Winning In The Rain: No' 'Well

Saturday 8th April 2017
Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division
Oban Saints AFC 2 - 3 Motherwell Thistle AFC
Glencruitten 2
Mossfield Avenue
Oban
Argyll
PA34 4EH
Kick Off 2pm
Referee Mr Matthew Dickinson

Used Substitutes:-

Martin Bonar
Matthew Kelly
Kerr Newbigging
Dean Smith

Last Saturday Saints warmed up for their impending Scottish Amateur Cup semi-final against Colville Park when they welcomed first time visitors Motherwell Thistle to Glencruitten. With rivals East Kilbride FC Amateurs and Goldenhill slipping up elsewhere Saints had an ideal opportunity to make up ground in the Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division title race. However Saints Scottish Amateur Cup form sadly deserted them tamely surrendering the points to their visitors and giving them a massive boost in their battle to avoid relegation to Premier Division One.

Craig MacEwan and Willie Gemmell were unavailable as was the injured Paul Kerr so it was a welcome sight for Manager Alex Craik when Matthew Kelly reported fit for duty after shaking off his recent ankle injury. Elsewhere the Gaffer sprung a surprise by giving Scott Maitland an attacking role alongside Donald Campbell and Ross Maitland. Scott's usual left back berth was filled by Jamie Graham with David McArthur, Skipper Marc Maccallum and Dene Cassells making up the rest of the back four in front of keeper Thomas McCulloch. The three man midfield of Brian Mackay, Myles McAuley and Paul Carmichael completed the starting line-up. The returning Kelly joined Martin Bonar, Kerr Newbigging and Dean Smith on the bench.

Saints started well and were rewarded for their early endeavours in the sixth minute. A deep David McArthur free-kick from the half-way line was headed out to the Saints left by Thistle Skipper Stuart Hunter. Donald Campbell picked up the loose ball and drove into the box chased by William McMaster. Donald's chipped left foot cross from just short of the bye-line took a deflection off McMaster which sent it spinning away from Paul Aiton in the Thistle goal and into the net giving Saints the lead.

The visitors responded with a first foray into the Saints half where Colin Gillies made good ground wide on the right and picked out James Faughnan in the middle who hooked a first time effort over Thomas McCulloch's crossbar.

Saints continued to move the ball around well and, after a brief stoppage for some treatment to the injured right ankle of Thistle full-back David Knight, forced two good openings in quick succession. Ross Maitland steered a right foot effort from eighteen yards towards the bottom corner but without the power necessary to seriously trouble Paul Aiton. Shortly afterwards the keeper was beaten down to his left when Scott Maitland latched onto a Donald Campbell lay-off unfortunately Scott's well struck shot shaved the outside of the post.

Saints good early work was undone in the thirteenth minute when, seemingly under no pressure, goalkeeper Thomas McCulloch misplaced a hurried pass from the edge of his box straight to the feet of Thistle striker Mark Begg who gleefully curled the ball past Thomas and into the empty net.

Worryingly the setback severely jolted Saints confidence with passes no longer finding their man and Thistle's good pressing making life extremely difficult for the Saints midfield. Despite this Saints can count themselves extremely unfortunate to be denied a goal scoring opportunity by a bad offside decision from Referee Mr Dickinson. Ross Maitland's fifteenth minute ball over the top sent Donald Campbell spinning in behind the Thistle defence and in on goal. Donald's run appeared to be perfectly timed however Mr Dickinson, without the benefit of an assistant, blew for offside much to the frustration of the Saints bench.

Paul Carmichael's perseverance on the left won a nineteenth minute corner which Ross Maitland whipped in right footed looking for Donald Campbell on the six yard line. Donald beat Christopher McEwan in the air and flicked on to Paul Carmichael who couldn't get the necessary purchase on his header and sent his effort from four yards wide of target.

Thomas McCulloch went some way towards redeeming his previous error when he produced a good save in the twenty first minute to deny Thistle striker James Faughnan. Christopher McEwan and Saaf El Zubaidi opened up Saints on the Thistle left with McCulloch doing well to narrow the angle on Faughnan and hold his crisply struck shot.

In an attempt to introduce some much needed craft to the midfield Manager Alex Craik swapped Donald Campbell and Paul Carmichael. The change briefly gave Saints some fresh impetus with Paul Aiton producing a good save to his left to hold a Donald Campbell shot after an overlapping run and cross from Jamie Graham on the left.

A heavy challenge on Paul Carmichael by James Gibbons gave Saints a dead ball opportunity twenty five yards out and slightly left of centre. Ross Maitland rolled the ball short to Donald Campbell who sent a good effort just wide of Paul Aiton's left hand post.

Another heavy challenge on Carmichael this time by Stuart Hunter earned Saints another free-kick. Ross Maitland lofted the ball from wide on the right level with the eighteen yard line into the box looking for the head of Paul Carmichael. Stuart Hunter headed the ball out wide where Brian Mackay chased the ball winning another free-kick when fouled by David Knight. Donald Campbell rolled the ball to Ross Maitland who, from the corner of the eighteen yard box, shot well over the crossbar.

The visitors capitalised on a bizarre free-kick award by Referee Dickinson on the right touchline midway inside the Saints half. Still complaining about the decision Saints missed several chances to clear with Colin Gillies eventually forcing his way into the box via a lucky break off Dene Cassells. With only the keeper to beat Gillies curled a delightful left foot finish past Thomas McCulloch's right hand and into the net to give Thistle a thirty sixth minute lead.

Saints rallied briefly after this second cheaply conceded goal with Donald Campbell making a good run into the box to meet a deep Scott Maitland cross from the right on the penalty spot. Donald climbed well to out-jump James Gibbons but sent his header inches wide of Paul Aiton's left hand post.

With five first half minutes remaining Paul Aiton produced the save of the match to deny Donald Campbell. Jamie Graham made a good run on the left and cut back to Donald who controlled on his right foot and from twelve yards fired a left foot shot towards the postage stamp corner which Aiton at full stretch finger tipped over his crossbar. Saints kept the pressure on from the corner kick which David McArthur headed down into a dangerous area. Stuart Hunter was first to react clearing the ball to the edge of the box where James Gibbons clattered into the back of Dene Cassells at the expense of another free-kick. Donald Campbell again tried to test Aiton but sent a tame effort straight at the Thistle keeper who despite fumbling recovered in time to gather at the second attempt ahead of Paul Carmichael and David McArthur.

An error strewn first half from Saints ended with another misplaced pass being collected by Colin Gillies who cut in from the right and curled an effort from twenty five yards over the crossbar.

Attacking the Mossfield end in the second half Saints looked eager to put a poor first half behind them and started brightly. Paul Carmichael cut in from the left and curled a forty seventh minute shot just over the junction of post and bar. Three minutes later Carmichael forced a corner on the left which Donald Campbell sent into the six yard box. Paul Aiton punched clear but only as far as David McArthur on the eighteen yard line who fired a shot through a ruck of players but just over the crossbar.

Saints came forward again on the right in the fifty first minute with Scott Maitland and David McArthur combing to win a throw-in. David took the throw and picked out Scott with his back to goal sixteen yards out. Scott's overhead kick brought another fine save from Paul Aiton diving to his left to clutch Scott's spectacular effort.

Aiton quickly launched the ball upfield where Christopher McEwan beat David McArthur rather too easily on the corner of the Saints eighteen yard box. McEwan made for the bye-line pursued by McArthur and cut back for the unmarked Mark Begg whose good left foot finish made it 3 - 1 for the visitors.

Trying to find some inspiration for his shell shocked troops Manager Alex Craik turned to his bench sending on Matthew Kelly and Dean Smith to replace Jamie Graham and Ross Maitland. While Saints were adjusting to the positional changes Thistle sent another ball over the top where Marc Maccallum had to make a vital interception to deny second half substitute Antony Mitchell.

On the hour mark a driving run by Myles McAuley opened up a shooting opportunity for the Saints midfielder. Thistle Captain Stuart Hunter blocked McAuley's shot with his chest and then brought down Myles down on the edge of the D before he could get another shot away. Donald Campbell once again took responsibility for the dead ball but couldn't find a way past the four man Thistle wall.

Saints forced their way back into the match in the sixty fifth minute when Matthew Kelly and Dean Smith linked up to create an opening for Paul Carmichael. Matthew closed down and dispossessed second half substitute Daniel Young on the half-way line and raced forward on the right. Matthew picked out Dean Smith's run into the box but the retreating Thistle defence prevented Dean from getting a shot away. Instead he found Paul Carmichael eight yards out who turned and lashed a right foot shot into the postage stamp corner giving Paul Aiton in the Thistle goal no chance.

Manager Alex Craik made his final changes before the restart replacing David McArthur and Myles McAuley with Martin Bonar and Kerr Newbigging. Matthew Kelly and Martin Bonar combined well on the right in the sixty ninth minute but from the corner of the eighteen yard line Martin took on a difficult shot which curled high over the crossbar when a cross to Paul Carmichael at the back post looked to be the better option.

Saints kept pressing forward but without the guile to unlock the stubborn Thistle defence. Two corners in quick succession from the Saints left were dropped into the six yard box by Donald Campbell but keeper Paul Aiton showed excellent handling under pressure to take the heat off his defence.

Saints had the ball in the net again in the eighty third minute when Paul Carmichael turned home a Dean Smith through ball but Mr Dickinson correctly ruled Paul to be in an offside position. A lengthy stoppage followed for treatment to Thistle full-back David Knight which contributed to the five additional minutes allowed by Mr Dickinson. Knight recovered sufficiently enough to continue and promptly picked up the only yellow card of the match for clattering into Marc Maccallum on the half-way line.

In the first of the added minutes Colin Gillies cleared a Donald Campbell shot off his own goal-line after a Matthew Kelly corner from the Saints right. This turned out to be Saints last chance of a disappointing afternoon as Motherwell Thistle played out the final minutes in relative comfort to claim the points doing their survival hopes no harm at all. Full credit to Thistle who worked hard all afternoon and took their chances well to run out deserved winners.

Saints must now lift themselves for their biggest match of the season this coming Saturday when they travel to New Douglas Park Hamilton to face the might of Colville Park in the Scottish Amateur Cup semi-final.