Winning In The Rain: Four Star Saints Stay Top

Saturday 31st August 2019
Stedfast K 1 - 4 Oban Saints
Central Scottish Amateur Football League
Division 1B
Scotstoun Sports Campus
72 Danes Drive
Glasgow
G14 9HD
Kick-off 2pm
Referee Mr. Stephen Fox

Oban Saints continued their winning start to the Central Scottish Amateur Football League campaign with a 4 - 1 away victory against Stedfast K at Scotstoun Sports Campus last Saturday afternoon.

A first minute own goal from Stedfast fullback Robert McIntyre gave Saints an advantage which they never looked back from before further strikes from Matty Kelly, Craig MacEwan and James Ford consolidated Saints position at the the top of the fledgling Division 1B.

Work, injuries, suspension and paternity leave deprived Saints Management duo Donald Campbell and Willie Gemmell of the services of six of the squad which had put nine goals past Clydebank on the previous Saturday.

David Beaton, Lewis Cameron, Paul Carmichael, Daniel Croarkin, Cammy Hill and new dad Kerr Newbigging all dropped out to be replaced by Myles McAuley, Steven MacLeod, Matt Rippon and youngsters Gavin Forgrieve and Aaron McKay.

Saints lined up with Graham Douglas in goal behind a back four of Ruaridh Horne, Steven MacLeod, Captain Dene Cassells and Scott Maitland. Matty Kelly and Myles McAuley occupied the holding midfield roles with Ross Maitland, Matt Rippon and James Ford ahead and Craig MacEwan leading the line.

Co-Managers Donald Campbell and Willie Gemmell were joined on the bench by teenagers Gavin Forgrieve and Aaron McKay.

Saints starting lineup:-

Used substitutes:-

Gavin Forgrieve
Aaron McKay

Unused Substitutes:-

Donald Campbell
Willie Gemmell

The match got off to the best possible start for Saints when Stedfast fullback Robert McIntyre headed past his own keeper inside the first minute. Referee Stephen Fox ignored a loud appeal from the home side for a push when Ross Maitland lifted a free-kick from the left into the Stedfast box and when the ball bounced on the six yard line McIntyre's attempted header back to his keeper evaded the grasp of George Riddick and found the back of the net.

Craig MacEwan was the meat in a fifth minute sandwich between Robin Lim and Sinclair Soutar with Ross Maitland sending the resulting free-kick fractionally over the head of Myles McAuley steaming in at the front post.

The blustery conditions were making things difficult for both sides and a long ball over the top in the twelfth minute had the Saints defence frantically back tracking. On the score sheet four times already this season Grant Cathro looked set to add to his tally when he raced in behind the Saints defence and beat Graham Douglas to the bouncing ball on the corner of the Saints box. Fortunately for Saints Cathro's header drifted wide of target with Scott Maitland galloping back to guard the vacant goalmouth.

Saints doubled their advantage after twenty minutes from a patient build-up involving Craig MacEwan, Ross Maitland and Matt Rippon. Getting forward to support the attack, Matty Kelly picked up Rippon's lay off and took full advantage of the space created to clip the ball from the edge of the Stedfast box away from the despairing right hand of George Riddick and into the bottom corner of the net.

After missing the previous week's match against Clydebank Myles McAuley picked up where he had left off with another excellent performance in front of the Saints back four. After beating Ciaran McPhie in the air to concede a twenty second minute corner kick, McAuley blocked the McPhie's delivery from the corner flag at the front post and showed good strength to hold off several challenges and carry the ball to safety.

Scott Maitland did well to head a deep Robert McIntyre left wing cross behind for a corner kick in the twenty seventh minute as the hosts continued to look for a way back into the game.

Matty Kelly, who put in an impressive performance in front of the watching League Select Manager, was upended by William Plommer wide on the Saints left in the twenty ninth minute giving Ross Maitland a chance to show his prowess with the dead ball. Maitland didn't disappoint and sent an excellent ball to the near post which was met perfectly on the run by Craig MacEwan who bulleted a header into the roof of the net to further stretch Saints advantage.

Stedfast Skipper James Harvey blazed a thirty two yard free-kick high over the crossbar before top scorer Grant Cathro pulled one back for the home side. A rare lapse in concentration at the back had the Saints defence struggling to clear a long ball into the box and, when Dene Cassells couldn't get the connection he was looking for with his attempted headed clearance, Cathro pounced with a hooked left footed effort which gave Graham Douglas no chance.

Craig MacEwan and Matt Rippon both came close to adding to the scoring before Referee Fox brought the first half to an end with Saints good value for their two goal advantage.

Saints began the second period where they left off and Skipper Dene Cassells came within a hair's breadth of connecting with a Ross Maitand corner from the left after just three second half minutes.

A well timed interception from Robert McIntyre prevented a terrific forty ninth minute left wing cross from James Ford reaching Ross Maitland at the back post before a rare shot from distance from Myles McAuley flew over George Riddick's crossbar.

Matty Kelly followed McAuley's example with a powerful fifty first minute effort from thirty five yards which also failed to hit the target.

The home side's hopes of getting back into the match were dealt a blow when Skipper James Harvey received his marching orders from Referee Fox after picking up a second yellow card for dissent in the fifty fourth minute.

Continuing the trend for long range efforts to hit the perimeter fencing rather than the back of the net, Stedfast's former Lochgilphead Red Star youngster Ciaran McPhie blazed a thirty six yard free-kick high over the bar after Saints were caught over elaborating at the back in the fifty seventh minute.

From the restart Saints worked the ball up the left wing where a sensational jinking run into the box by James Ford was rewarded when his dinked finish evaded a last gasp attempted goal-line clearance to nestle in the back of the net and restore Saints three goal cushion.

The hosts replaced centre forward Colin Preston with Neil Dempsey for the final thirty minutes.

Some excellent pressing from Saints prevented Stedfast playing out from their own penalty area in the sixty fifth minute with Ross Maitland dispossessing Robert McIntyre and setting up Matt Rippon for a shot on goal which was well stopped low to his right by George Riddick.

That proved to be Rippon's final contribution of a useful first outing of the season with his place being taken by sixteen year-old Gavin Forgrieve.

James Ford and Craig MacEwan combined well on the left to set up MacEwan for a swerving sixty eighth minute effort which Stedfast keeper Riddick did well to finger tip behind for a corner kick.

Gavin Forgrieve came close to marking his competitive Saints debut with a goal however his seventieth minute shot was charged down with James Ford's tap-in of the loose ball being ruled out for offside.

George Riddick continued to dent Saints hopes of a fifth goal with another good seventy second minute save to deny Matty Kelly.

Both sides made changes for the closing fifteen minutes with Robin Lim making way for David McLeary for the hosts and Saints withdrawing Ross Maitland in favour of sixteen year-old Aaron McKay.

Saints used their numerical advantage to keep the hosts under pressure and had further efforts from Myles McAuley, Gavin Forgrieve and Matty Kelly which narrowly failed to hit the target.

Graeme Shakeshaft was cautioned by Referee Fox for a trip on Dene Cassells with Mr Fox once again demonstrating he would not tolerate dissent by issuing a stern lecture on the sidelines to Saints Co-Manager Willie Gemmell for his continued protestations.

Robert McIntyre's late challenge on Gavin Forgrieve earned the Stedfast fullback a second yellow card which saw him leave the action in the ninety fourth minute. From the resulting free-kick George Riddick saved his best until last to push Craig MacEwan's twenty eight yard dipping effort over the crossbar.

After Stedfast had successfully cleared Gavin Forgrieve's corner kick from the right Referee Fox, who had a good game, decided he had seen enough and blew for full-time extending Saints winning start to four matches.

Saints are on the road again this Saturday when they travel to Govan's Palace of Art to face Erskine based AFC Bridgewater on league business.