Winning In The Rain: Saints On Cloud Nine

Saturday 24th August 2019
Central Scottish Amateur Football League
Division 1B
Oban Saints 9 - 0 ClydebankAFC

Glencruitten 2

Mossfield Avenue

Oban

Argyll

PA34 4EH

Kick Off 2.00pm
Referee Mr Tom Cavanagh

After labouring somewhat in their first two Central Scottish Amateur Football League Division 1B fixtures Oban Saints finally clicked into gear against Clydebank AFC at Glencruitten last Saturday afternoon.

Keeping up a high tempo from the first whistle Saints gave their goal difference a substantial boost rattling in nine goals without reply in a polished all round performance which kept the Glencruitten faithful richly entertained throughout the ninety minutes.

Already without the unavailable Myles McAuley, Saints Management duo of Donald Campbell and Willie Gemmell were dealt a further blow when Dean Smith was forced to withdraw from the squad at the eleventh hour.

The late changes meant places on the substitutes bench for both Co-managers alongside Daniel Croarkin, James Ford and Ross Maitland.

Saints lined up with Graham Douglas in goal behind a back four of Ruaridh Horne, Paul Carmichael, Captain Dene Cassells and Scott Maitland. Kerr Newbigging got the nod to partner Matty Kelly in the holding midfield role behind the more advanced triumvirate of David Beaton, Lewis Cameron and Craig MacEwan. Spearheading the attack was Cammy Hill.

Oban Saints starting lineup:-

Used substitutes:-

Donald Campbell
Daniel Croarkin
James Ford
Ross Maitland

Unused substitute:-

Willie Gemmell

Clydebank AFC starting lineup:-

Used substitutes:-

Kieran McLeod
Thomas Stewart
Greg Fanning
Ryan McGilveray

Unused substitute:-

Danny Hilditch

Saints kicked off attacking the railway line end and were immediately on the attack with Clydebank keeper Andrew Cameron, who despite the scoreline had a good game, making a smart save low to his left to deny Matty Kelly on the end of a Lewis Cameron through ball.

A second minute overlapping run and low left wing cross from Scott Maitland was nicked away from Craig MacEwan inside the six yard box by Jay Malarkey at the expense of a corner kick which Kevin Stanley headed away at the front post.

Craig MacEwan and Lewis Cameron combined to good effect on the left to set up Cammy Hill for a close range fourth minute effort which the young striker stabbed narrowly wide of Andrew Cameron's left hand post.

Hill was off target again sixty seconds later from a David Beaton cutback as the Saints pressure continued to build.

The visitors had their first foray into Saints territory after six minutes but Barry O'Donnell's long free-kick into the box was comfortably plucked out of the air by Graham Douglas.

The early Saints pressure eventually paid off when Lewis Cameron slipped Cammy Hill through on goal with the big striker side footing a low finish into the net past the advancing Andrew Cameron.

After hooking a twenty yard effort over the crossbar, David Beaton doubled Saints advantage in the fourteenth minute reacting quickly to tuck away the loose ball after a Craig MacEwan shot had been blocked by Darren Murray.

Cammy Hill outpaced the Bankies defence to reach a twenty second minute Kerr Newbigging flick-on and take Saints goal tally to three. Hill kept his composure to round the exposed Andrew Cameron before tapping home a composed left foot finish from close range.

Bankies left wing back Ian Huggan had his name taken by Referee Tom Cavanagh for a trip on David Beaton before Kerr Newbigging narrowly escaped a similar fate for a late challenge on Kevin Stanley midway inside the Bankies half.

Andrew Cameron denied Matty Kelly for a second time gathering at the second attempt after parrying Kelly's sweetly struck thirty first minute shot after a good right wing build up from David Beaton and Ruaridh Horne.

A mistimed Ian Huggan sliding challenge on Cammy Hill inside the Bankies box gave Referee Tom Cavanagh an easy decision to make in awarding Saints a thirty eighth minute penalty kick. Andrew Cameron got down well to his left to push away Lewis Cameron's spot kick and was quickly up on his feet to save Cameron's second effort on the rebound and complete an excellent double save.

A forty second minute driving run through the inside left channel from Craig MacEwan had the Bankies defence on the back foot. MacEwan's pass inside found Cammy Hill who in turn picked out Lewis Cameron for a shot on goal. Cameron's effort was blocked and sent wide of target however Matty Kelly kept the move alive and cut the ball back from the left for Craig MacEwan to lift over Andrew Cameron for Saints fourth goal.

A rare breakaway on the right from Clydebank's Jamie Pollock was snuffed out when Kerr Newbigging, who had a good game in front of the back four, got back to help Captain Dene Cassells see out the danger before Referee Tom Cavanagh sounded the half-time whistle.

The Bankies made a change for the start of the second half replacing Ian Huggan on the left with Kieran McLeod.

McLeod had a chance to utilise his long throw after David Beaton had stood up well to block McLeod's attempted cross from the left. Graham Douglas was able to safely gather the long throw into the six yard box before launching a swift Saints counter attack on the right. Ruaridh Horne's run had the Bankie's defence backpedalling and his cross to the back post picked out Craig MacEwan. MacEwan's Bergkampesque exquisite first touch to control Horne's cross took him away from the advancing Andrew Cameron and opened up the space for him to roll the ball into the empty net for a wonderful goal that will linger long in the memories of the Glencruitten faithful.

David Beaton's tightening hamstring saw him withdrawn as a precautionary measure in the fifty first minute to be replaced by James Ford.

Bankies Skipper Kevin Stanley did well to cut out a Lewis Cameron cross intended for Cammy Hill after another good move on the left involving Cameron, Scott Maitland and Craig MacEwan.

Despite Saints domination of proceedings Clydebank kept battling away gamely and came close to notching a consolation goal in the fifty seventh minute. Dene Cassells, who was once again in commanding form at the heart of the Saints defence, was robbed playing out from the back by Barry O'Donnell. O'Donnell was able to thread the ball through for the run of Jamie Pollock who was denied by an excellent save from Graham Douglas to keep his highly prized clean sheet intact.

In Saints second change Kerr Newbigging made way for Daniel Croarkin in a straight swap in front of the back four after fifty eight minutes.

Last season's top scorer Lewis Cameron made up for his earlier penalty miss notching Saints sixth goal on the half hour mark. Matty Kelly provided his second assist of the afternoon picking out Cameron for a crisply struck shot across his namesake in the Bankies goal which nestled neatly in the bottom corner of the net.

This was the cue for Ross Maitland, who has been in impressive form with Saints second team, to make his return to the first eleven. After ripping his boots in training during the week, and learning of his recall to the first team, a frantic search for new boots for Maitland's dainty feet had ensued. With Oban Sports Shop unable to help, and no branches of Mothercare locally, a pair of boots had to be borrowed from Under 13's striker Zander Craik.

Also making a return after a long absence was Co-manager Donald Campbell who has been out of action since being stretchered off during last season's West of Scotland Cup semi-final. Campbell took Cammy Hill's place up front for the final twenty five minutes.

James Ford curled a left foot effort wide of Andrew Cameron's right hand post before Donald Campbell added a seventh goal in the eightieth minute. Campbell read the bounce of the spinning ball perfectly after a Matty Kelly shot had been partially blocked and volleyed past the helpless Andrew Cameron from close range.

Saints were almost caught cold from the restart with Scott Maitland having to scurry hastily back and make a vital interception to cut out a clever ball over the top for the run of Jamie Pollock.

Young Zander Craik's boots certainly did the trick for Ross Maitland as the evergreen wide man latched onto an eighty second minute Donald Campbell through ball to slam home goal number eight.

Maitland, who has been turning on the style for Saints since before some of the current crop of players were born, thumped home another excellent twenty two yard finish taking Saints goal tally to nine in the eighty seventh minute.

Mr Cavanagh, who handled the match well, denied Ross Maitland a hat-trick giving the benefit of an extremely tight ninetieth minute offside call to the visitors before bringing proceedings to a close after a minimal amount of added time.

This coming Saturday Saints take their 100% league record to Scotstoun Sports Campus where they will face Stedfast K who finished last season's Division 1A in fourth place just one point short of a place in the play-off's for promotion to the Premier Division.