Winning In The Rain: Hill And 'Glen

Saturday 9th March 2019
Scottish Amateur Football League
Premier Division
Rutherglen 1 - 5 Oban Saints
Toryglen Regional Football Centre 4G
Prospecthill Road
Glasgow
G42 0BY
Kick Off 2pm
Referee Mr Jim Loudon

Two goals from teenage striker Cammy Hill helped Oban Saints to three vital away points against Rutherglen at a windswept Toryglen Regional Football Centre last Saturday. As the race for this season's Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division title hots up the win keeps Saints in second place behind leaders St Joseph's FP and just ahead of Scottish Amateur Cup semi-finalists Alba Thistle.

Work and holiday commitments deprived Manager Donald Campbell of the services of Co-Manager Willie Gemmell, Lewis Cameron, Matt Rippon and Keir MacLean creating space in the match day squad for youngsters Cammy Hill and Aaron McKay and the returning Daniel Croarkin and Jamie Graham.

Four changes to the starting eleven which had beaten reigning champions Goldenhill seven days earlier saw Saints lineup with Graham Douglas in goal behind a back four of Ruaridh Horne, Steven MacLeod, Captain Dene Cassells and Scott Maitland. Donald Campbell took up an unaccustomed holding midfield position alongside Daniel Croarkin. Up front Craig MacEwan spearheaded the attack ahead of James Ford, Matty Kelly and David Beaton. Jamie and Dougal Graham provided the experience on an otherwise youthful bench consisting of Fraser MacFarlane, Cammy Hill and Aaron McKay.

Used substitutes:-

Cammy Hill

Dougal Graham

Fraser MacFarlane

Aaron McKay

Unused substitute:-

Jamie Graham

Saints kicked off defending the Prospecthill Road end playing into the strong icy wind blowing diagonally across the newly laid 4G surface. The hosts were first to threaten with Steven Bell forcing Graham Douglas into a smart save low to his right from a throw-in on the right level with the Saints eighteen yard line.

A cynical trip on Scott Maitland earned Scott Crawford the game's first yellow card in the fourth minute however Saints failed to capitalise on the resulting free-kick instead having to defend a Rutherglen counter attack on their left. Ruaridh Horne slid in on Liam McLaughlin at the expense of a throw-in from which Scott Maitland turned a dangerous ball across the Saints six yard behind for a corner kick. Graham Douglas showed good handling to safely gather Liam McLaughlin's inswinging corner from the right under his crossbar.

It took Saints until the ninth minute to ask their first serious question of the Rutherglen defence when Craig MacEwan set up Daniel Croarkin for a close range effort. After good work on the left of the Rutherglen box MacEwan found Croarkin's supporting run however the combative midfielder couldn't beat Ross Yuille in the Rutherglen goal who stood up well on his six yard lime to block Croarkin's effort. The keeper completed an excellent double save by pushing Donald Campbell's shot from the rebound over his crossbar for a corner kick.

A slip on the half-way line from Dene Cassells sent Scott Crawford racing through on goal whose attempted lob was plucked out of the air by the rapidly backpedaling Graham Douglas.

Saints opened the scoring in the eleventh minute after a good run on the right by Ruaridh Horne won a corner kick off the back tracking Liam McLaughlin. James Ford took over corner kick duties from the absent Lewis Cameron and picked out the near post run of Craig MacEwan who held off the challenge of Kevin McBride to prod the ball home left footed from five yards.

MacEwan doubled his and Saints tally just sixty seconds later firing a delicious left foot volley from a Donald Campbell diagonal pass across Ross Yuille and into the bottom corner.

The hosts rallied after this double set-back and were disappointed not to take advantage of a gilt edged opportunity presented to them by the Saints defence. To sharp intakes of breath a stray pass while trying to play out from the back fell kindly at the feet of Scott Crawford whose first time effort slipped wide of the right hand upright much to the relief of the Saints contingent on the sidelines.

Strong running from David Beaton on the end of a Donald Campbell pass won a thirty first minute corner kick on the left. Andy Winter's header turned James Ford's near post delivery behind for a second corner kick which Ford this time sent to the far post. Craig MacEwan peeled off well but couldn't direct his header on target sending it lopping over Ross Yuille's crossbar.

Craig Montgomery found his was into Referee Jim Loudon's note book for pulling back Craig MacEwan in the thirty fifth minute. From the resulting free-kick Donald Campbell rolled the ball up to the edge of the Rutherglen box for Craig MacEwan who held the ball up well and played in Matthew Kelly. Kelly wriggled his was through but, with only the keeper to beat, lost his footing at the vital moment.

Saints kept probing for openings in the home defence with another good David Beaton run and cross from the left being cut out by Andy Winter before it could reach Matthew Kelly.

Scott Maitland's thirty eighth minute driving run into the Rutherglen box was halted, fairly in Mr Loudon's opinion, by the combined efforts of Kevin McBride, Andy Keir and Barry Cunningham.

The hosts remained a threat on the counter attack and Graham Douglas was forced to make a brave save at Steven Bell's feet after a patient forty fourth minute Saints move had broken down on the edge of the Rutherglen box.

Saints returned the counter attacking compliment moving quickly up the park where Ross Yuille made another brave save to deny Daniel Croarkin for the second time after a Craig MacEwan flick had sent him through before Mr Loudon blew the half-time whistle

Second Half

Saints began the second half brightly with Matthew Kelly twice making good ground on the left before narrowly failing to pick out Daniel Croarkin in the middle.

Continuing the counter attacking theme from the first half the action moved swiftly to the other end where a solid Daniel Croarkin tackle on Steven Bell ended a promising opening for the hosts.

James Ford's troublesome right ankle forced him off after fifty three minutes paving the way for youngster Cammy Hill to make an instant impact on proceedings.

With his first touch Hill controlled a diagonal pass from Craig MacEwan, glided into the Rutherglen box and calmly lifted the ball over the advancing Ross Yuille for his first senior Saints goal.

Ruaridh Horne and David Beaton combined well on right in the fifty ninth minute with Beaton finding Horne in space in the box. With the angle slightly against him Horne passed up the shooting opportunity instead opting for a cutback to Craig MacEwan who steered his shot just wide of Yuille's left hand post.

Saints suffered another injury blow when Steven MacLeod picked up a calf strain giving Dougal Graham a run-out in central defence for the final third of the match.

Set pieces now looked to be the home side's best hope of a route back into the match however the Saints defence coped well with the Rutherglen aerial threat.

David Beaton's running in the wide areas was replaced in the sixty eighth minute with the fresh legs of Fraser MacFarlane.

Young striker Cammy Hill doubled his tally in the seventy third minute with another cool finish from a Craig MacEwan assist. After good work on the right from Fraser MacFarlane and Ruaridh Horne Craig MacEwan again picked out Hill in the box who rounded Ross Yuille and clipped the ball left footed into the unguarded net.

Saints made another instant impact substitution before the restart replacing Daniel Croarkin with another of the club's promising youngsters Aaron McKay. The teenager took up position wide on the right and within sixty seconds of coming on fired a dangerous low ball across the face of goal which was turned into his own net by the unfortunate Craig Montgomery for Saints fifth goal.

McKay's eventful introduction to the match continued when he was somewhat harshly penalised for a seventy seventh minute challenge on the edge of his own box. Scott Crawford demonstrated his prowess with the dead ball lifting the ball over the Saints wall and beating Graham Douglas to his right hand side for a consolation goal which was the least Rutherglen deserved for their afternoon's work.

The home side made the only change their stretched resources would permit replacing Barry Cunningham with Brian Thomson with ten minutes remaining.

Overlapping fullback Ruaridh Horne continued to enjoy a productive spell on the right latching onto a Craig MacEwan lay off and sending a cutback to Aaron McKay whose first time effort from fourteen yards flew just wide of Ross Yuille's right hand post.

Craig MacEwan was denied a hat-trick when, after turning away from Gary Hughes, his left foot shot from fifteen yards was partially blocked by a vital interception from Craig Montgomery taking the sting out of the shot and allowing Ross Yuille to safely gather the spinning ball.

Referee Loudon, who had a good game, brought the match to an end after three added minutes but not before Rutherglen striker Steven Bell blazed a terrific opportunity wide and keeper Yuille pulled off a good save to deny Cammy Hill a hat-trick with the last attempt of the match.

This coming Saturday Saints welcome old foes Cambria to Glencruitten in the quarter-finals of the West of Scotland Amateur Cup. Central Scottish Amateur Football League Referee Stephen Payne takes charge of proceedings which kick off at 1.30pm.