Winning In The Rain: Finally A Final

Saturday 13th April 2019
West of Scotland Amateur Cup
Semi-final
Oban Saints 2 - 1 Shortlees
The Hope CBD Stadium
Hamilton
ML3 0FT
Kick Off 2pm
Referee Mr Joseph Todd
Assistant Referee Mr Scott Bunting
Assistant Referee Mr Stuart Broadfoot
Fourth Official Mr Anthony McCann

After fifty plus years of trying Saints finally reached the final of one of the major cup competitions with a 2 - 1 victory over Shortlees in the West of Scotland Cup semi-final at the Hope CBD Stadium, home of Hamilton Academical, last Saturday afternoon. Keir Knapp gave Shortlees the lead direct from the corner flag early in a first half which the reigning Ayrshire Amateur Football Association Premier League Champions enjoyed the better of. Saints however recovered and drew level through a thirty eighth minute Matty Kelly strike before suffering a major blow with the loss to injury of Donald Campbell on the stroke of half-time. Saints gave a far better account of themselves in the second half and a towering sixty fourth minute header from Captain Dene Cassells from a Willie Gemmell free-kick sealed the win and booked a return to Hamilton for the final against four time competition winners Bannockburn on Friday 3rd May.

Following the previous week's experimental lineup against Port Glasgow Saints were along far more recognisable lines for their biggest test of the season so far against the current Scottish Amateur Cup holders. Graham Douglas lined up in goal behind a back four of Jamie Graham, Steven MacLeod, Captain Dene Cassells and Scott Maitland. Matty Kelly got the nod for the holding midfield role alongside Willie Gemmell. Ahead of them were James Ford, Lewis Cameron and Cammy Hill with Donald Campbell leading the line. Making up a youthful bench were David Beaton, Daniel Croarkin, Ruaridh Horne, Fraser MacFarlane and Matt Rippon.

Saints made a promising start playing into the strong cold wind and Shortlees keeper Garry Murdoch had to come through a pile of bodies to punch clear a second minute Lewis Cameron cross from the left wing.

Sixty seconds later Dene Cassells glanced a Lewis Cameron free-kick from the left corner of the box wide of Garry Murdoch's left hand post.

Jamie Graham was penalised for a fifth minute foul on Shortlees skipper Keir Knapp on the 'lees left. Knapp's delivery into the box was headed behind by Lewis Cameron. Set piece expert Knapp put the resulting corner kick into the danger area which Saints could only partially clear with the ball eventually returning to Knapp who sent a left foot volley wide of target.

An eighth minute cross from the right from Greig Rankin was headed behind at the back post for a corner kick by Jamie Graham. Renowned as one of the biggest talents in the amateur game Keir Knapp gave a glimpse of why he is held in such high regard by curling his slightly wind assisted corner kick beyond the despairing grasp of Graham Douglas and into the the postage stamp corner to give Shortlees the lead.

Saints responded straight from the restart with Cammy Hill skipping past three challenges on the left and picking out James Ford in the middle for a low shot which Garry Murdoch did well to hold.

Willie Gemmell converted two free-kicks when the two sides met in the West of Scotland Cup last season and he came within inches of finding the net in the fourteenth minute. Scott Maitland's driving run on the left was halted by James Ferguson on the corner of the Shortlees box from where Gemmell curled a good effort just wide of Garry Murdoch's left hand post.

Cheaply conceded possession midway inside their own half almost cost Saints dearly in the seventeenth minute however Keir Knapp's left foot shot from eighteen yards lacked the power to trouble Graham Douglas who saved comfortably to his right.

Winners of the competition in 2016 Shortlees continued to hold the upper hand without posing too much of a threat to Saints keeper Graham Douglas who was well protected by his back four.

A quickly taken twenty second minute free-kick from Keir Knapp sent Greig Rankin into the Saints box however Scott Maitland read the danger well matching Rankin's run and seeing the ball harmlessly behind for as goal kick.

At the other end a James Ferguson foul on Lewis Cameron gave Willie Gemmell a second chance to test Garry Murdoch with the dead ball however this time Gemmell's effort clipped the top of the Shortless wall and spun behind for a corner kick. Lewis Cameron's delivery from the left was right on top of Garry Murdoch and the 'Lees keeper showed safe handling under pressure to gather cleanly.

Another stray pass at the back in the thirty fifth minute gave Keir Knapp another chance to inflict more damage on the Saints goal. After laying off to Joe Gold, Knapp raced onto Gold's well weighted return pass through the inside right channel before cutting onto his left and firing a low shot across Graham Douglas which the Saints keeper at full stretch did well to turn behind for a corner kick.

Saints brought themselves right back into the match in the thirty seventh minute after good work on the right by Cammy Hill. After beating Kieran Paterson, Hill got to the bye-line and picked out James Ford arriving in the middle. With the ball slightly behind him Ford's stabbed effort wasn't the cleanest of strikes and keeper Garry Murdoch was able to parry to his right. The rebound fell to Lewis Cameron who saw his first time effort blocked by Gordon Minor. The Shortlees defence however still couldn't clear the danger and Donald Campbell was next to line a up a strike which Minor again managed to block before the ball eventually broke to Matthew Kelly who buried it in the bottom corner past the right hand of the Shortlees keeper.

Having hauled themselves back on level terms Saints were dealt a cruel blow with the loss to injury of Co-Manager Donald Campbell. In a tussle close to the near touchline with Keir Knapp, Campbell twisted his lower back and fell to the ground in agony. There was nothing Davie Buchanan's magic sponge could do to retrieve the situation and Campbell had to be replaced by David Beaton with just one minute of the first forty five remaining. There was great concern on the Saints bench when Campbell lost the feeling in his right leg and the St Andrew's First Aid crew immediately arranged for him to be taken to Wishaw General Hospital. Fortunately, after some treatment, Campbell was able to return after the final whistle and rejoin the traveling party for the bus journey home.

With the wind at their backs for the second half Saints started brightly and James Ford sent a hook shot from a long Willie Gemmell throw-in flashing across the face of goal and just wide of Garry Murdoch's left hand post in the forty eighth minute.

Shortlees responded immediately with a delightfully floated Keir Knapp free-kick which an unmarked Greig Rankin could only head into the grateful arms of Graham Douglas.

The Ayrshire men had a loud penalty kick appeal dismissed after the team Captains had a coming together in the fifty first minute. On the right edge of the Saints penalty area Keir Knapp's pace took him away from Dene Cassells who slid in and sent his opposite number sprawling. Referee Joe Todd immediately blew for a foul and, after consultation with his stand side assistant Scott Bunting, gave a free-kick just outside of the box a decision which infuriated the Shortlees bench.

Another quick free-kick from Keir Knapp after Matty Kelly had been penalised for a foul on Douglas Robertson was well intercepted at the expense of a corner kick by Willie Gemmell with Joe Gold waiting to connect with Knapp's low delivery. Central defender Kieran Paterson took the corner kick from the right and found the head of Greig Rankin who couldn't get over the ball and sent his header looping over the crossbar.

Adam Smith became the first entry in Mr Todd's notebook for a sixtieth minute shirt pull on Lewis Cameron and was quickly joined by midfield colleague Douglas Robertson for a heavy challenge on Matty Kelly on the halfway line.

Saints got their noses in front in the sixty fourth minute from the head of Skipper Dene Cassells who bagged his fifth goal of the season so far. David Beaton was hauled down by James Ferguson just outside the Shortlees box on the Saints left level with the penalty spot. Willie Gemmell sent the free-kick to the back post where Dene Cassells out-jumped Kieran Paterson on the six yard line and thumped a header past the helpless Garry Murdoch to give his side the lead.

Cassells was involved in more familiar territory at the other end of the park four minutes later with a well timed sliding interception on Keir Knapp inside the Saints box at the expense of a corner kick.

Cammy Hill's persistence by the corner flag won Saints a seventieth minute free-kick on the left. Lewis Cameron's delivery was headed behind for a corner kick from where Cameron picked out Cammy Hill for a glancing near post header just wide of Garry Murdoch's right hand post.

Saints good second half performance continued with a James Ford shot from the right edge of the box which 'Lees keeper Garry Murdoch did well to hold to his right.

Willie Gemmell picked up the first Saints caution of the afternoon for a deliberate handball well spotted by Referee Joe Todd midway inside the Shortlees half.

The Ayrshire men made a change with fifteen minutes remaining replacing Douglas Robertson with Murray Johnston. Saints followed suit five minutes later withdrawing James Ford and introducing Matt Rippon.

Shortlees substitute Murray Johnston had a good change to bring his side level in the eighty third minute peeling off at the back post to receive a Keir Knapp cross but, fortunately for Saints, sent his shot across Graham Douglas wide of the left hand upright.

Jamie Graham's tackle through the back of Keir Knapp on the half-way line earned him a yellow card. Saints, however, quickly regained possession from Knapp's quickly taken free kick and counter attacked through Cammy Hill. The young striker raced through on goal but delayed his shot too long and was foiled by the combined efforts of Kieran Paterson and Garry Murdoch.

With the clock ticking down Shortlees pushed giant centre-half Gordon Minor into the attack leaving them stretched at the back. In the eighty fifth minute Lewis Cameron sent David Beaton through on the left from where he picked out Cammy Hill for a left foot shot which Garry Murdoch, diving to his right, did well to claw away.

It was end to end stuff at this point and Shortlees had the ball in the net but had Murray Johnston's close range header from a Keir Knapp cross correctly ruled out for offside.

Shortlees were pressing hard for an equaliser but the Saints defence coped well with everything their experienced opponents could throw at them.

A cynical late ninety first minute challenge on Lewis Cameron by a clearly frustrated Keir Knapp caused players on both sides to momentarily loose their cool. Referee Todd, who along with Assistants Scott Bunting and Stuart Broadfoot handled proceedings well, calmly restored order and issued yellow cards to Cammy Hill and Gordon Minor before giving Steven MacLeod and Keir Knapp their marching orders.

With play back underway their was more work for the officials in the fourth of the six added minutes when the previously substituted Douglas Robertson was shown a red card for his unwelcome comments from the bench towards Fourth Official Tony McCann.

Mr Todd eventually brought an entertaining semi-final for the 225 strong crowd to a close confirming a return trip for the final for Saints in just under three weeks time.

The Saints Management and players would like to extend grateful thanks to all those who sent good luck messages for the match and especially to the loyal band of supporters who made the journey to Hamilton.

Saints are on the road again this coming Saturday with a trip to face Motherwell Thistle in the quarter-final of the Scottish Amateur Football League Jimmy Marshall Trophy