Winning In The Rain: Reds See Red at Red Star

The Scottish Amateur Football League Jimmy Marshall Trophy

Saturday 26th January 2019
Scottish Amateur Football League Jimmy Marshall Trophy
First Round
Lochgilphead Red Star 0 - 2 Oban Saints

Lochgilphead Joint Campus

Kilmory

Lochgilphead

Argyll

PA31 8AA

Kick Off 2.00pm
Referee Mr Donald McCallum

Last Saturday at Lochgilphead Joint Campus Oban Saints gained revenge for last season's Jimmy Marshall Trophy exit at the hands of Lochgilphead Red Star by dumping their nearest neighbours out of this season's competition in the last ever meeting of the two old rivals to be held under the auspices of the Scottish Amateur Football League.

Second half goals from Donald Campbell and Fraser MacFarlane finally broke Red Star's stubborn resistance and saw Saints progress to the second round of the competition in which they have reached the final in four of the past six seasons.

Saints Management duo Donald Campbell and Willie Gemmell made six changes to the starting line-up from the previous week's West of Scotland Cup win over Thorn Athletic and also gave three teenagers a place on the substitutes bench.

Graham Douglas lined up in goal behind a back four of Ruaridh Horne, Captain Dene Cassells, Dougal Graham and Scott Maitland. Matthew Kelly and Kerr Newbigging occupied the holding midfield roles with James Ford tucked in behind a front three of Fraser MacFarlane, Craig MacEwan and David Beaton. Donald Campbell and Jamie Graham provided the experience on the bench alongside teenagers Kenneth Black, Aaron McKay and Keir MacLean.

Used substitutes:-

Donald Campbell
Jamie Graham
Aaron McKay
Kenneth Black
Keir MacLean

Saints kicked off attacking the Kilmory end in a light drizzle which had thankfully replaced the heavy rain which had fallen all morning.

After a sluggish start Saints mustered the game's first strike on target when Fraser MacFarlane slipped James Ford in from a ninth minute free kick just outside the Star box. From a tight angle on the left Ford shunned the better option of a cutback in favour of a shot on goal which Star keeper Luke Kalache blocked with his outstretched left leg.

Two minutes later Ruaridh Horne made a strong run on the right and whipped over a tempting cross which David Beaton did well to meet but couldn't redirect on target.

James Ford picked out Craig MacEwan in a good position with a thirteenth minute cutback from the left but a heavy first touch from MacEwan allowed Luke Kalache to come off his line and make the block.

Wayward efforts followed from Matthew Kelly and Fraser MacFarlane as the much changed Saints line-up struggled to find any kind of rhythm.

After closing out a Star break the Saints defence were caught trying to play out from the back and were relieved to see former Saint Martin Bonar lift a shot from twenty yards well over the crossbar.

After good work on the right James Ford had a goal bound shot deflected into the side netting by Star Player/Manager Luke Naisby with Craig MacEwan diverting Fraser MacFarlane's resulting corner kick across the face of goal and wide of Luke Kalache's right hand post.

A harsh decision by Referee Donald McCallum to penalise James Ford for what appeared a legitimate challenge on Ryan Caskie gave Colin Weir the chance to whip the ball left footed into the danger area in the twenty ninth minute however the Saints defence repelled Weir's delivery with ease.

Star Skipper Aaron Moore exploited the time and space afforded him in the thirty seventh minute to thread the ball through for Stuart McLean however Dougal Graham, in for the injured Steven MacLeod, read the danger well to come across and snuff out the danger.

Luke Kalache in the Star goal required all of his height and reach advantage to tip a James Ford cross behind for a corner with Craig MacEwan ready to connect with a header. Fraser MacFarlane's corner kick from the right was placed invitingly into the six yard box where David Beaton was unable to get any power behind his effort on the stretch allowing Kalache to gather comfortably.

Referee McCallum left the Saints players and officials mystified when he dismissed their appeals for a fortieth minute penalty kick when James McGuiness dived in studs up on James Ford.

Mr McCallum heightened the feeling of injustice among the Saints contingent when he penalised and cautioned Dougal Graham for a similar challenge two minutes later fortunately, however, further insult was avoided when Aaron Moore lifted his free-kick high over the Saints crossbar.

At the other end Saints also had an opportunity with the dead ball after James Ford was sent crashing to the deck just outside the Star box. Kerr Newbigging's free-kick smashed straight into the wall was the final action of the first half which left the Saints Management duo far from impressed and demanding a big step up in effort from their charges for the second half.

The improvement was clear from the first whistle with Kerr Newbigging winning possession and sending James Ford racing into the Star box where Aaron Moore was on hand to help out his defence with a timely interception.

Two minutes into the second half Craig MacEwan beat the Star offside trap but not Luke Kalache who threw up a strong left hand to beat MacEwan's shot behind for a corner kick. From Fraser MacFarlane's delivery from the right Saints Skipper Dene Cassells climbed above opposite number Aaron Moore but couldn't direct his header on target.

Ruaridh Horne's overlapping run and cross in the fiftieth minute narrowly evaded David Beaton with the pair combing well two minutes later to set Matthew Kelly up for a shot which flew inches wide of Luke Kalache's left hand post.

Saints co-manager Donald Campbell came on in the fifty seventh minute to replace James Ford and immediately tee'd up Fraser MacFarlane for a shot from twenty yards which Luke Kalache, diving high to his left, did extremely well to push behind for a corner kick.

Ruaridh Horne made way for Jamie Graham in the sixty ninth minute as Saints continued to keep their hosts pinned back in their own half.

The Saints pressure eventually told when Ben Forbes, who had a good game at the centre of the Star defence, made his only mistake of the afternoon and sent Matthew Kelly sprawling in the box with a mistimed tackle from behind. Donald Campbell made no mistake from the spot sending the keeper in the wrong direction and giving Saints the lead which their second half endeavour deserved.

With thirteen minutes remaining Saints introduced Aaron McKay at the expense of David Beaton and the youngster was quickly involved linking up well with Donald Campbell who curled a delightful left foot effort inches wide of the junction of post and bar with Kalache rooted to the spot.

The big keeper was equally deceived by Fraser MacFarlane's low eighty third minute snap shot from twenty two yards which nestled in the bottom corner to seal victory for Saints.

This proved to be MacFarlane's last involvement as he and Dougal Graham, who produced a solid performance alongside Skipper Dene Cassells at the heart of the defence, were withdrawn to give Kenneth Black and debutant Keir MacLean a brief run out. MacLean took on the centre forward's mantle while Black joined the defence which continued to protect Graham Douglas to such an extent that the Saints number one didn't have a single save to make all afternoon.

Premier Division One strugglers Red Star, who despite succumbing to their tenth consecutive defeat will be encouraged to have kept their top flight opponents at bay for seventy two minutes, also gave valuable game time to their young substitutes Neily Russell, Gregor McGeachy and Alisdair Provan.

Mr McCallum had Saints scratching their heads once again when he saw nothing wrong with Luke Naisby's tackle through the back of MacLean which sent the young striker sprawling in the eighteen yard box.

Tempers flared shortly afterwards when Ryan Caskie's cynical late challenge on Kenneth Black earned the Star wide man a deserved yellow card.

Mr McCallum's grip on the match slipped a little further with a controversial award against Scott Maitland which saw Donald Campbell cautioned for dissent.

With the match entering time added on for stoppages another questionable refereeing decision lead to the premature end of Jamie Graham's involvement. Despite this not being Mr McCallum's finest ninety minutes he was well within his rights to give Graham his marching orders for an injudicious comment which a player of his experience should have known better than to make.

Referee McCallum's final whistle shortly after the restart understandably brought only muted celebrations from the Saints contingent who will now turn their attentions to league duties and another Argyll Derby this Saturday when they travel to the Cowal peninsula to face Dunoon in the Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division.