Saturday 30th September 2017
The Scottish Amateur Football Association Challenge Cup Competition
The Scottish Amateur Football Association Challenge Cup Competition
2nd Round Tie
Oban Saints AFC 6 - 0 Plains AFC
Glencruitten 2
Mossfield Avenue
Oban
Argyll PA34 4EH
Kick off 2.00pm
Referee Mr Peter Kerr
Oban Saints starting line-up:-
Used substitutes:-
Paul Carmichael
Daniel Croarkin
Steven MacLeod
Craig MacMillan
David Smith
Resplendent in their new red white and blue kit kindly sponsored by D&K Lafferty Contractors, to whom the club are grateful for their continued support, Oban Saints eased into the third round of the Scottish Amateur Cup with an ultimately comfortable win over Plains at Glencruitten last Saturday afternoon.
Despite the 6 - 0 final scoreline it was far from plain sailing at times against the Strathclyde Saturday Morning men who played some decent football but lacked the cutting edge to seriously trouble the home defence.
Saints Manager Alex Craik made just one change to the starting eleven which put nine past Cambusnethan Talbot in their last outing with Donald Campbell starting in favour of the injured Shaun MacIver. Paul Carmichael also returned to take a place on the substitutes bench alongside Daniel Croarkin, Steven MacLeod, Craig MacMillan and David Smith.
Saints lined up with Graham Douglas in goal behind a back four of Matthew Kelly, David McPhee, Craig Campbell and Scott Maitland. The midfield engine room comprised Keith Millar, Willie Gemmell and Myles McAuley with Fraser MacFarlane, Craig MacEwan and Donald Campbell in attack.
Attacking the railway end in the first half Donald Campbell got the match underway for Saints who started slowly allowing the visitors to dictate the early play.
Plains were first to threaten in the third minute when Johnny Mitchell was given time and space in the middle of the park to pick out Stephen McGowan cutting in from the left wing. Taking one touch to control the ball, McGowan's left foot effort fizzed wide of the right hand post of Graham "Sugar" Douglas in the Saints goal.
The North Lanarkshire men continued their early promise with a good spell of pressure which saw Jamie Brogan slice a right foot shot wide in the eleventh minute. Sixty seconds later Craig Campbell had to look lively to snuff out the danger sliding in on Mark Fitzpatrick to turn the ball behind for a corner kick when the Plains striker burst into the Saints box. From the corner kick on the Plains right Jamie Brogan squandered a terrific opportunity for the visitors sending a free header from eight yards over the Saints crossbar.
It took seventeen minutes for Saints to muster their first attempt on goal which came from a swift counter attack. Referee Peter Kerr ruled Fraser MacFarlane offside midway inside the Plains half but Saints easily repelled the long free-kick with Willie Gemmell turning defence into attack with a measured pass through the inside right channel for Donald Campbell. Donald raced towards the box with Jamie Brogan and Anthony Hynds in pursuit and tried to beat Darren Hunter with an early shot from seventeen yards. The big keeper got down well to his left to hold Donald's shot on the six yard line with Craig MacEwan waiting to pounce on any handling errors.
An excellent twentieth minute take on the left touchline by Craig MacEwan from a Willie Gemmell diagonal pass unfortunately wasn't matched by his cross for Donald Campbell coming in at the back post which was too close to Darren Hunter.
Fraser MacFarlane succeeded where Donald Campbell had earlier failed beating Hunter at his near post to break the deadlock in the twenty second minute after Donald and Craig MacEwan had linked up to send Fraser in behind the Plains back three.
Donald Campbell worked the ball quickly from right to left in the twenty sixth minute from a Matthew Kelly throw-in. Craig MacEwan picked out Scott Maitland's overlapping run with the Saints left back passing up a good shooting opportunity electing instead to look for Donald Campbell at the back post but sending his cross tamely into the grateful arms of Darren Hunter.
From Hunter's clearance the visitors raced straight up the park where David Hunter sliced a right foot shot from eighteen yards wide of target.
The Plains striker was off target again in the twenty ninth minute after picking up a loose ball in front of the Saints back four, this time sending his shot from twenty five yards wide of Sugar's right hand post.
An ongoing war of words between Craig MacEwan and Anthony Hynds eventually snapped the patience of Referee Kerr in the thirty third minute who issued yellow cards to both with Donald Campbell and the impressive Plains midfielder Anthony Traynor also spoken to as tempers briefly threatened to boil over.
Unable to find a way through the solid looking Saints back four of Matthew Kelly, David McPhee, Craig Campbell and Scott Maitland, Plains continued to try their luck from distance. Mark Fitzpatrick finally landed an effort on target for the visitors which Graham Douglas held comfortably before Jamie Brogan continued the usual trend with a curling left foot shot wide of Sugar's right hand post.
The Saints front three linked up perfectly from a thirty eighth minute Scott Maitland throw-in from the left. Fraser MacFarlane controlled well and sent Craig MacEwan racing into the box from where Craig held off the challenge of Anthony Hynds to pick out Donald Campbell in the middle. Donald's first touch took him past Paul Deighan and Jordan Dobbie and left him one-on-one with Darren Hunter whom he beat easily low down to his left from eight yards to double the advantage.
Donald Campbell was through again sixty seconds later only for Mr Kerr to stop him in his tracks with an extremely tight offside decision in favour of the visitors.
There was no suggestion of offside in the forty third minute when Willie Gemmell sent Donald through the inside left channel. With only the keeper to beat Donald tried for a chip into the postage stamp corner which he miscued badly sending his effort well wide of target.
There was chances at both ends in the opening minutes of the second half. From the restart Daniel Fitzpatrick was allowed to drive into the Saints box where only a perfectly timed sliding interception from Willie Gemmell denied the Plains right sided midfielder a sight of goal. There was more frustration for the Saints management as David Hunter was left unmarked at the back post from the resulting corner kick. Fortunately Hunter's header back across the danger area was picked up by Myles McAuley who immediately launched a counter attack. Myles picked out Craig MacEwan lurking wide on the left and just inside the Saints half from where last season's top scorer raced into the Plains box. With Anthony Hynds and Paul Deighan in pursuit MacEwan was foiled by Darren Hunter at his near post and, with luck on the side of the keeper, the loose ball broke behind Fraser MacFarlane in the middle denying him a tap-in.
Daniel Fitzpatrick forced his way into the Saints box once again in the forty seventh minute this time flashing a shot across the face of goal and wide of Sugar's right hand post.
Any chance that Plains had of forcing their way back into contention was extinguished in the forty eighth minute when Jamie Brogan received a straight red card for a high challenge on Fraser MacFarlane on the half-way line.
Donald Campbell drew another save from Darren Hunter before, clearly struggling after the earlier heavy challenge, Fraser MacFarlane made way for Paul Carmichael in the fifty sixth minute. Plains also made a change bringing on Aaron Shaw to replace David Hunter.
Saints looked to hit Plains with another counter attack on the left in the fifty seventh minute after Craig Campbell had headed clear a deep free-kick. Scott Maitland had his progress halted unceremoniously by Mark Fitzpatrick who, for his troubles, found his way into Mr Kerr's notebook.
Two minutes after joining the action Paul Carmichael added his name to the score sheet from a Donald Campbell assist. Saints carved open the Plains defence on the left once again with Campbell unselfishly squaring to Carmichael for a simple tap-in from six yards.
A momentary lapse in concentration almost cost the Saints defence their clean sheet on the hour mark. From a throw-in level with their own eighteen yard line Matthew Kelly and Graham Douglas got in a fankle on the corner of the box with Sugar thankfully managing to stick out a leg to send the ball away from Daniel Fitzpatrick and behind for a corner kick. Willie Gemmell could only head the delivery from the left out as far as the eighteen yard line from where Aaron Shaw fired a first time effort wide of target.
Donald Campbell and Paul Carmichael almost combined again in the sixty second minute when Donald's cross from the left was taken off Paul's head by Darren Hunter at his near post. This was to prove just a brief stay of execution as two minutes later Scott Maitland added a fourth with an excellent individual effort. Picking up the ball inside his own half, Scott cut through the heart of the Plains defence and buried a low right foot shot past Darren Hunter's right hand.
Plains replaced Daniel Fitzpatrick with Thomas Quigley before Myles McAuley brought a sixty sixth minute save from Darren Hunter after forcing his way through from midfield.
Saints Manager Alex Craik made a double substitution with twenty minutes remaining replacing injured pair Craig MacEwan and Keith Millar with David Smith and Craig MacMillan. Young Craig slotted in at left-back with Scott Maitland moving into midfield where he was joined by Smith.
In the seventy third minute Donald Campbell came within inches of finding the net direct from the corner flag. Paul Deighan headed a Paul Carmichael cross from the right behind for a corner kick on the Saints left. Donald's in-swinging delivery cleared the heads of David Smith and Mark Fitzpatrick landing just in front of the goal line and bouncing inches wide of Darren Hunter's left hand post.
Aaron Shaw sent a seventy fourth minute free-kick high and wide of target after Referee Kerr had penalised Matthew Kelly for a late challenge on Mark Fitzpatrick before Alex Craik made his final changes. Willie Gemmell and David McPhee were withdrawn in favour of Daniel Croarkin and Steven MacLeod. Steven was a straight replacement for David alongside Craig Campbell in the middle of the back four while Daniel took up the right-back berth with Matthew Kelly moving into midfield.
Donald Campbell picked up an unnecessary yellow card for arguing with Mr Kerr after he had given a free-kick against Craig Campbell. Saints defended the free-kick well with Craig MacMillan beating Thomas Quigley in the air allowing Myles McAuley to launch another counter attack where Paul Deighan made a vital interception to clear Donald Campbell's cut-back intended for Paul Carmichael.
Saints notched their fifth goal with ten minutes remaining when Donald Campbell latched onto a Matthew Kelly through ball to slot past Darren Hunter from ten yards.
To their credit the visitors kept plugging away and were almost through after the restart when second half substitute David Burns got the better of Daniel Croarkin on the left only for the Saints youngster to make an excellent recovery tackle inside the Saints box at the expense of a corner kick.
Jordan Dobbie produced an equally vital interception at the other end stooping to head the ball off Donald Campbell's toe after a dazzling run from Scott Maitland and right wing cross from Matthew Kelly. The Plains defence cleared the resulting corner with Daniel Croarkin finding his way into Mr Kerr's notebook for a tackle from behind on David Burns.
Mark Fitzpatrick had one final attempt for the visitors in the eighty seventh minute which Graham Douglas held comfortably before Donald Campbell rounded off the scoring two minutes later. Scott Maitland's running from midfield created the opening which Donald eagerly gobbled up lifting the ball from twelve yards over the head of the stranded Darren Hunter to claim his second successive hat-trick since returning from injury.
There was barely any time left on the Referee's watch with Mr Kerr, who handled proceedings well, blowing for full time shortly after the restart sending Saints through to Tuesday's third round draw.
Saints have no fixture next week but will hit the road on Saturday 14th October for their West of Scotland Amateur Cup third round tie against Braehead.
Oban Saints AFC 6 - 0 Plains AFC
Glencruitten 2
Mossfield Avenue
Oban
Argyll PA34 4EH
Kick off 2.00pm
Referee Mr Peter Kerr
Oban Saints starting line-up:-
Used substitutes:-
Paul Carmichael
Daniel Croarkin
Steven MacLeod
Craig MacMillan
David Smith
Resplendent in their new red white and blue kit kindly sponsored by D&K Lafferty Contractors, to whom the club are grateful for their continued support, Oban Saints eased into the third round of the Scottish Amateur Cup with an ultimately comfortable win over Plains at Glencruitten last Saturday afternoon.
Despite the 6 - 0 final scoreline it was far from plain sailing at times against the Strathclyde Saturday Morning men who played some decent football but lacked the cutting edge to seriously trouble the home defence.
Saints Manager Alex Craik made just one change to the starting eleven which put nine past Cambusnethan Talbot in their last outing with Donald Campbell starting in favour of the injured Shaun MacIver. Paul Carmichael also returned to take a place on the substitutes bench alongside Daniel Croarkin, Steven MacLeod, Craig MacMillan and David Smith.
Saints lined up with Graham Douglas in goal behind a back four of Matthew Kelly, David McPhee, Craig Campbell and Scott Maitland. The midfield engine room comprised Keith Millar, Willie Gemmell and Myles McAuley with Fraser MacFarlane, Craig MacEwan and Donald Campbell in attack.
Attacking the railway end in the first half Donald Campbell got the match underway for Saints who started slowly allowing the visitors to dictate the early play.
Plains were first to threaten in the third minute when Johnny Mitchell was given time and space in the middle of the park to pick out Stephen McGowan cutting in from the left wing. Taking one touch to control the ball, McGowan's left foot effort fizzed wide of the right hand post of Graham "Sugar" Douglas in the Saints goal.
The North Lanarkshire men continued their early promise with a good spell of pressure which saw Jamie Brogan slice a right foot shot wide in the eleventh minute. Sixty seconds later Craig Campbell had to look lively to snuff out the danger sliding in on Mark Fitzpatrick to turn the ball behind for a corner kick when the Plains striker burst into the Saints box. From the corner kick on the Plains right Jamie Brogan squandered a terrific opportunity for the visitors sending a free header from eight yards over the Saints crossbar.
It took seventeen minutes for Saints to muster their first attempt on goal which came from a swift counter attack. Referee Peter Kerr ruled Fraser MacFarlane offside midway inside the Plains half but Saints easily repelled the long free-kick with Willie Gemmell turning defence into attack with a measured pass through the inside right channel for Donald Campbell. Donald raced towards the box with Jamie Brogan and Anthony Hynds in pursuit and tried to beat Darren Hunter with an early shot from seventeen yards. The big keeper got down well to his left to hold Donald's shot on the six yard line with Craig MacEwan waiting to pounce on any handling errors.
An excellent twentieth minute take on the left touchline by Craig MacEwan from a Willie Gemmell diagonal pass unfortunately wasn't matched by his cross for Donald Campbell coming in at the back post which was too close to Darren Hunter.
Fraser MacFarlane succeeded where Donald Campbell had earlier failed beating Hunter at his near post to break the deadlock in the twenty second minute after Donald and Craig MacEwan had linked up to send Fraser in behind the Plains back three.
Donald Campbell worked the ball quickly from right to left in the twenty sixth minute from a Matthew Kelly throw-in. Craig MacEwan picked out Scott Maitland's overlapping run with the Saints left back passing up a good shooting opportunity electing instead to look for Donald Campbell at the back post but sending his cross tamely into the grateful arms of Darren Hunter.
From Hunter's clearance the visitors raced straight up the park where David Hunter sliced a right foot shot from eighteen yards wide of target.
The Plains striker was off target again in the twenty ninth minute after picking up a loose ball in front of the Saints back four, this time sending his shot from twenty five yards wide of Sugar's right hand post.
An ongoing war of words between Craig MacEwan and Anthony Hynds eventually snapped the patience of Referee Kerr in the thirty third minute who issued yellow cards to both with Donald Campbell and the impressive Plains midfielder Anthony Traynor also spoken to as tempers briefly threatened to boil over.
Unable to find a way through the solid looking Saints back four of Matthew Kelly, David McPhee, Craig Campbell and Scott Maitland, Plains continued to try their luck from distance. Mark Fitzpatrick finally landed an effort on target for the visitors which Graham Douglas held comfortably before Jamie Brogan continued the usual trend with a curling left foot shot wide of Sugar's right hand post.
The Saints front three linked up perfectly from a thirty eighth minute Scott Maitland throw-in from the left. Fraser MacFarlane controlled well and sent Craig MacEwan racing into the box from where Craig held off the challenge of Anthony Hynds to pick out Donald Campbell in the middle. Donald's first touch took him past Paul Deighan and Jordan Dobbie and left him one-on-one with Darren Hunter whom he beat easily low down to his left from eight yards to double the advantage.
Donald Campbell was through again sixty seconds later only for Mr Kerr to stop him in his tracks with an extremely tight offside decision in favour of the visitors.
There was no suggestion of offside in the forty third minute when Willie Gemmell sent Donald through the inside left channel. With only the keeper to beat Donald tried for a chip into the postage stamp corner which he miscued badly sending his effort well wide of target.
There was chances at both ends in the opening minutes of the second half. From the restart Daniel Fitzpatrick was allowed to drive into the Saints box where only a perfectly timed sliding interception from Willie Gemmell denied the Plains right sided midfielder a sight of goal. There was more frustration for the Saints management as David Hunter was left unmarked at the back post from the resulting corner kick. Fortunately Hunter's header back across the danger area was picked up by Myles McAuley who immediately launched a counter attack. Myles picked out Craig MacEwan lurking wide on the left and just inside the Saints half from where last season's top scorer raced into the Plains box. With Anthony Hynds and Paul Deighan in pursuit MacEwan was foiled by Darren Hunter at his near post and, with luck on the side of the keeper, the loose ball broke behind Fraser MacFarlane in the middle denying him a tap-in.
Daniel Fitzpatrick forced his way into the Saints box once again in the forty seventh minute this time flashing a shot across the face of goal and wide of Sugar's right hand post.
Any chance that Plains had of forcing their way back into contention was extinguished in the forty eighth minute when Jamie Brogan received a straight red card for a high challenge on Fraser MacFarlane on the half-way line.
Donald Campbell drew another save from Darren Hunter before, clearly struggling after the earlier heavy challenge, Fraser MacFarlane made way for Paul Carmichael in the fifty sixth minute. Plains also made a change bringing on Aaron Shaw to replace David Hunter.
Saints looked to hit Plains with another counter attack on the left in the fifty seventh minute after Craig Campbell had headed clear a deep free-kick. Scott Maitland had his progress halted unceremoniously by Mark Fitzpatrick who, for his troubles, found his way into Mr Kerr's notebook.
Two minutes after joining the action Paul Carmichael added his name to the score sheet from a Donald Campbell assist. Saints carved open the Plains defence on the left once again with Campbell unselfishly squaring to Carmichael for a simple tap-in from six yards.
A momentary lapse in concentration almost cost the Saints defence their clean sheet on the hour mark. From a throw-in level with their own eighteen yard line Matthew Kelly and Graham Douglas got in a fankle on the corner of the box with Sugar thankfully managing to stick out a leg to send the ball away from Daniel Fitzpatrick and behind for a corner kick. Willie Gemmell could only head the delivery from the left out as far as the eighteen yard line from where Aaron Shaw fired a first time effort wide of target.
Donald Campbell and Paul Carmichael almost combined again in the sixty second minute when Donald's cross from the left was taken off Paul's head by Darren Hunter at his near post. This was to prove just a brief stay of execution as two minutes later Scott Maitland added a fourth with an excellent individual effort. Picking up the ball inside his own half, Scott cut through the heart of the Plains defence and buried a low right foot shot past Darren Hunter's right hand.
Plains replaced Daniel Fitzpatrick with Thomas Quigley before Myles McAuley brought a sixty sixth minute save from Darren Hunter after forcing his way through from midfield.
Saints Manager Alex Craik made a double substitution with twenty minutes remaining replacing injured pair Craig MacEwan and Keith Millar with David Smith and Craig MacMillan. Young Craig slotted in at left-back with Scott Maitland moving into midfield where he was joined by Smith.
In the seventy third minute Donald Campbell came within inches of finding the net direct from the corner flag. Paul Deighan headed a Paul Carmichael cross from the right behind for a corner kick on the Saints left. Donald's in-swinging delivery cleared the heads of David Smith and Mark Fitzpatrick landing just in front of the goal line and bouncing inches wide of Darren Hunter's left hand post.
Aaron Shaw sent a seventy fourth minute free-kick high and wide of target after Referee Kerr had penalised Matthew Kelly for a late challenge on Mark Fitzpatrick before Alex Craik made his final changes. Willie Gemmell and David McPhee were withdrawn in favour of Daniel Croarkin and Steven MacLeod. Steven was a straight replacement for David alongside Craig Campbell in the middle of the back four while Daniel took up the right-back berth with Matthew Kelly moving into midfield.
Donald Campbell picked up an unnecessary yellow card for arguing with Mr Kerr after he had given a free-kick against Craig Campbell. Saints defended the free-kick well with Craig MacMillan beating Thomas Quigley in the air allowing Myles McAuley to launch another counter attack where Paul Deighan made a vital interception to clear Donald Campbell's cut-back intended for Paul Carmichael.
Saints notched their fifth goal with ten minutes remaining when Donald Campbell latched onto a Matthew Kelly through ball to slot past Darren Hunter from ten yards.
To their credit the visitors kept plugging away and were almost through after the restart when second half substitute David Burns got the better of Daniel Croarkin on the left only for the Saints youngster to make an excellent recovery tackle inside the Saints box at the expense of a corner kick.
Jordan Dobbie produced an equally vital interception at the other end stooping to head the ball off Donald Campbell's toe after a dazzling run from Scott Maitland and right wing cross from Matthew Kelly. The Plains defence cleared the resulting corner with Daniel Croarkin finding his way into Mr Kerr's notebook for a tackle from behind on David Burns.
Mark Fitzpatrick had one final attempt for the visitors in the eighty seventh minute which Graham Douglas held comfortably before Donald Campbell rounded off the scoring two minutes later. Scott Maitland's running from midfield created the opening which Donald eagerly gobbled up lifting the ball from twelve yards over the head of the stranded Darren Hunter to claim his second successive hat-trick since returning from injury.
There was barely any time left on the Referee's watch with Mr Kerr, who handled proceedings well, blowing for full time shortly after the restart sending Saints through to Tuesday's third round draw.
Saints have no fixture next week but will hit the road on Saturday 14th October for their West of Scotland Amateur Cup third round tie against Braehead.
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| The Oban Saints squad resplendent in their new kit kindly sponsored by D&K Lafferty Contractors |
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| Willie Gemmell |
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| Heavy first half rain |
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| Fraser MacFarlane opens the scoring |
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| Fraser MacFarlane celebrates his goal |
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| Referee Peter Kerr tells Anthony Traynor and Craig MacEwan to cut it out |
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| Donald Campbell nets the first of his three goals |
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| Donald Campbell, Craig MacEwan, Keith Millar, Scott Maitland and Fraser MacFarlane celebrate Saints second goal |
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| Myles McAuley beats Jamie Brogan to win the flick-on |
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| David Hunter waits to kick-off the second half as rain gives way to bright sunshine |
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| Matthew Kelly and Darren Hunter |
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| Matthew Kelly hurdles a challenge from Anthony Traynor |
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| Donald Campbell comes within inches of finding the net from the corner flag |
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| Donald Campbell adds his second goal |
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| Donald Campbell celebrates his second goal |
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| Paul Carmichael and Anthony Traynor |
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| Scott Maitland |
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| Donald Campbell lifts the ball over Darren Hunter to seal his hat-trick |
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| Matthew Kelly congratulates Donald Campbell on his hat-trick |
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