Winning In The Rain: No Comment Required

Saturday 1st September 2018
The Scottish Amateur Football Association Challenge Cup Competition
First Round
Gartcosh United 2 - 3 Oban Saints
Eastgate
Gartcosh
Glasgow
G69 8AT
Kick off 2pm
Referee Mr Paul Crosbie

Oban Saints renewed acquaintanceships with former Scottish Amateur Football League rivals Gartcosh United at Eastgate, Gartcosh last Saturday where three goals in a scintillating six minute first half spell saw Saints progress to the second round of the Scottish Amateur Cup. Having recovered from an early Gary Pettigrew strike Saints were good value for the win over their very useful Central Scottish Amateur Football League opponents despite a stoppage time counter from another old acquaintance, former Pollock striker, Steven Williams.

Craig MacEwan and Ruaridh Horne returned after missing the previous weekend's trip to Barrhead however the pre-match plans of Saints Co-Managers Donald Campbell and Willie Gemmell were dealt a blow with the eleventh hour withdrawal from the squad of Paul Carmichael. Thankfully Dougal Graham, who only narrowly missed out on selection in the first place, answered the call to boost the number in the travelling party to sixteen. Matthew Kelly missed out through injury but still made the journey to North Lanarkshire to cheer on his team-mates.

Saints lined up with Graham Douglas in goal behind a back four of Jamie Graham, Steven MacLeod, Captain Dene Cassells and Scott Maitland. In the holding midfield roles were Willie Gemmell and Daniel Croarkin with Matt Rippon, Lewis Cameron and James Ford behind striker Craig MacEwan. On the bench were Donald Campbell, Dougal Graham, Ruaridh Horne, Fraser MacFarlane and Kerr Newbigging. Once again joining Secretary David Buchanan and Coach Peter MacCallum on the sidelines to add their support were veterans of the Saints 2009-10 Premier Division title winning side Sean Ford and Joe Lopez.

Used substitutes:-
Kerr Newbigging
Donald Campbell
Fraser MacFarlane

Unused substitutes:-
Dougal Graham
Ruaridh Horne

Saints kicked off on the immaculately prepared Eastgate playing surface, which must be the envy of the majority of visitors to Gartcosh, however after some early sparring it was United who drew first blood much to the delight of the home support. Gerald O'Connell got the better of James Ford on the Saints left and launched a ball over the top for Ross Mackie to chase. Mackie couldn't find a way past Saints Captain Dene Cassells who knocked the ball behind for a corner kick.

Scott Maitland got his head to Gary Pettigrew's delivery from the right and sent the ball flying across the penalty area and out for a throw-in on the opposite flank. From the throw-in the home side lifted the ball towards the back post for giant striker Ross Mackie who appeared to head the ball wide of target however Referee Paul Crosbie, much to the frustration of Saints Co-Manager Donald Campbell who was prowling the touchline, ruled in favour of the home side and pointed to the corner flag.

Gary Pettigrew curled a dipping in-swinger right on top of Saints keeper Graham Douglas who appeared a fraction slow to adjust his feet and in his attempt to claw the ball over his crossbar could only succeed in helping the ball into the net.

Stung by this seventh minute setback Saints moved straight up the other end from the restart with Craig MacEwan testing Scottish Amateur international goalkeeper Stuart Wilson after good work on the left by James Ford and Lewis Cameron.

The Saints leveller after thirteen minutes owed much to good closing down by Jamie Graham who robbed Gary Pettigrew on the half-way line and played the ball up to Craig MacEwan on the edge of the box. MacEwan slipped in Lewis Cameron who, from a tight angle on the right of the six yard box, saw his attempted lob take a slight deflection off a defender sending it spinning beyond the reach of Stuart Wilson and into the far corner of the net.

Saints had their tails up now and Stuart Wilson had to get down well at the feet of Craig MacEwan to cut out a Matt Rippon cutback from the right.

The Saints momentum was building and Scott Maitland got forward in the eighteenth minute to link up with James Ford. Ford held off the challenge of Gerald O'Connell and laid the ball off to Lewis Cameron in the box. Cameron picked out Craig MacEwan who turned away from Steven McGurgan and steered the ball past Stuart Wilson's left hand to give Saints the lead.

Sixty seconds later Saints added a third with the danger again coming from the Saints left. Scott Maitland, Craig MacEwan and Lewis Cameron were all involved with the ball finding it's way to James Ford who wriggled through the Gartcosh defence and beat Wilson with a low side foot finish to the keeper's left.

Ford almost doubled his tally as Saints swarmed forward again in the twenty first minute but sent his left foot effort narrowly wide of target under pressure from Gerald O'Connell.

Gartcosh lost the services of central defender Stewart Diamond to injury after twenty eight minutes with his place being taken by Mark Adamson.

As the home side battled to get back into the match the Saints central defensive partnership of Dene Cassells and Steven MacLeod coped well with the experienced Gartcosh twin strike force of Ross Mackie and Steven Williams.

On the half hour mark Gary Pettigrew tried to repeat his earlier trick from the corner flag but this time found Graham Douglas on his toes to gather safely on his goal-line.

Gartcosh midfielder Peter McAvoy picked up the first yellow card of the afternoon for a late challenge on Daniel Croarkin on the half-way line. From the free-kick Matt Rippon picked out Scott Maitland's overlapping run with the fullback finding Lewis Cameron in the box. Cameron's curling finish towards the postage stamp corner was spectacularly tipped over his crossbar by Stuart Wilson. Lewis Cameron's corner kick from the right found Craig MacEwan who beat Mark Adamson in the air to loop a near post header across the face of goal and inches wide of the far post.

The hosts received another injury blow on the stroke of half-time when Peter McAvoy had to be helped off with the Referee ending the first forty five minutes before replacement Ross Fisher had even crossed the white line.

Saints were also forced into a half-time switch as Steven MacLeod, who had battled through the first half with a sickness bug, was withdrawn to be replaced in central defence by Willie Gemmell whose midfield berth was taken by replacement Kerr Newbigging.

Saints began the second half strongly with Jamie Graham rampaging down the right and flashing a low cross along the six yard line which Stuart Wilson did well to cut out at the feet of Craig MacEwan.

Despite being largely in control of proceedings Saints knew that a goal for the hosts would put an entirely different complexion on the second half. That goal almost came in the forty ninth minute when a deep free-kick from the Gartcosh left looped over the Saints defence and found it's way onto the head of Ross Mckie coming in at the back post. With the goal at his mercy the giant striker will certainly feel he should have done better than find just the side netting with his header from five yards.

A Kerr Newbigging ball over the top sent Craig MacEwan on his way on the hour mark where only a vital interception by Mark Adamson prevented MacEwan from testing Stuart Wilson.

Sixty seconds later at the other end Ross Fisher sent a low shot narrowly wide of the left hand post of Saints keeper Graham Douglas.

The flurry of end to end activity continued with Lewis Cameron trying for a second chip of the day over current Scottish Amateur international goalkeeper. This time the Gartcosh skipper was able reach up and get both hands to the ball.

It was Wilson to the rescue again twice in quick succession in the sixty fifth and sixty sixth minutes making good saves to deny James Ford as Saints searched in vain for a killer fourth goal.

Daniel Croarkin found his was into Referee Crosbie's notebook for a foul on the halfway line in the sixty eighth minute before making way for Donald Campbell.

The hosts were leaving big gaps at the back as they pushed forward in search of a precious lifeline however Saints remained unable to take advantage with Craig MacEwan and Matt Rippon both failing to trouble the keeper from decent shooting opportunities.

As the temperature began to rise on and off the pitch Referee Paul Crosbie, who handled proceedings well, had to remind Saints Secretary David Buchanan of his responsibility to control the Saints touchline pointing out in particular that Coach Peter MacCallum's comments, however pertinent he might consider them to be, were strictly "not required".

Saints made their final change in the eightieth minute when Fraser MacFarlane replaced James Ford.

Gartcosh keeper Stuart Wilson denied Lewis Cameron once again in the eighty seventh minute when he needed two attempts to stop a spinning ball after Mark Adamson had partially blocked Cameron's shot from eighteen yards.

Ross Fisher stretched Referee Paul Crosbie's patience too far in the ninetieth minute and received a yellow card for dissent.

With the clock ticking into the four minutes added by Mr Crosbie the Saints defence, which had performed well for the most part, threw the home side a ninety second minute lifeline. Over elaboration along the back four gifted possession to Gary Pettigrew on the left who picked out Steven Williams in the middle for an emphatic finish from seven yards.

A final two nervous minutes ensued as the home side pushed for an unlikely equaliser but the Saints defence thankfully regained it's earlier composure to hold on comfortably for a deserved victory and a place in the second round draw.

Saints are on their travels again this coming Saturday when they make the journey to Maryhill to face North Glasgow Colts in the Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division.