Winning In The Rain: Into The Long Grass

Wednesday 31st May 2017
Scottish Amateur Football League
Premier Division
St Joseph's FP AFC 2 - 4 Oban Saints AFC
William Street
Duntocher
Clydebank
G81 6DF
Kick off 7pm
Referee Mr John McQuilter

Oban Saints starting line-up:-

Used substitutes:-

Matthew Kelly
Fraser MacFarlane
Daniel Croarkin

Unused substitute:-

Alex Craik

Oban Saints made their penultimate away trip of a long and arduous season last Wednesday evening when they traveled to Duntocher to face Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division Champions St Joseph's FP. Saints returned home with an excellent 4 - 2 win under their belts which will go a long way to repairing the pride so severely dented after the previous Friday night's surprise Jimmy Marshall Trophy Final defeat to Easthall Star. Worthy champions St Joe's had dropped just five league points all season and went into their final fixture of the season unbeaten in the league since their opening day defeat to close neighbours Goldenhill. The Duntocher men who recently crowned a very successful first season in charge for new Management team Ajie McCall and Gary McGroarty with the capture of the Centenary Cup would have been desperate to notch home and away victories over their old rivals however it was Saints who showed steely determination to fight back from two goals down and claim a deserved victory.

Manager Alex Craik saw Thomas McCulloch, Myles McAuley, Paul Carmichael, Kerr Newbigging and Dean Smith drop out from the previous Friday's squad with Graham Douglas, Daniel Croarkin and the Gaffer himself coming in as more than capable replacements.

Saints lined up with Graham Douglas in goal behind a back four of Jamie Graham, Marc Maccallum, Dene Cassells and Scott Maitland. David McArthur anchored a midfield diamond with Donald Campbell at it's point and Brian Mackay and Willie Gemmell on either side. Up front were Craig MacEwan and Captain for the evening Ross Maitland. The substitutes bench consisted of Alex Craik, Matthew Kelly, Fraser MacFarlane and fit again after a long spell on the sidelines Daniel Croarkin.

Hosts St Joseph's FP kicked off on a poor William Street surface which West Dunbartonshire Council had forgotten to cut and line making for a difficult evening for both sets of players and Referee John McQuilter. A diagonal ball over the top from left sided midfielder Cameron Harkins gave the Saints defence it's first test which Dene Cassells answered well matching the run of striker Gregor Cree to cut out the danger.

Saints first attempt on goal came in the sixth minute from a Willie Gemmell throw-in on the left which Craig MacEwan back headed inches wide of the base of the keeper's left hand post.

A quickly taken St Joe's free-kick after Marc Maccallum had been penalised for a foul on old adversary Ryan Halpin sent Kieran O'Brien tearing through the middle. David McArthur matched the right sided midfield man's run stride for stride doing just enough to hold him up and allow Graham Douglas to come out to the edge of his box and collect.

The early sparring continued with both sides having efforts just off target within a minute of each other. Martin McComish chipped a twelfth minute left foot effort from twenty five yards just over the crossbar before Willie Gemmell responded in kind at the other end with a volley from a diagonal ball from Brian Mackay. The excellent pass from Mackay and Gemmell's well timed run and unlucky first time strike inches over the crossbar were deserving of a better end result.

The unpredictable surface almost caught out Saints keeper Graham Douglas in the sixteenth minute when trying to deal with routine pass-back. "Sugar" couldn't get the ball under control quickly enough and was quickly closed down by Ryan Halpin who charged down the attempted clearance. Fortunately the ball spun away from goal allowing a rather relieved Douglas to safely gather.

Jamie Graham's refusal to give up on what looked like an over hit nineteenth minute David McArthur pass on the right set up Captain Ross Maitland who beat Fraser Murray before sending in a disappointing cross which was cut out by Kieran Boyce with Donald Campbell and Craig MacEwan waiting in the middle.

Ross fared better on the left sixty seconds later with a good turn to get away from Craig Cameron and a snap shot inches wide of keeper Sean Gibbons' right hand post.

After a scrappy spell littered with misplaced passes from both sides the game burst back into life with Fraser Murray making a vital interception to prevent Craig MacEwan making contact with a Ross Maitland cross from the right. The hosts immediately broke up field where Dene Cassells covered well to see Ryan Halpin's spinning run in behind out for a corner kick. The in-swinger from Cameron Harkins was too high for Craig Cameron at the back post allowing David McArthur to launch a counter attack ending with a good turn and left foot shot from Craig MacEwan which Sean Gibbons did well to hold.

The deadlock was broken in the twenty ninth minute when Saints gave too much space to St Joe's marauding right back Craig Cameron. Cutting inside Scott Maitland, Cameron sent a low cross along the six yard which Gregor Cree gratefully tucked away at the back post.

Saints responded well to the set-back and came within inches of an equaliser just two minutes later. Ross Maitland won a throw-in on the right level with the eighteen yard line which, instead of the anticipated long throw, Willie Gemmell took short to Brian Mackay. Brian's return ball was whipped in at pace by Willie to the back post where Craig MacEwan got in front of Craig Cameron to flash a header inches wide of Sean Gibbons' right hand post.

Craig Cameron's eager running on the right caused further problems for the Saints defence in the thirty fifth minute with the visitors relieved to see him over-run the bye-line with Gregor Cree and Ryan Halpin racing into the box for the cut-back.

The remainder of the fairly even first half passed by without significant incident leaving Saints feeling slightly disappointed to be behind.

Saints kicked off the second half playing down the gentle William Street slope and were quickly on the attack with Jamie Graham making good progress on the right and Donald Campbell blazing a David McArthur cut-back over the crossbar from eighteen yards.

Disaster struck for Saints after just four second half minutes when Graham Douglas dallied too long on a Dene Cassells pass back and was robbed by Ryan Halpin just inside the eighteen yard box who then had the simplest of tasks to roll the ball into the unguarded net doubling the host's advantage.

Saints were understandably unsettled by this latest set-back and were almost undone again when Kieran O'Brien closed down Scott Maitland deep in his own half with the loose ball breaking to Martin McComish on the edge of the 'D'. The shot from McComish wasn't particularly well struck taking a wicked bounce on the six yard line which severely tested the reactions of Saints keeper Douglas who did well to shovel the ball wide of his right hand post for a corner kick.

Saints defended the corner kick well with Marc Maccallum winning the header and Willie Gemmell thumping the loose ball clear. Referee Mr Quilter, who handled the keenly contested but
sporting contest well, issued the only cautions of the match to Dene Cassells and Christopher Scouler for a spot of afters.

Saints hauled themselves back into the match in spectacular fashion in the fifty eighth minute from a sweetly struck Scott Maitland thirty yard effort which arrowed into the roof of the net giving Sean Gibbons no chance.

After sixty minutes Marc Maccallum made way for Matthew Kelly who took up his accustomed right back position with Jamie Graham moving into the middle to fill the space vacated by the departing Maccallum.

It was very much game-on in the sixty second minute when a neatly threaded David McArthur pass picked out Donald Campbell's run from midfield. With the home defence caught square Donald raced through the middle and passed the ball precisely into the bottom corner past the left hand of Sean Gibbons.

Two minutes later a hopeful straight ball over the top from St Joe's which, given what had happened earlier, might have given the Saints defence reason for concern was comfortably dealt with when Graham Douglas came decisively out of his box to thump clear and settle any nerves.

Saints completed the turnaround in the sixty seventh minute from another Graham Douglas clearance. Craig MacEwan held off the attentions of Craig Cameron on the Saints left and played the ball infield to Donald Campbell. Donald's perfectly weighted pass sat up invitingly for Brian Mackay to stroke the ball into the bottom corner just out of reach of the advancing Sean Gibbons.

Manager Alex Craik added some fresh legs in the sixty ninth minute when Ross Maitland made way for Fraser MacFarlane.

A terrific cross-field pass from Donald Campbell in the seventy first minute saw Saints come within a post's width of adding a fourth when Brian Mackay hit the outside of Sean Gibbons' left hand post after pulling down Donald's pass from wide on the Saints left.

St Joe's were unbeaten in seventeen home league and cup fixtures and were in no mood to meekly surrender this proud record to their old rivals however the Saints defence stood firm keeping the hosts at a safe distance for the most part.

When St Joe's did threaten in the eightieth minute Dene Cassells made a good block to stop Kieran O'Brien with the ball breaking out to the left from where Cameron Harkins delivered a good cross which Ryan Halpin headed just wide of the Sugar's left hand post.

Willie Gemmell turned the clock back several years with an eighty sixth minute lung bursting run for a Fraser MacFarlane pass which Kieran O'Brien read well to beat Willie and turn out for a throw-in. Willie took the throw-in quickly to Craig MacEwan who turned away from Kieran Boyce and raced into the box sending a cut-back to Brian Mackay who fired a first time effort wide of Sean Gibbons' right hand post.

Mackay was however not to be denied his second goal of the evening with Craig MacEwan and Willie Gemmell again both heavily involved in the build-up. Willie's eighty eighth minute ball up the left for Craig MacEwan saw Saints top scorer turn provider tricking his way past Kearn Docherty and clipping the ball over Sean Gibbons and Martin McComish in the six yard box for Brian Mackay to side foot home at the back post.

Daniel Croarkin came on to replace Donald Campbell for the closing stages making his first appearance since recovering from a long term injury. Saints comfortably saw out the three additional minutes allowed by Mr McQuilter to seal a deserved victory over this season's league champions.

Saints make their final away trip of the season this Saturday when they head to the tail o' the bank to face Inverclyde at Rankin Park, Greenock.