Buchanan's Babes Shine at Matt Busby Complex

Saturday 28th September 2019
Blantyre RGM 2 - 5 Oban Saints
Central Scottish Amateur Football League
Division 1B
Sir Matt Busby Sports Complex
Main Street
Bellshill
ML4 3DP
Kick-off 2pm
Referee Mr. Douglas Gunning



Oban Saints bounced back from their West of Scotland Cup exit with a convincing Central Scottish Amateur Football League Division 1B away win against closest challengers Blantyre RGM in Bellshill last Saturday afternoon. At a sunny Sir Matt Busby Sports Complex a Lewis Cameron hat-trick and a goal each from James Ford and Donald Campbell gave Saints the points and the luxury of some valuable game time for babes Gavin Forgrieve and Aaron McKay.

With Co-Manager Willie Gemmell unavailable the double headache of Cammy Hill withdrawing from the travelling party at the eleventh hour and Kerr Newbigging failing a pre-match fitness test rested on the shoulders of Donald Campbell ably assisted by Coach Peter MacCallum and Secretary David Buchanan. Campbell promoted himself from the bench to take the number nine shirt and gave Matt Rippon the nod to partner Myles McAuley in midfield.

Also making a rare start, and producing a typically assured performance, was Thomas MacCulloch deputising in goal for the unavailable Graham Douglas.

Saints lined up with Thomas MacCulloch in goal behind a back four of David Beaton, Steven MacLeod, Captain Dene Cassells and Scott Maitland. Matt Rippon and Myles McAuley occupied the holding midfield roles with James Ford, Lewis Cameron and Craig MacEwan ahead and Donald Campbell leading the line.

On a youthful bench were Daniel Croarkin, Gavin Forgrieve and Aaron McKay.


Saints starting lineup:-

Used substitutes:-

Daniel Croarkin
Gavin Forgrieve
Aaron McKay



Blantyre RGM starting lineup:-

Used substitutes:-

Scott Black
Christopher Hill
Sam Kelly
Conor O'Donnelly
James Clark

Playing into the sun Saints made a bright start and took the lead after just four minutes. Captain Dene Cassells carried the ball out from the back and threaded a pass through for the run of Lewis Cameron. As the home defence appealed in vain for an offside decision from Referee Gunning Cameron rounded the advancing keeper and, from an acute angle, slotted the ball into the unguarded net to open the scoring.

Blantyre looked to hit back immediately and only a fine save from the legs of Thomas MacCulloch prevented Barry McLauchlan from levelling things up when he beat stand-in Saints fullback David Beaton to a long ball on the Blantyre left.

From the resulting corner kick MacCulloch showed no signs of rustiness after his long lay off springing to his right to push behind a Martin Kelly shot from the edge of the box. Barry McLauchlan probably couldn't believe his luck as the Saints defence switched off again allowing him to pick out Kelly from the corner flag for a second time in quick succession. This time however Kelly's effort from eighteen yards flew over the crossbar.

Lewis Cameron's fourteenth minute shot after cutting in from the left was deflected behind for a corner kick on the Saints right which Blantyre keeper Adam McKay did well to claw away under pressure from Dene Cassells. The home side then launched another quick counter-attack looking for the pace of Barry McLauchlan on the left however Matt Rippon read the situation well to get back and cut out the danger with a header back to goalkeeper MacCulloch.

Saints doubled their advantage on the quarter hour mark with a sweeping move from back to front. Myles McAuley's ball up to Donald Campbell was laid off perfectly for Lewis Cameron who held his run well before lifting over Adam McKay for his second goal of the afternoon.

The home side tried for the long ball over the top again in the nineteenth minute which left Saints central defensive pairing of Dene Cassells and Steven MacLeod frustrated at the lack off an offside award from the Referee. Mr Gunning, who handled proceedings well throughout, allowed Aidan Darcy to continue his run unchecked however Thomas MacCulloch was quickly off his line and thumped the ball clear ahead of the Blantyre centre forward.

Standing in for concussion victim Ruaridh Horne who faces six weeks on the sidelines, David Beaton might have hoped for a more gentle introduction to life as a fullback but Blantyre wide man Barry McLauchlan continued to give him a torrid time. McLauchlan got away from Beaton in the twenty second minute to send a dangerous ball into the box which the Saints defence could only clear as far as Martin Kelly on the edge of the box whose thumping right foot shot was headed behind by Steven MacLeod.

The hosts hit the crossbar in controversial circumstances in the twenty fourth minute. Before the Saints defence could set themselves for a free-kick just inside the Blantyre half Martin Kelly hit the dead ball from a good ten yards further forward which sailed over the head of Thomas MacCulloch before landing on top of the crossbar and bouncing behind for a goal kick.

Dene Cassells picked up the only caution of the afternoon for a late twenty eighth minute challenge on Aidan Darcy wide on the Blantyre right.

On the half hour mark Matt Rippon was unlucky to see a net bound shot from a Lewis Cameron lay-off cannon off a Blantyre defender and fly behind for a corner kick.

Craig MacEwan's perseverance won a thirty second minute throw-in on the left level with the penalty spot. Gathering in Scott Maitland's throw MacEwan carried the ball along the eighteen yard line and curled a right foot shot towards the top corner which Adam McKay acrobatically pushed behind. The Blantyre defence could only partly clear Scott Maitland's corner kick from the left with Lewis Cameron being felled just outside the box on the opposite corner. Cameron's free-kick hit the four man Blantyre wall but broke kindly for David Beaton who raced into the box and drew another excellent save from Adam McKay.

Saints kept the pressure on winning a corner kick on the right which Craig MacEwan was inches away from connecting with at the front post.

MacEwan was involved again in the thirty sixth minute making good ground on the left before picking out the supporting run of David Beaton who fired a low left foot shot just wide of Adam McKay's left hand post.

At the other end Saints survived a free-kick inside the D after Lewis Cameron was penalised for a trip on Kris Beggs. Aidan Darcy rolled the ball to Martin Kelly whose shot was blocked by the Saints wall with Kelly firing the rebound wide of target.

Donald Campbell passed up the chance to tee up Lewis Cameron for his hat-trick when the pair were clean through in the forty second minute. Campbell elected to go for goal himself but sent a tame effort looping into the grateful arms of the Blantyre keeper.

The second half was only thirty seconds old when Saints further stretched their advantage. Myles McAuley and Donald Campbell combined well to send James Ford through one-on-one with Adam McKay with the Saints man keeping his nerve to slot the ball past the hopelessly exposed keeper for Saints third goal.

Blantyre freshened things up with the introduction of Christopher Hill and Scott Black who would go on to make a significant contribution to the afternoon's events.

Thomas McCulloch showed safe hands to hold a David Rance shot before opposite number Adam McKay opted for a spectacular diving punch to clear a dangerous Scott Maitland fifty second minute left wing cross.

McKay repeated the feat ninety seconds later to take a Donald Campbell cross off the head of Craig MacEwan steaming in at the front post.

Lewis Cameron completed his hat-trick in the fifty seventh minute with Donald Campbell making it a hat-trick of assists. After a strong run on the left Scott Maitland picked out Donald Campbell on the edge of the box who in turn laid the ball off perfectly for Lewis Cameron to run in goal number four.

The hosts made a second double substitution sending on Sam Kelly and James Clark and reduced the deficit on the hour mark. Myles McAuley was penalised on the edge of the Saints box for a hotly disputed accidental handball. The Saints defensive wall stood up well to block the initial effort however the follow up effort found it's way through to Scott Black who side footed past Thomas MacCulloch.

Craig MacEwan wanted a little too much time to measure his finish after a good move up the left wing by Scott Maitland and Lewis Cameron set him up ten yards out only for James Clark to make a vital block.

Lewis Cameron almost bagged a fourth goal when he charged down an Adam McKay clearance but was unable to find the net from a tight angle with the relieved keeper getting back to gather safely on his goal-line.

Matt Rippon's good shift in the middle of the park came to an end when he was replaced by teenager Gavin Forgrieve in the sixty seventh minute.

With twenty minutes remaining on the clock Donald Campbell rounded off an excellent all round performance with a measured finish into the bottom corner from eighteen yards out after more good work on the left from Craig MacEwan and Lewis Cameron.

Before the restart Saints introduced another youngster when Aaron McKay replaced James Ford wide on the right.

Shortly afterwards Saints made their final change when Lewis Cameron took a well earned rest to give Daniel Croarkin his first run out after a five week lay off.

2018-19 John Smith's Trophy winners Blantyre kept plugging away and got their rewardin the seventy sixth minute when Scott Black notched his second goal of the afternoon with a peach of a volleyed finish. Black showed excellent technique to connect with a spinning ball which he sent flying past Thomas MacCulloch after a long free-kick had come off a Saints head on the eighteen yard line.

Blantyre keeper Adam McKay ensured the scoring ended there when he got down well to his left to turn a net bound eightieth minute Donald Campbell shot round his left hand post.

Chances were at a premium as the defences took control for the closing stages with the major positives for Saints being the performance of youngsters Forgrieve and McKay in considerably more experienced company and a first full ninety minutes of the season for Donald Campbell.

Referee Gunning brought the action to an end after three added minutes extending Saints winning start to the league season to seven games and extending their lead at the top of the Central Scottish Amateur Football League Division 1B table to eight points.

Thomas MacCulloch

David Beaton and Barry McLauchlan

Matt Rippon

Lewis Cameron opens the scoring

Thomas McCulloch springs to his right to push away Martin Kelly's shot

Adam McKay claws away a Lewis Cameron corner kick

Donald Campbell and Grant Kelly

James Ford accepts the congratulations of his team mates after netting Saints third goal

Adam McKay

Familiar goal celebration from Donald Campbell

Gavin Forgrieve

Aaron McKay

#monthesaints

Saints Cup Hopes Go West

Saturday 21st September 2019
West of Scotland Amateur Cup
First Round
Oban Saints 1 - 2 Inverclyde

Glencruitten 2

Mossfield Avenue

Oban

Argyll

PA34 4EH

Kick Off 2.00pm
Referee Mr Steven Nicholls


A disastrous opening sixteen minutes in which Oban Saints fell two goals and a man down left last season's runners-up with a West of Scotland Amateur Cup mountain to climb at a sun baked Glencruitten last Saturday afternoon. Despite enjoying the majority of possession throughout the first round match Saints were unable to turn the tie around and will now have one less cup competition to distract them from this season's principal target of promotion to the Central Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division.

Saints Management duo of Donald Campbell and Willie Gemmell made just one change to the starting lineup from the previous week's league win against Cambusnethan Talbot. In came Murdo MacKenzie in goal to make his senior team debut in place the unavailable Graham Douglas.

Saints lined up with Murdo MacKenzie in goal behind a back four of Ruaridh Horne, Paul Carmichael, Captain Dene Cassells and Scott Maitland. Kerr Newbigging partnered 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. On the bench were Donald Campbell, Willie Gemmell, Steven MacLeod, Matt Rippon and teenager Gavin Forgrieve.




Oban Saints starting lineup:-

Used substitutes:-
Steven MacLeod
Donald Campbell
Matt Rippon

Unused substitutes:-
Willie Gemmell
Gavin Forgrieve


Prior to kick-off Referee Steven Nicholls led both sets of players and officials in a silence of remembrance for Margaret Beaton, mother of Inverclyde player Craig Beaton, and Tom McInally, Secretary of Uddingston Anvil, both of whom had sadly passed away during the week.

Saints kicked off attacking the railway line end and were immediately on the attack with Lewis Cameron picking out Craig MacEwan's run through the inside left channel. Chasing pair Cammy Hill and David Beaton were inches away from connecting with MacEwan's cross on the run as the ball flew dangerously across the Inverclyde goalmouth.

Already through to the semi-finals of the Scottish Amateur Football League Centenary Cup Inverclyde took the first step towards extending their 100 percent record so far this season in the fourth minute. A vital challenge on the edge of the Saints box by Matty Kelly denied Craig Ellis a shooting opportunity at the expense of a corner kick but from Skipper Darren Docherty's delivery from the left Greg Wilson was left unmarked to send a header bouncing past the unsighted Murdo MacKenzie to give the visitors the lead.

Saints looked to hit back immediately but found Inverclyde keeper Sean O'Conner to be in inspired form. The big number one stood up well at his near post to beat away a Lewis Cameron shot before denying Cameron again with a finger tip save after a driving run up the right.

Dene Cassells picked up the first caution of the match for his protests after being harshly penalised following an aerial joust with Michael McKitrick.

The visitors doubled their advantage in the fifteenth minute when an accidental handball in the box by Saints Skipper Dene Cassells was punished with a penalty kick. Greg Wilson made no mistake from twelve yards sending Murdo MacKenzie in the wrong direction in the process.

Things turned from bad to worse for Saints just sixty seconds later when Referee Nicholls ignored a clear foul on Lewis Cameron on the half way line and allowed the visitors to break forward on the right. Chasing back, Paul Carmichael clipped the heels of  Michael McKitrick and, already with a booking to his name for his protests at the Inverclyde penalty kick, the big centre half knew his involvement in the tie was about to come to a premature end. Mr Nicholls showed Carmichael a straight red card leaving Saints staring down the barrel of a first round cup exit after just sixteen first half minutes.

Murdo MacKenzie did well to push the resulting twenty five free-kick from Darren Docherty over his cross bar for a corner kick from which Michael McKitrick hooked a shot off target.

Young fullback Ruaridh Horne was sacrificed in a tactical reshuffle which saw the experienced Steven MacLeod come on to form a back three with Dene Cassells and Scott Maitland.

Craig MacEwan sent a decent effort curling wide of the far post after cutting in from the left in the nineteenth minute as Saints set about trying to establish a foothold in a game which appeared already to be slipping away from them.

Lewis Cameron won the ball well in the centre circle in the twenty second minute and sent Cammy Hill off on a run. Hill tried to pick out Matty Kelly in the middle but sent his low cross too far in front of the supporting midfielder.

Five minutes later from a similar position Hill opted to go for goal himself but was denied by an excellent save from Sean O'Conner getting down smartly to his left at his near post.

At the other end a perfectly timed interception on the six yard line by Scott Maitland prevented Nick Jack from getting a shot away after Murdo MacKenzie could only parry a well struck Michael McKitrick drive.

Referee Nicholls ignored loud Saints appeals for a thirty seventh minute penalty kick after a Matty Kelly cutback struck an Inverclyde arm in the visitors box before Craig MacEwan and David Beaton both sent efforts over the crossbar.

Lady luck was on the side of Inverclyde central defender Patryk Gozdz when his sliced attempted clearance from a Scott Maitland cross spun narrowly over his own crossbar five minutes before half-time.

A fantastic double save from Matty Kelly and Cammy Hill by Sean O'Conner kept his side's two goal lead in tact before Referee Steven Nicholls brought the first half to a close.

Craig MacEwan's opening seconds cross from the left drifted agonisingly over the head of Cammy Hill as the ten man Saints made a positive start to the second forty five.

Just two minutes into the second half Sean O'Conner raced off his line to pip Craig MacEwan to a Matty Kelly through ball before Saints survived a scare at the other end when Michael McKitrick somehow failed to connect with a Nick Jack cutback from the right.

Newly signed Inverclyde defender Symon Gozdz continued to impress winning another important header at the back to repel a fifty third minute Lewis Cameron free-kick. Saints kept the pressure on however with Matty Kelly bursting forward and crashing a twenty yard drive just over the crossbar.

Sean O'Conner continued his impressive display in the Inverclyde goal with another excellent save to push a Kerr Newbigging shot from a low David Beaton cross over his crossbar.

Saints Co-Manager Donald Campbell joined the fray on the hour mark at the expense of teenage striker Cammy Hill. Campbell was quick to make an impression cutting in from the left and curling a shot just wide of the postage stamp corner.

The visitors lost their numerical advantage when Ryan Collins followed up a sixty fourth minute caution for simulation with a second yellow card sixty seconds later for petulantly kicking the ball away at a Saints free-kick.

Matty Rippon replaced David Beaton for the closing twenty minutes as Saints looked to inject fresh impetus into the attack.

Scott Maitland fired a shot over the crossbar after a jinking run on the left before Inverclyde defender Tom McKitrick received his marching orders after he dived to "save" a Donald Campbell shot on the goal line.

Definitely not on the goal line however was Sean O'Conner when he leapt forward and got down to his right to push Lewis Cameron's penalty kick round the post. Referee Nicholls however saw no need to order a retake and O'Conner continued his heroics by punching clear Lewis Cameron's corner kick from the left.

Kerr Newbigging and Matt Rippon both blazed very presentable chances over the crossbar as Saints collective lack of composure in front of goal continued to frustrate the home crowd.

Dene Cassells took advantage of Saints numerical advantage to join the attack for the closing stages and bucked the trend for failing to hit the target with an eighty second minute header straight down the throat of keeper O'Conner. 

The mounting Saints pressure eventually told and they pulled a goal back with five minutes remaining when Craig MacEwan nodded home at the back post from a Lewis Cameron cross from the right.

Try as they might, even with a ten men against nine numerical advantage, Saints couldn't find the second goal necessary to take the tie to a penalty shoot-out. The visitors defended valiantly and even when Saints did get the better of the Inverclyde defence they found O'Conner in no mood to concede again.

One final O'Conner save from a poorly struck Kerr Newbigging strike was as close as Saints came with the final act of a disappointing afternoon being a rare Steven MacLeod shot which slipped inches wide of O'Conner's right hand post.

Saints return to league business this coming Saturday with a very tricky away fixture against fellow promotion hopefuls Blantyre RGM.

Team Captains Dene Cassells and Darren Docherty with Referee Steven Nicholls

Murdo MacKenzie

Greg Wilson's header finds it way past Murdo MacKenzie to open the scoring

The Inverclyde players celebrate Greg Wilson's opening goal

Craig MacEwan can't quite connect with Lewis Cameron's corner kick

Sean O'Conner

Greg Wilson makes it 2 - 0 from the penalty spot

Scott Maitland and Tom McKitrick

Dene Cassells and Nick Jack

Cammy Hill

Patryk Gozdz

Matty Kelly and Darren Docherty

Donald Campbell and Symon Gozdz

Matt Rippon and Greg Wilson

Well off his line Sean O'Conner saves Lewis Cameron's penalty kick

Lewis Cameron

Craig MacEwan pulls one back

Craig MacEwan races back to the centre circle

Last kick of the game shot from Steven MacLeod goes just wide of target

#monthesaints

Four Shades Of Grey

Saturday 14th September 2019
Central Scottish Amateur Football League
Division 1B
Oban Saints 4 - 0 Cambusnethan Talbot

Glencruitten 2

Mossfield Avenue

Oban

Argyll

PA34 4EH

Kick Off 2.00pm
Referee Mr Kevin O'Neil


A hat-trick from Lewis Cameron and a further strike from leading goal scorer Craig MacEwan helped maintain Oban Saints 100% record at the top of the Central Scottish Amateur Football League Division 1B at a rain soaked Glencruitten last Saturday.

Resplendent in their new grey and black strips, kindly supplied by principal sponsors D&K Lafferty Contractors, Saints were made to work hard for the points against a battling Cambusnethan Talbot side still in search of their first league victory of the season.

Saints Management duo of Donald Campbell and Willie Gemmell made four changes to the starting lineup from the previous week's win away at Bridgewater. In came Paul Carmichael, Kerr Newbigging, Lewis Cameron and Cammy Hill for Steven MacLeod, Myles McAuley and Matt Rippon, who all dropped to the bench, and James Ford who was unavailable for selection. Completing another strong bench were Donald Campbell and teenager Gavin Forgrieve.

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:-
Steven MacLeod
Donald Campbell
Myles McAuley
Matt Rippon
Gavin Forgrieve


Prior to kick-off Referee Kevin O'Neill led both sets of players and officials in a silence of remembrance for former Saints player and manager Henrik Madej who sadly passed away during the week.

Graham Douglas' new luminous green goalkeeper's outfit left the opposition in no doubt as to where the target was and an audacious first minute lob from Ryan Boyle was inches away from forcing the Saints number one into early action.

Cambusnethan kept up their good start and only a good covering run by Scott Maitland prevented Frazer Kirkland from reaching an inviting ball over the top in the third minute.

Visiting keeper David Thomson made the first of a string of good saves to deny Lewis Cameron in the fourth minute before punching clear the resulting corner kick from the Saints left.

Timely interceptions from Talbot skipper Paul O'Kane and Gary Miller prevented Matty Kelly and David Beaton from getting on the end of Lewis Cameron crosses before Cammy Hill made a solid connection at the back post only to find David Thomson well positioned to make a clean catch.

Graham Douglas showed similarly safe hands at the other end to clutch a tenth minute Christopher McLennaghan free-kick as the even opening exchanges continued.

Lewis Cameron had a shot blocked behind for a seventeenth minute corner kick which the Talbot defence could only partially clear allowing Craig MacEwan a shooting opportunity which curled wide of the postage stamp corner.

The deadlock was broken in the twentieth minute when Lewis Cameron regained the scoring touch from the penalty spot which had recently deserted him. Cammy Hill's galloping run up the right touchline found David Beaton inside the box where the diminutive wide man had the legs whipped away from him giving Referee Kevin O'Neil an easy decision to make.

Craig MacEwan gathered in a twenty third minute Scott Maitland left wing cross before laying the ball off to Matty Kelly for a low twenty yard shot just wide of David Thomson's left hand post.

The visitors forced a twenty eighth minute corner kick which Paul Carmichael headed out towards the touchline under pressure from Paul O'Kane. The pair's tussle continued after the ball had rolled out for a throw-in and Referee O'Neil rewarded both with a yellow card.

David Thomson produced a fine save diving full length to his right to tip a thirty second minute Cammy Hill shot behind for a corner kick which Lewis Cameron smacked off the near post.

Sixty seconds later Cammy Hill's well weighted ball through the inside left channel was seized on by David Beaton who was denied a shooting chance by a perfectly timed sliding interception by Paul Costello.

David Thomson continued his heroics in the Talbot goal with another fine save from Lewis Cameron in the thirty seventh minute.

After climbing well to win a header the subsequent fall on his head didn't quite provide the soft landing for Ruaridh Horne that many onlookers had speculated on and, despite a brief groggy return to the action, the young fullback would fail to reappear after the half-time interval.

A diving header well wide of target from Ian Caulfield saw the first half action come to a close as the rain which had stayed away for most of the opening period turned heavier and had the crowd scurrying for the shelter of the trees on the hostel side.

Steven MacLeod replaced the out of sorts Ruaridh Horne for the start of the second half which saw Saints come flying out of traps. Cammy Hill and Lewis Cameron combined to set up David Beaton for a shot from eighteen yards which David Thomson did well to push behind for a corner kick.

It was Thomson to the rescue again from another sweeping Saints move on the left denying firstly Scott Maitland and then Craig MacEwan before Matty Kelly finally hooked the loose ball over the crossbar.

The visitors made the first of their changes in the fifty first minute sending on Douglas Bell to replace Aaron Gray.

Saints storming start to the second half petered out and Cambusnethan came close to an equaliser when Scott Bannatyne dispossessed Dene Cassells deep inside the Saints half only to send his cross from the right too close to Graham Douglas.

The brief panic in an otherwise steady performance from the Saints defence continued when Scott Maitland was robbed trying to usher the ball behind for a goal kick requiring a last ditch sliding challenge from Steven MacLeod inside the six yard box to clear the danger.

Kerr Newbigging made way for Myles McAuley just before the half hour mark with McAuley soon on the wrong end of a trip in the centre circle which earned Cambusnethan substitute Douglas Bell a yellow card.

The visitors picked up a third caution when Gary Miller's late lunge on Cammy Hill brought a promising Saints counter-attack to a premature end.

A further Saints change followed in the sixty seventh minute which paid instant dividends for the home side. David Beaton was withdrawn in favour of Donald Campbell who linked up with Lewis Cameron to feed Craig MacEwan on the left. MacEwan's cross evaded keeper David Thomson who would have been impressed with the agility shown by Paul Costello to fingertip Cammy Hill's net bound cushioned volley over the crossbar. Less impressed with Costello's innovative intervention was Referee O'Neil who sent the big defender packing. Lewis Cameron made no mistake with his second penalty kick of the afternoon to double Saints lead.

More inventive work from Donald Campbell and Lewis Cameron saw Cameron unselfishly pick out the supporting run of Craig MacEwan who calmly slotted the ball past the hopelessly exposed Cambusnethan keeper to put the game well beyond the reach of the ten men.

Keith Hogg replaced Frazer Kirkland as the visitors made their second change before the restart.

Lewis Cameron missed the chance to seal his hat-trick in the seventy fifth minute heading a cross from Central Scottish Amateur Football League Select colleague Matty Kelly wide of target.

Donald Campbell followed suit two minutes later getting underneath a Lewis Cameron corner kick from the left to head the ball high over the crossbar.

Saints made a double substitution with ten minutes remaining replacing Cammy Hill and Matty Kelly with Matt Rippon and Gavin Forgrieve.

Both substitutes were quickly into the action and only the outstretched right leg of Cambusnethan keeper David Thomson prevented Matt Rippon from adding to the scoring when played in by Donald Campbell.

Referee Kevin O'Neil, who had a good game, remained unmoved by a loud Saints hand ball appeal when a Craig MacEwan shot appeared to strike the arm of a Cambusnethan defender.

Lewis Cameron completed his hat-trick and rounded off the scoring in the eighty fourth minute slotting home from the corner of the six yard box after being sent through by young Gavin Forgrieve.

Wayward finishes from Donald Campbell and Craig MacEwan failed to find the target as Saints continued to find gaps in the visitor's stretched defence.

Mr O'Neil ruled out a Craig MacEwan strike for offside and David Thomson made another fine save to deny MacEwan a second goal of the afternoon before Mr O'Neil brought proceedings to a close.

Saints are at home again this coming Saturday when they welcome old rivals Inverclyde in the first round of the West of Scotland Amateur Cup. Taking charge of the 2.00 pm kick off at Glencruitten is experienced Caledonian League Referee Steven Nicholls.

The Saints match day squad show off their new kit

Team Captains Dene Cassells and Paul O'Kane with Referee Kevin O'Neil

Silence of remembrance for Henrik Madej

Graham Douglas

Ryan Boyle

David Beaton and Gary Miller

Celebrations after Lewis Cameron's opening goal

Cammy Hill turns the other cheek as David Thomson thumps clear

Craig MacEwan makes it 3 - 0

Lewis Cameron rounds off the scoring at 4 - 0

Donald Campbell and Matt Rippon congratulate Lewis Cameron on sealing his hat-trick

Scott Maitland and Frazer Kirkland aerial joust

Gavin Forgrieve

#monthesaints