Winning In The Rain: Downhill

Saturday 24th March 2018

VSN Sport Scottish Amateur Football League
Premier Division

Oban Saints AFC 4 - 1 Hillington

Glencruitten 2
Mossfield Avenue
Oban
Argyll
PA34 4EH

Kick off 2.00pm
Referee Mr Jimmy Litster

Oban Saints starting line-up:-

Used substitutes:-

James Ford

Ruaridh Horne

Craig MacMillan

Unused substitutes:-

Alex Craik

Steven MacLeod

A brace from Shaun MacIver at Glencruitten last Saturday book-ended strikes from Craig MacEwan and Willie Gemmell to avenge Oban Saints opening day of the season at the hands of newly promoted Hillington. Sadly for Hillington the defeat, their thirteenth of a very difficult season, confirms their immediate return to Premier Division One for next season.

Both teams have undergone major personnel changes since their last meeting on 12th August with only five of each starting line-up surviving. Saints Manager Alex Craik kept up his record of naming a different team for every match so far this season which saw Jamie Graham, Willie Gemmell, Paul Carmichael and Scott Maitland form a back four in front of goalkeeper Graham Douglas. Kerr Newbigging, Matthew Kelly and Myles McAuley lined up in midfield with Shaun MacIver, Craig MacEwan and Captain Donald Campbell in attack. Keeping the Gaffer company on the bench were Steven MacLeod, James Ford, Ruaridh Horne and Craig MacMillan.

Saints Skipper Donald Campbell had the first sight of goal in the second minute but sent a tame effort straight at Hillington keeper Gordon Phillips when sent clean through by Craig MacEwan.

MacEwan set up a second Saints chance in the fourth minute with a run up the left touchline from deep inside his own half. MacEwan played the ball up to Donald Campbell on the eighteen yard line whose lay-off found Matthew Kelly who, unfortunately, was closed down by Ian McFadyen and Neil Walsh before he could get his shot away. The visitors turned defence into attack with a quick counter where Willie Gemmell had to look lively to cut out a Scott Gold through ball for Aaron Boyle.

Experienced Hillington central defender Ian McFadyen was similarly alert to make a fine last ditch sliding interception on Donald Campbell in the eighth minute after the Saints Skipper had beaten the Hillington offside trap.

The visitors forced the first corner of the match in ninth minute but Stuart Ashton's delivery from the left was too high for Aaron Boyle at the back post and drifted harmlessly behind.

Saints opened the scoring from the goal kick with Myles McAuley winning a header in the centre circle which Matthew Kelly seized upon. Kelly quickly played Shaun MacIver in behind the Hillington back four who, from the corner of the box, drilled a low shot past the advancing keeper and into the net.

Too many stray passes prevented Saints from building on their early lead but when they did eventually click it took a well timed twenty second minute Lee Wales tackle to prevent Myles McAuley from doubling the advantage. Willie Gemmell sent Scott Maitland away on the left with the left back allowed to run a long way before playing the ball up to Donald Campbell on the edge of the box. The Skipper picked out McAuley's supporting run but, with the Saints midfielder poised to pull the trigger, Wales somehow got back to take the ball off McAuley's toe on the six yard line.

Saints slackness in possession was punished in the twenty ninth minute when Aaron Boyle pounced on a misplaced pass out from the back and raced through on goal. Graham Douglas came off his line to try and cut out the danger but slipped on the soggy Glencruitten turf. Boyle took the ball around the prostrate keeper but, with the Saints defence getting back in numbers, was clipped from behind by Paul Carmichael giving Referee Jimmy Litster an easy decision to award a penalty kick. Stuart Ashton made no mistake sending Graham Douglas the wrong way from the penalty spot and giving the visitors what was a deserved equaliser at the stage.

The home side responded well and came close again straight from the restart. Scott Maitland won a throw-in on the left midway inside the Hillington half which he sent up to the feet of Donald Campbell. The Skipper turned Craig Phillips and played in Craig MacEwan who shaved the outside of the Hillington keeper's left hand post with a low shot from fourteen yards.

There was a large slice of good fortune attached to Saints second goal in the thirty seventh minute. Matthew Kelly played a long ball over the top looking for Donald Campbell whose run was matched by Craig Phillips who played the ball back his goal keeper on the corner of the eighteen yard box. The keeper then fired his attempted clearance straight at Craig MacEwan who, unfortunately for the Hillington number one, was able to get the ball quickly under control and lift it over the stranded keeper and into the unguarded net.

Saints stretched their advantage with five minutes of the first half remaining. Steven Cunningham felled Matthew Kelly on the edge of the D giving Willie Gemmell an opportunity to add to his already impressive goals tally. The Saints dead ball expert didn't disappoint and found the bottom corner bending the ball around the five man Hillington wall and beating the despairing left hand of Gordon Phillips.

Young Hillington striker Aaron Boyle continued to make a nuisance of himself and pressured Paul Carmichael and Graham Douglas into a slip at the back in the forty second minute. The keeper's hurried clearance from Carmichael's pass back was charged down by Boyle with Douglas having to scamper back to smother the ball on his goal line.

There was another let-off for Saints on the stroke of half-time when left winger Stuart Ashton got in behind Jamie Graham and fired a dangerous ball across the face of goal but, fortunately for Saints, too far in front of the chasing pack of Scott Gold and David Murdoch.

Mr Litster brought a high tempo first half to an end with the visitors slightly unlucky to find themselves two goals behind.

Saints kicked off the second half attacking the Mossfield end and were quickly on the attack through Scott Maitland on the left. Maitland's run opened up space for Craig MacEwan who tee'd up Kerr Newbigging for a shot from twenty yards. Gordon Phillips could only parry Newbigging's shot into the path of Donald Campbell who, under pressure from Lee Wales, couldn't re-direct the ball on target.

Matthew Kelly came close to adding to the scoring sending a low forty eighth minute right foot effort inches wide with keeper Phillips rooted to the spot.

Willie Gemmell handed Hillington set-piece expert Adam Nisanci a chance to exhibit his talents after he upended David Murdoch on the edge of the Saints box in the forty ninth minute. Nisanci fired a good effort from twenty two yards inches over the crossbar with Graham Douglas well beaten.

Hillington regained possession from the Saints goal kick and danger man Aaron Boyle burst into the Saints box on the Hillington right but was stopped in his tracks by a perfectly timed Matthew Kelly interception.

The visitors kept plugging away and won a corner kick on the right in the fifty second minute where they worked a clever routine which caught Saints napping and allowed Stuart Ashton to carry the ball into the box and try his luck from a tight angle. Paul Carmichael blocked Ashton's effort behind for a second corner which was swung over in more conventional style by Adam Nisanci and headed clear at the front post by Scott Maitland.

The action moved to the other end where Donald Campbell won a corner on the Saints left. The Skipper's delivery to the back post was headed back across the face of goal by Shaun MacIver but with no takers in Navy. The visitors could only partially clear the danger and, from the corner of the eighteen yard box, Kerr Newbigging picked out Myles McAuley on the penalty spot who could only find the gloves of Gordon Phillips with his header.

Phillips was called into action again in the fifty seventh minute flinging himself to his right to save a Shaun MacIver shot from twenty yards.

On the hour mark Aaron Boyle sent a half chance for the visitors over the crossbar after Jamie Graham and Paul Carmichael got in a tangle on the edge of the Saints box.

Mr Litster very harshly penalised Shaun MacIver on the corner of the Saints eighteen yard box for what appeared to be a perfectly legitimate challenge on Stuart Ashton. However the visitors failed to capitalise on the the Referee's generosity and Adam Nisanci sent the free-kick into the grateful arms of Graham Douglas.

Referee Litster was quickly on the scene to defuse a potential flash point as Paul Carmichael and Steven Cunningham had a frank exchange of views in the centre circle in the sixty sixth minute. Carmichael was deemed to be the aggressor and picked up the first yellow card of the match for his trouble.

Thorn in the side Boyle won another free-kick for the visitors in a dangerous area in the sixty eighth minute but once again the Saints defence stood firm with Kerr Newbigging heading away the delivery from Nisanci.

Saints put the final outcome beyond any doubt in the sixty ninth minute with Shaun MacIver cutting in from the left and firing a low shot across Gordon Phillips and into the bottom corner for his second and Saints fourth goal of the afternoon.

Myles McAuley was denied a fifth for Saints two minutes later from a Scott Maitland throw-in on the left. Donald Campbell ran in behind the Hillington defence and sent a cutback to Craig MacEwan who tee'd up McAuley for a shot from eighteen yards which Ian McFadyen did well to block.

Shaun MacIver's afternoon came to a premature end when he picked up an ankle knock in the seventy sixth minute. MacIver was replaced by young James Ford making his home debut. Saints Gaffer Alex Craik made it a double change withdrawing Jamie Graham and giving another run-out to youngster Ruaridh Horne.

Ford's trickery was probably not what the tiring Hillington defence wanted to see at this late stage of the game and the Saints substitute gave them a few anxious moments in the final fifteen minutes or so.

After holding off the close attentions of Scott Gold, Adam Nisanci and Neil Walsh, Ford sent a dipping eightieth minute effort inches over the Hillington crossbar.

Fellow substitute Ruaridh Horne was also just the wrong side of the woodwork two minutes later when sent through by Craig MacEwan. With the Hillington defence pressing high up the pitch Horne had acres of space to run into on the right and was given a perfect cross-field ball by MacEwan. The youngster beat the advancing keeper but could only find the side netting with his clipped effort from eighteen yards.

Saints Gaffer Alex Craik made his final change with five minutes remaining replacing Scott Maitland with another Saints youngster Craig MacMillan. The visitors also gave late run-outs to both of their replacements Gary Docherty and Scott Dailly.

As the clock ticked down another James Ford run on the right won a corner kick which the youngster swung over himself. Myles McAuley won a knock down into the path of Donald Campbell who was denied at the back post by yet another timely Lee Wales interception. Campbell however regained possession and fired a low ball into the six yard box which keeper Gordon Phillips did well to clear under pressure from Paul Carmichael.

Adam Nisanci joined Paul Carmichael in Referee Litster's notebook for hauling back Matthew Kelly in the ninetieth minute. Saints played the free-kick short with Matthew Kelly and Myles McAuley working an opening for Donald Campbell who will be disappointed not to have added to the scoring with a tame effort from fourteen yards which Gordon Phillips was able to parry behind. After Campbell's corner kick from the left was easily dealt with by the Hillington defence, Referee Litster decided he had seen enough and blew the full-time whistle.

The result lifts Saints to seventh place in the league table but ends any faint hopes the visitors may have entertained of maintaining their Premier Division status. Full credit must go to Hillington who battled hard during the ninety minutes just as they have done throughout what has been a very challenging season.

Saints will be pleased to get back to winning ways after the previous week's slip-up against Inverclyde. Unfortunately, however, they must now endure an enforced free week while the Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division takes the Easter Holiday and potential Scottish Amateur Cup quarter final opponents Sandys and Goldenhill replay their seventh round tie in Drumchapel.