Winning In The Rain: Cup Hopes Alive And 'Well

Saturday 20th April 2019
Scottish Amateur Football League
Jimmy Marshall Trophy
Quarter-Final
Motherwell Thistle 1 - 5 Oban Saints
Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility
O'Donnell Way
Motherwell
ML1 2TZ
Kick-off 2.10pm
Referee Mr John Cairney

Oban Saints kept their treble hopes alive with a comfortable Scottish Amateur Football League Jimmy Marshall Trophy quarter-final win over Motherwell Thistle at Ravenscraig last Saturday afternoon.

After David Beaton had opened the scoring midway through the first half a brace from Craig MacEwan, and one successfully converted free-kick a-piece from Willie Gemmell and Lewis Cameron eased Saints through to the semi-finals of the Scottish Amateur Football League's premier cup competition for the sixth time in seven seasons.

Saints made five changes to the squad which, seven days earlier, had secured a place in the West of Scotland Amateur Cup Final. Out went the injured Donald Campbell and the unavailable Dene Cassells and Matty Kelly and in came Dougal Graham, Craig MacEwan and Keir MacLean.

Donald Campbell took his place on the sidelines while the other half of Saints Management duo, Willie Gemmell, anchored the midfield alongside Daniel Croarkin. Goalkeeper Graham Douglas was protected by a back four of Ruaridh Horne, Steven MacLeod, Jamie Graham and Dougal Graham while behind central striker Cammy Hill were David Beaton, Lewis Cameron and Craig MacEwan. On the bench were James Ford, Scott Maitland, Fraser MacFarlane, Keir MacLean and Matt Rippon.

Saints kicked off with the sun at their backs and were quickly on the attack with Lewis Cameron sending Cammy Hill off on a run which ended with Thistle right back David Collins hauling him down just outside the Thistle box. Captain for the day Cameron tried his luck with the free-kick from twenty two yards which he curled round the four man wall but straight into the grateful arms of Thistle keeper Nathan Wharton.

Already through to the Centenary Cup Final Thistle were keen to keep their bid for a cup double on track and won a third minute free-kick in a dangerous area when Ruaridh Horne felled Jonny Brennan on the corner of the Saints box. The Saints wall did it's job however the loose ball broke to Christopher Brannan whose twenty five yard effort flew high and wide of target.

Thistle keeper Nathan Wharton did well to claw a sixth minute Lewis Cameron in-swinging corner kick away from under his crossbar under pressure from Cammy Hill as Saints heaped pressure on the home defence with a succession of corner kicks.

Hill and Cameron linked up well on the Saints left in the ninth minute and only a timely interception from Thistle skipper William McMaster nine yards out prevented Hill from side-footing home Cameron's low cutback.

Cameron sent the resulting corner kick deep to the back post where, despite a good leap, Craig MacEwan was unable to direct his header on target.

Saints found more joy on the left in the eighteenth minute however Willie Gemmell, with more time than he would have imagined, sliced a first time shot from a Craig MacEwan cutback well wide of target.

After several failed attempts Saints finally found the killer pass necessary to open up the Thistle defence when Willie Gemmell won the ball in the centre circle and threaded the ball through for David Beaton to run onto. Beaton's pace took him away from Scott Watson and James Gibbons and his well struck right foot finish from sixteen yards beat Nathan Wharton low to his left to give Saints a twenty fifth minute lead.

Hesitancy in the Saints defence however ensured the lead lasted less than sixty seconds as the hots countered straight from the restart. Mark Begg was allowed time on the edge of the box to pick out the run of Mark McGinty who sent a low shot across Graham Douglas and into the bottom corner of the net to restore parity.

Saints regained the lead in the twenty ninth minute when Lewis Cameron's trickery on the right took him to the bye-line from where he sent an inviting ball into the six yard box. Craig MacEwan met Cameron's cross but was denied by a fine reflex save from Nathan Wharton. Unfortunately for the Thistle keeper luck was not on his side when his parried save fell at the feet of MacEwan who slammed the ball high into the net from close range.

The hosts should have levelled the score for a second time in the thirty ninth minute however a wayward finish by Christopher Brannan came to Saints rescue. Mark Begg survived a big Saints appeal for an offside decision collecting a lofted ball over the top and running through on the left. Begg's low cross to the six yard line was met by Brannan who somehow, much to the relief of the Saints defence, managed to send the ball wide of target. Saints should have been happy at the let-off but continued their protests at the lack of an offside call too long for Referee John Cairney's liking with Willie Gemmell and Graham Douglas both picking up yellow cards for dissent.

In the dying seconds of the first half Lewis Cameron flashed a shot inches wide of Nathan Wharton's right hand post before Mr Cairney blew for half -time and a well earned rest from the intense heat for both sets of players.

After a quiet start to the second half Saints eventually clicked into gear in the fifty fifth minute. Cammy Hill's quick feet took him away from his marker to slip the ball through for Lewis Cameron. Cameron was felled twenty five yards out and slightly left of centre by James Gibbons earning Saints a free-kick in perfect Willie Gemmell territory. After coming close on a couple of recent occasions Gemmell's eye was now firmly in and he placed a perfect effort over the Thistle wall and into the postage stamp corner giving Nathan Wharton absolutely no chance.

Gemmell's first stike of the season signaled the end of his afternoon's work as he joined Donald Campbell on the touchline and was replaced by Matt Rippon in Saints first change of the afternoon.

Rippon joined Daniel Croarkin in midfield where Croarkin continued to work hard in the holding role making a timely block on Jonny Brennan on the edge of the Saints box to deny the Thistle wide man a strike on goal.

Thistle made their first change in the fifty ninth minute replacing midfielder William McMaster with striker Antony Mitchell.

Mitchell was quickly involved in the action flashing a shot from twenty yards wide of target from a Scott Watson ball from the left wing.

On the hour mark Saints withdrew Ruaridh Horne and Daniel Croarkin and replaced them with Scott Maitland and Fraser MacFarlane.

Deployed in a less familiar midfield role Maitland was soon presented with an opportunity to make his mark on proceedings when he arrived from deep onto a Fraser MacFarlane lay off from a Cammy Hill left wing cross. Unfortunately for Maitland the ball fell to his less deadly right foot and his shot sliced wide of Nathan Wharton's left hand post.

Good covering by Jamie Graham snuffed out a promising sixty fifth minute opening for Antony Mitchell before Thistle made the second of the two changes available to them replacing Mark Begg with Kieran Brannan.

More good work on the left by Cammy Hill turned the Thistle defence in the sixty seventh minute and created an opening for Fraser MacFarlane. Scott Watson tugged back MacFarlane, just outside the box in Mr Cairney's opinion, an indiscretion which earned the Thistle fullback a yellow card. Lewis Cameron resumed the free-kick mantle and continued where Willie Gemmell left off by slamming the ball into the bottom corner past the right hand of Nathan Wharton for Saints fourth goal.

Before the action could restart Lewis Cameron and Cammy Hill were replaced by James Ford and Keir MacLean.

The heat coupled with the fresh legs introduced by Saints made for a difficult closing twenty minutes for the home defence and keeper Nathan Wharton made good stops to deny James Ford, Fraser MacFarlane and Keir MacLean.

Saints maintained the upper hand and Craig MacEwan twice headed Fraser MacFarlane right wing corners just over before Mr Cairney called for one final water break going into the final ten minutes.

David Beaton's pace remained a constant threat on the right and the wide man raced away from Stuart Hunter in the eighty second minute to send a low cut-back into the box which Craig MacEwan got in front of David Collins to smash high into the net and round off the scoring.

Despite their charges never quite getting into full stride against a below full strength Motherwell side Saints management duo of Donald Campbell and Willie Gemmell will be reasonably satisfied with the afternoon's work which keeps them involved on three fronts going into the finishing straight of their first season in charge.

Saints return to league duty this coming Saturday when Inverclyde visit Glencruitten for the last ever Scottish Amateur Football League clash between the two old rivals. Taking charge of proceedings is experienced Lochgilphead based whistler Jimmy Litster.