Saints Edged Out In Five Goal Thriller

Saturday 9th September 2017
Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division
Oban Saints AFC 2 - 3 St Joseph's FP AFC
Glencruitten 2
Mossfield Avenue
Oban
Argyll
PA34 4EH
Kick Off 2pm
Referee Mr Peter Laing

Used substitutes:-

Myles McAuley
Fraser MacFarlane
Steven MacLeod

Unused substitutes:-

Bartosz Faron
Craig MacMillan
David Smith


Reigning Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division Champions St Joseph's extended their Glencruitten winning streak to four games in a five goal thriller last Saturday. Just as they had in their 4 - 2 win at William Street at the tail end of last season, Saints recovered from a two goal defecit to haul themselves back into contention however this time it was the Duntocher men who had the added desire to force the winner.

With Manager Alex Craik at a wedding Coaches Jamie Graham and Peter MacCallum and Secretary David Buchanan were in charge of team affairs. The instructions from the Gaffer were to stick closely to the previous week's winning line-up adding only the returning Scott Maitland and David McPhee. However a late call-off from Shaun MacIver meant an earlier than planned outing for recovering injury victim Paul Carmichael.

Graham Douglas lined-up in goal behind a back four of Matthew Kelly, Craig Campbell, David McPhee and Daniel Croarkin. Willie Gemmell, Keith Millar, Scott Maitland and Ally McKerracher formed a midfield diamond with Paul Carmichael and Captain Craig MacEwan in attack. On the bench Bartosz Faron, Fraser MacFarlane and David Smith were joined by returning long term injury victim Myles McAuley and new signing Steven MacLeod who rejoins the club after a lengthy absence.

Saints kicked off attacking the railway end but it was the visitors who looked hungrier giving the home side no time on the ball. Martin McComish's late challenge on Ally McKerracher gave Willie Gemmell an early chance to put the ball in the danger area but Willie's delivery was too long for Craig Campbell at the far post. McComish tested the patience of Referee Peter Laing again in the second minute with another heavy challenge on McKerracher with Mr Laing happy just to have a quiet word with McComish. Cameron Harkins tried his luck from thirty six yards after Keith Millar had chopped down Ryan Halpin but the St Joe's defender sent his effort high and wide of target.

Harkins was heavily involved in the seventh minute racing forward on the left and delivering a dangerous ball into the box which Willie Gemmell did well to cut out at the expense of a corner kick. Graham Douglas punched the Harkins out-swinger from the left out for a throw-in on the opposite flank. Saints switched off completely at the throw allowing Ally Graham to send a low ball across the face of goal, just out of reach for Ryan Halpin but invitingly for Harkins racing in at the back post. Fortunately for Saints the angle proved too tight for left peg of Harkins with his first time effort flying over the junction of post and crossbar.

Saints had the first effort on target in the ninth minute from the head of David McPhee. McPhee's central defensive partner Craig Campbell won an important interception midway inside the Saints half and launched the ball forward for Paul Carmichael who won a corner kick on the right. David McPhee beat Ryan Halpin to Willie Gemmell's delivery but his effort was straight at Sean Gibbons who made a comfortable save.

A fantastic block by Fraser Murray prevented Ally McKerracher from testing the keeper in the fifteenth minute after a good move on the right involving Matthew Kelly and Paul Carmichael. The same three linked up again three minutes later with McKerracher this time claiming that his shot was blocked by the hand of Kearn Docherty but Mr Laing dismissed the Saints appeals for a penalty kick.

Daniel McKenna clipped a decent effort over the crossbar before St Joseph's new signing from local rivals Goldenhill opened the scoring for the visitors. From a harmless looking ball from Craig Cameron deep inside his own half the Saints rearguard was opened up far too easily with McKenna running through to slot the ball past the hopelessly exposed Graham Douglas.

Saints launched an immediate response with Paul Carmichael beating Craig Cameron and Kieran O'Brien on the left and sending over a left foot cross from the bye-line which Sean Gibbons at full stretch prevented from reaching Ally McKerracher at the back post.

Referee Laing drew the ire of the Saints bench for an extremely tight offside call against Paul Carmichael in the twenty sixth minute before tame shot from Ally McKerracher sixty seconds later slipped harmlessly wide of target.

Graham Douglas came to the rescue in the twenty ninth minute throwing himself to his right to tip a Ryan Halpin shot round the post for a corner kick. Craig Campbell headed the delivery from Cameron Harkins to edge of the box from where the waiting Craig Cameron sent a shot wide. Before the restart Daniel Croarkin, who was suffering from stomach cramps, was replaced by Myles McAuley making his first appearance of the season. Myles took up a position on the left of the midfield diamond with Scott Maitland dropping back to fill the left-back role vacated by Croarkin.

A Craig Cameron foul on Craig MacEwan gave Willie Gemmell another dead ball opportunity but he failed to trouble Sean Gibbons from thirty yards as the visitors continued to hold the upper hand.

A better spell from Saints saw Sean Gibbons produce an excellent save at his near post to deny Craig MacEwan after Myles McAuley had flicked on a Paul Carmichael cross from the right.

From the goalkeeper's clearance St Joseph's immediately launched a counter-attack where Daniel McKenna somehow managed to hit the underside of the crossbar from four yards after Ryan Halpin's run and low cross from the left.

After surviving this scare Saints threatened again in the thirty eighth minute. From deep inside his own half on the left Myles McAuley linked up well with Craig MacEwan to send Ally McKerracher tearing towards the bye-line. Ally outpaced Craig Cameron to fire in a left foot cross which was inches beyond the outstretched boot of Paul Carmichael racing in at the far post.

Carmichael did connect with a McKerracher pass sixty seconds later but his shot from twenty yards was comfortably held by Sean Gibbons.

With five first half minutes remaining Saints Captain Craig MacEwan superbly chested down a high ball just inside the left touchline and was hauled back by his well beaten opposite number Craig Cameron. To the amazement of both sets of players Mr Laing penalised MacEwan for handball with the protests from the irate Saints players continuing for several minutes. Paul Carmichael's frustrations eventually boiled over in tine added on for stoppages earning him the first of Mr Laing's six yellow cards.

The second half began in disastrous fashion for Saints conceding a second goal just two minutes after the restart. Paul Carmichael won a free-kick on the edge of the St Joe's box which Cameron Harkins saw out for a goal kick. From Sean Gibbons' goal kick Harkins raced to the other end and delivered a cross from the left wing which Daniel McKenna headed back across goal for Ryan Halpin to dive in and head past Graham Douglas.

Sean Gibbons cut out a Willie Gemmell cross intended for Paul Carmichael before Graham Douglas matched the feat at the other end intercepting a Cameron Harkins cross at his near post ahead of Ryan Halpin.

Paul Carmichael's perseverance on the edge of the D created an opening for Craig MacEwan with the Saints skipper drawing a smart save from Sean Gibbons at his near post. Saints attempted to keep up the pressure from the resulting corner kick with Willie Gemmell's delivery from the left headed behind by Ryan Halpin for a second corner from the right which Sean Gibbons held under pressure from Craig MacEwan.

Saints hauled themselves back into contention in the fifty sixth minute when Craig MacEwan controlled a Willie Gemmell long ball wide on the right and picked out Paul Carmichael sliding in at the back post to poke the ball past Sean Gibbons.

The visitors almost immediately restored their two goal advantage with only the outstretched left foot of Graham Douglas denying Daniel McKenna from the restart.

On the hour mark St Joe's made their first change bringing on Connor Forrester to replace Cameron Harkins on the left. Forrester's first involvement was to flight over a free-kick after Craig Campbell had clipped Ryan Halpin's heels on the corner of the Saints box. Forrester's dangerous delivery was hooked clear by Scott Maitland at the back post.

Scott was involved at the other end firing wide at the end of swift counter attack involving Myles McAuley and Craig MacEwan after Paul Carmichael had tracked back and dispossessed a marauding run by Craig Cameron.

Ryan Halpin made way for Dominic O'Neill for the final twenty minutes at the start of which Ally Graham picked up a yellow card for a foul on Myles McAuley with the Saints man joining him in the book for a spot of afters. Saints also made a switch at this point with Fraser MacFarlane coming on in favour of the only partially fit Paul Carmichael.

With fifteen minutes remaining Ally McKerracher, who still looks a little short of full fitness, was replaced by Steven MacLeod but not before he became the fourth name in Mr Laing's notebook after coming off second best in a 50/50 with St Joe's goalkeeper Sean Gibbons. The change of personnel also brought another positional switch with Matthew Kelly moving into midfield and Steven MacLeod taking Matthew's right-back berth.

In his new advanced role Kelly had a big hand in Saints eightieth minute equaliser. Linking up well with Scott Maitland on the left, Kelly forced his way to the edge of the St Joe's box. The ball broke to Craig MacEwan in the box who produced an exquisite turn to escape the attentions of Craig Cameron and Fraser Murray and stroked the ball into the bottom corner past the left hand of Sean Gibbons.

St Joe's responded immediately with a shot across the face of goal from Dominic O'Neill which deflected wide for a corner. Keith Millar headed Daniel McKenna's corner kick clear but Saints couldn't make any headway and conceded a free-kick midway inside their own half. Graham Douglas came through a ruck of players to punch Connor Forrester's free-kick away however the ball fell kindly for Martin McComish who returned it with interest drawing another excellent save from the Saints number one diving full length to his right to tip the ball round the post. Craig Campbell headed the resulting corner kick clear as the under pressure Saints rearguard held firm.

St Joe's made an eighty third minute change with Stephen Dallas replacing Ally Graham in attack before Mr Laing made another controversial decision which this time benefited the home side. Keith Millar and Stephen Dallas had a coming together in the Saints box and, much to the relief of all in navy blue, the decision which could have gone either way was given in Millar's favour.

The sense of relief for Saints unfortunately evaporated after eighty eight minutes when Scott Smith was given too much time and space to carry the ball from midfield into the Saints box. The combined efforts of David McPhee and Steven MacLeod couldn't stop Smith from getting a left foot shot away which squirmed under the advancing Graham Douglas and nestled in the bottom corner much to the delight of the St Joe's contingent.

The visitors attempts to wind down the clock were brought into check by Mr Laing who brandished a yellow card in the direction of Martin McComish for time wasting before St Joe's made their final change replacing goalscorer Scott Smith with Gary McGroarty.    

Mr Laing allowed a full five minutes of stoppage time, during which time he booked Steven MacLeod for a push on Dominic O'Neill, but try as they might Saints were unable to threaten the St Joe's goal giving the visitors the full three points and a happy bus journey back to Duntocher.

Next up for Saints is a visit from Cambusnethan Talbot of the Strathclyde Saturday Morning Amateur Football League in the West of Scotland Cup.

Team Captains Craig MacEwan and Craig Cameron with Referee Peter Laing

Craig Cameron and Paul Carmichael aerial joust

Willie Gemmell and Daniel McKenna

Sean Gibbons saves David McPhee's header

Scott Maitland

Paul Carmichael and Kearn Docherty 

Sean Gibbons punches Willie Gemmell's corner away

Myles McAuley

Graham Douglas collects under pressure from Ryan Halpin

Graham Douglas and Ryan Halpin

Myles McAuley beats Kearn Docherty in the air

Sean Gibbons collects under pressure from Craig MacEwan

Paul Carmichael slides in to bring Saints back into contention

Saints legend Keith "Pele" MacCallum applauds Paul Carmichael's goal

Ally McKerracher takes on Martin McComish and Kieran O'Brien

Myles McAuley and Martin McComish

Craig MacEwan equalises for Saints

Craig MacEwan

Craig Campbell heads clear

Scott Smith strokes home the winner

A delighted group of St Joe's players celebrate the winning goal

Steven MacLeod and Dominic O'Neill

#monthesaints