Winning In The Rain: Definitely Maybe

Saturday 26th October 2019
Central Scottish Amateur Football League
Division 1B
Oban Saints 6 - 1 Garrowhill Thistle

Glencruitten 2

Mossfield Avenue

Oban

Argyll

PA34 4EH

Kick Off 2.00pm
Referee Mr Anthony McCann

Following the drama of the Scottish Amateur Cup tie against Vale of Earn which took two games and a penalty shoot-out to resolve Oban Saints returned to league business at Glencruitten last Saturday for the visit of Garrowhill Thistle. Second half substitute Matt Rippon successfully converted his third penalty kick of the season to round off a 6 - 1 win adding to a brace from Donald Campbell and a hat-trick from leading goalscorer Craig MacEwan.

Management duo Donald Campbell and Willie Gemmell made two changes to the starting line-up from the previous week's trip to Crieff promoting Cammy Hill from the bench to replace David Beaton and rewarding Gavin Forgrieve for his recent impressive displays for the second team with a place in midfield affording Matty Kelly a rest following his exertions with the Central Scottish Amateur Football League Select.

Saints lined up with Graham Douglas in goal behind a familiar back four of Ruaridh Horne, Steven MacLeod, Captain Dene Cassells and Scott Maitland. Teenager Gavin Forgrieve partnered Willie Gemmell in the holding midfield roles behind the more advanced triumvirate of Cammy Hill, Lewis Cameron and Craig MacEwan. Leading the line was Donald Campbell while David Beaton, Matty Kelly, Myles McAuley, Aaron McKay and Matt Rippon occupied the bench.

Oban Saints starting lineup:-

Used substitutes:-

David Beaton
Matty Kelly
Myles McAuley
Aaron McKay
Matt Rippon

Saints kicked off attacking the railway line end where Willie Gemmell twice came close to opening the scoring inside the first ten minutes. Firstly Gemmell squeezed a lay-off from Craig MacEwan after a Scott Maitland overlapping run and cross inches wide of target before Thistle keeper Callum McAuley threw up a strong left hand to stop a thumping twenty five yard strike from the Saints Co-Gaffer.

The home faithful didn't have too much longer to wait for the opening goal which came from the head of Craig MacEwan in the thirteenth minute. Ruaridh Horne sent a tempting cross from the right onto the six yard line where MacEwan held off the challenge of William Coulter to nod the ball into the bottom corner past a static Callum McAuley.

Donald Campbell had a fifteenth minute shot blocked behind for a corner kick from the right which swung agonisingly out of the reach of Cammy Hill before the visitors threatened for the first time at the other end. Thistle striker Lee Drummond was afforded space and time to carry the ball unchallenged into the left corner of the Saints box from where he sent a decent effort just over Graham Douglas' crossbar.

There was a loud appeal for offside from the Saints back four in the nineteenth minute however Referee Tony McCann, sporting a new Liam Gallagher style haircut, was unimpressed and allowed Oliver Ferguson to continue his run into the box and fire off a shot which Graham Douglas did extremely well to hold.

The indecisiveness at the back which so nearly saw Saints exit the Scottish Amateur cup in their last home outing returned for a very jittery ten minute spell which gave the visitors the belief they could take something from the game. Ruaridh Horne let a twenty first minute Craig Lamont pass roll under his feet straight into the path of Alister Macready who lifted a very presentable opportunity over the crossbar. This was followed up three minutes later by another let-off after Oliver Ferguson turned Dene Cassells on the halfway line and raced through on goal. Fortunately for Saints the Jags striker fired his shot straight at Graham Douglas who gratefully clutched the ball to his chest.

Willie Gemmell's frustration boiled over in the twenty eighth minute when he picked up the first yellow card of the afternoon for a late challenge on Oliver Ferguson. Lee Drummond got in between Lewis Cameron and Steven MacLeod to glance Craig Lamont's free-kick wide of Graham Douglas' right hand post as the Saints goal continued to lead a charmed life.

Saints doubled their advantage on the half hour mark from a patient passing move from the back. Gavin Forgieve picked up the ball in the centre circle from Dene Cassells and sent Scott Maitland scurrying forward on the left. Maitland found Craig MacEwan in the Jags box who carried the ball to the bye-line and, after a double step over, picked out Donald Campbell arriving at the near post to knock the ball home with the outside of his right foot.

Thistle keeper Callum McAuley produced two fines saves to prevent Saints from further stretching their advantage. After standing up well at his near post to beat away a Craig MacEwan left foot effort from the corner of the six yard box McAuley leapt acrobatically to his left to push a curling Donald Campbell shot bound for the top corner round the post.

Ruaridh Horne joined Willie Gemmell in Referee McCann's notebook for kicking the ball away at a free kick conceded by Steven MacLeod.

Scott Maitland continued the form which has earned him a call-up to train with Scottish Amateur Football Association Select with a darting forty third minute run into the Jags box but was denied a strike on goal by a perfectly timed sliding interception by Josh McCormick.

Maitland thought his tackle on Craig Lamont sixty seconds later was equally well timed however Mr McCann thought otherwise and awarded the visitors a free-kick midway inside the Saints half. Gavin Forgrieve's sliced clearance of Lamont's delivery into the box landed at the feet of Paul Thomson seventeen yards out. Already harbouring a sense of injustice Saints were left incredulous when Mr McCann pointed to the penalty spot after Lewis Cameron was penalised for handball protecting his face from Thomson's point blank range shot. While Steven MacLeod debated the decision with Mr McCann Jags striker Lee Drummond placed the ball on the spot and on the Referee's whistle slammed the ball home to half the deficit.

The Saints protests continued until the interval where Donald Campbell made it a third Saints name in Mr McCann's notebook.

With their composure restored Saints made the perfect start to the second half immediately regaining possession through Cammy Hill who made a driving run at the heart of the Jags defence. Hill threaded a well measured diagonal ball for Craig MacEwan cutting in from the left who wasted no time in clipping a shot across the advancing keeper and into the far corner of the net.

The visitors came within a few inches of a second goal straight from the restart when Oliver Ferguson wriggled free on the edge of the Saints box and shaved a coat of paint off the outside of Graham Douglas's left hand post.

Ruaridh Horne was the victim of a meaty forty ninth minute challenge from Ben Shaw ten yards inside the visitors half. Willie Gemmell collected a short free-kick from Steven MacLeod and carried the ball all the way to the eighteen yard line from where he unleashed a left foot shot just wide of target.

Saints put some daylight between themselves and their visitors in the fifty first minute when Dene Cassells returned a Callum McAuley clearance with a thumping header which Craig MacEwan helped onto Donald Campbell who rounded the advancing keeper and, from a tight angle, slotted the ball into the unguarded net.

Graham Douglas saved a decent Lee Drummond effort in the fifty seventh minute before both sides made their first changes. Christopher Cameron replaced Paul Thomson for the visitors with Myles McAuley coming on for Willie Gemmell in the Saints midfield.

Scott Maitland's perseverance on the left won a sixty first minute corner kick which Callum McAuley came through a pile of bodies to punch clear. Unfortunately for the Jags keeper his punch landed neatly at the feet of Craig MacEwan who steered the ball past the still off balance McAuley to seal his hat-trick.

The fifth goal was the cue for a triple Saints change with David Beaton, Aaron McKay and Matt Rippon coming on to replace Gavin Forgrieve, Cammy Hill and Craig MacEwan.

Rippon almost made an instant impact making a good run through the inside right channel to collect a Lewis Cameron pass but seeing his low shot blocked by the feet of Thistle keeper McAuley.

Further changes followed in the seventy second minute when Matty Kelly replaced Lewis Cameron for Saints and the visitors sending on Ryan Latter for Oliver Ferguson.

Ben Shaw picked up a seventy fifth minute caution for kicking out at Aaron McKay after the young Saints substitute had fouled the Jags fullback. Veteran striker Lee Drummond also saw yellow as tempers briefly threatened to boil over before Mr McCann restored order.

An eighty second minute nose bleed from Myles McAuley in the unfamiliar territory of the opposition eighteen yard box saw the shot-shy midfielder pass up a shooting opportunity in favour of a lay-off to Donald Campbell whose effort on the stretch slipped agonisingly wide of target.

Dene Cassells showed he wasn't afraid to try his luck striding out from the back and sending a twenty five yard effort just wide of the junction of post and bar.

David Beaton's pace through the middle was causing problems for the visitors and his eighty sixth minute run was brought to a premature end by Ryan Latter giving Mr McCann an easy decision to point to the spot.

Matt Rippon kept up his 100% record from the penalty spot sending his effort into the top corner beyond the despairing dive of Callum McAuley to notch a sixth goal for Saints.

The visitors refused to let their heads go down and, from the restart, Lee Drummond came close to claiming a second goal with a curling right foot effort just wide of the postage stamp corner.

With the watch ticking into stoppage time David Baton couldn't direct a Donald Campbell cutback on target and Matt Rippon sent a twenty eight yard free-kick over the crossbar before Mr McCann called time confirming Saints eighth win of a perfect start to the Central Scottish Amateur Football League Division 1B campaign.

Saints are back on the road this coming Saturday when they visit Garscube Sports Complex to face Westerlands of the Caledonian League in the Scottish Amateur Cup third round.