner kick from the right. Donald Campbell this time opted for a lower trajectory picking out David McArthur whose hook shot from nine yards hit Johnathon Archdeacon on the back and was hoofed clear. Myles McAuley had a run through the midfield halted unfairly by Jordan Axeworthy in the sixteenth minute. Paul Kerr took the free kick quickly rolling the ball to Craig MacEwan who fed Donald Campbell on the right hand corner of the box. Donald swung in a good cross looking for MacEwan's run but Craig's header, again made difficult by the low sun, looped wide of target. An almost identical cross from Donald two minutes later was met this time by the head of Paul Carmichael but with a similarly disappointing result. Saints made the breakthrough which their almost complete domination deserved in the nineteenth minute. Donald Campbell threaded a pass through the inside right channel for Brian Mackay who raced in behind the high OBU defensive line, around keeper Turner and squared to Paul Carmichael who slid in at the back post to poke the ball into the unguarded net. Saints doubled their advantage five minutes later when Paul Carmichael gave chase to a long diagonal ball from Dene Cassells beating Craig Hill in a foot race and picking out Donald Campbell who timed his run to the back post perfectly before calmly stroking home from six yards. The OBU defence claimed Donald had strayed offside however Referee Mr McNeil was not interested and turned down their appeals having words with Craig Hill. The sense of injustice continued from the home side and Jordan Axeworthy found his way into the Referee's note book for an over the ball challenge on Myles McAuley just inside the Saints half. Thankfully Myles sustained no damage and was able to link up with Scott Maitland from a throw-in on the left working his way into the box and shooting low to the near post forcing Mark Turner to save with his feet at the expense of a corner. McAuley was in the thick of the action again in the thirty eighth minute providing a cross from the left which Paul Carmichael volleyed home left footed for Saints third goal. Myles continued his purple patch creating an opportunity for Craig MacEwan in the thirty ninth minute whose low right foot shot grazed the outside of Mark Turner's left hand post on it's way wide. In the last action of the first half Craig MacEwan was clipped just outside of the OBU box and was inches away from connecting with Donald Campbell's free kick which also found it's way wide of Turner's left hand post.

Saints kicked off the second half and immediately resumed where they had left off. Craig MacEwan curled a right foot shot towards the postage stamp corner which Mark Turner at full stretch finger tipped behind for a corner kick. Donald Campbell's delivery from the corner flag was deep to the back post and was returned on the half volley by Brian Mackay whose shot across the face of the goal flew narrowly wide of the post. The early second half pressure from Saints bore fruit in the forty eighth minute when Craig MacEwan thumped a shot off the crossbar and had the presence of mind to gather the rebound, trick his way past two defenders and roll the ball past the OBU keeper from ten yards. There was to be no respite for the home defence as straight from the re-start Craig MacEwan and Paul Carmichael burst through again. Paul's shot was blocked by Mark Turner but Craig was on the spot to curl the loose ball high into the net for Saints fifth goal. Full credit to the home side who despite being well beaten all over the park never gave up or resorted to violent tactics. Their commitment to the cause was almost rewarded in the fifty first minute when for once they got the better of Saints solid midfield and defence to create an opening for Iain McEwan. The OBU Skipper sent a shot across Thomas McCulloch who had to throw out a strong left hand to turn the ball round the post. Saints rounded off a rampant fifteen minutes with a Myles McAuley shot just wide of target before the on fire Craig MacEwan sealed his hat-trick volleying home a Scott Maitland cross from the left. Tormentor in chief MacEwan declared on three and was replaced by Ross Maitland on the hour mark with Willie Gemmell and Dean Smith also joining the action to replace Paul Kerr and Brian Mackay respectively. Dene Cassells made a mazy run out from the back in the sixty second minute which was halted unfairly twenty eight yards from goal by the combined efforts of George McGowan and Peter Williamson. So often deadly from that range Willie Gemmell unfortunately sent the free kick crashing into the four man OBU wall. A long ball over the top in the sixty fifth minute caught out the otherwise untroubled Saints central defensive pairing of Marc Maccallum and Dene Cassells. Dene gave chase to Jordan Axeworthy fouling the OBU midfielder in the process. The free kick gave the home side the chance to test Thomas McCulloch but the uneventful afternoon continued for the big Saints keeper when Axeworthy's shot trundled harmlessly wide of his left hand post. As the sun disappeared from the sky both the temperature and the pace of the game dropped. Dene Cassells continued to push forward and combined with Ross Maitland to set up Willie Gemmell for a shot from distance which flew wide of Mark Turner's left hand post. In the seventy first minute a good pass on the right from David McArthur sent Paul Carmichael racing up the touchline. A terrific cross on the run from Paul was met at the near post by a diving header from Dean Smith on the six yard line which Dean was disappointed to see go well wide. Mr McNeil produced the second card of a quiet afternoon for him in the seventy third minute taking the name of Michael Hepburn for kicking the ball away after a push on Paul Carmichael resulted in a Saints free kick. From Willie Gemmell's delivery into the box Paul Carmichael attempted an overhead kick which unfortunately he couldn't connect well enough with skying his spectacular effort over the crossbar. Mark Turner produced three good saves in quick succession to deny Ross Maitland twice and then Dean Smith at the near post at the expense of a corner kick. The frustration continued for Dean in the seventy ninth minute when he was just behind a tempting cross from the right from David McArthur. Dean's desperation for a goal led him to snatch a twenty two yard shot high and wide when a pass to Ross Maitland looked a far better option. Paul Carmichael repeated the feat just one minute later to take the missed chances tally comfortably beyond those successfully converted. There was still time for Mark Turner to produce two more saves firstly leaping high to his left to claw away a Dene Cassells shot and then a considerably more routine stop from a weak Donald Campbell effort. Turner's saves and Saints wayward finishing ensured no further scoring with the six nil win sending Saints through to the third round where they will face a trip to either Arkleston United or Shawlands F.P.