Winning In The Rain: Hard Earned Draw

Saturday 12th October 2019
The Scottish Amateur Football Association Challenge Cup Competition
Second Round
Oban Saints 4 - 4 Vale of Earn
Oban Community Sports Field 3G
Soroba Road
Oban
Argyll
PA34 4JB
Kick off 1.30pm
Referee Mr Ross Holms

Oban Saints and Vale of Earn shared eight goals in a highly entertaining Scottish Amateur Cup second round tie which ebbed and flowed through ninety incident packed minutes at Oban High School last Saturday afternoon.

The heavy rain which had fallen steadily in the days leading up to the tie had rendered Saints normal grass pitch at Glencruitten unplayable forcing a switch to the 3G surface at Oban High School where, in spite of some very heavy rain and hail showers, the Glencruitten faithful gathered in good numbers to cheer on their favourites on National Non League Day.

Despite not witnessing the home win they would have hoped for the large crowd were well entertained with a similar prospect in store for their counterparts at Market Park, Crieff where the two sides will meet again this coming Saturday.

Saints lined up with the versatile Matt Rippon taking the right back berth alongside regular back four members Steven MacLeod, Captain Dene Cassells and Scott Maitland. Matty Kelly returned to join Myles McAuley in the holding midfield roles behind the more advanced triumvirate of David Beaton, Lewis Cameron and Craig MacEwan. Leading the line was Co-Manager Donald Campbell while Graham Douglas returned after a two match absence to claim the number one jersey. Joining the other half of the management team, Willie Gemmell, on the bench were Daniel Croarkin, Cammy Hill, Aaron McKay and, answering a late call up call, the evergreen Ross Maitland.

Used substitutes:-
Cammy Hill
Ross Maitland

Unused substitutes:-
Daniel Croarkin
Willie Gemmell
Aaron McKay

Leading the line in just his second start of the season Co-Manager Donald Campbell earned his side a free-kick in a dangerous position in the fourth minute. Vale of Earn goalkeeper Garry Brock leapt to his left and showed strong hands to push Lewis Cameron's effort from twenty four yards behind for a corner kick. Dene Cassells was beaten to Lewis Cameron's delivery from the corner flag by Vale centre forward Peter Reilly who headed behind for a second corner kick this time from the right. Donald Campbell found Matty Kelly who sent David Beaton scurrying into the box where only a well timed sliding challenge from David Sinclair prevented him from teeing up Dene Cassells for a tap-in. From the third corner kick in quick succession Lewis Cameron produced an excellent delivery which Dene Cassells climbed well to meet but couldn't direct on target.

The action moved swiftly to the other end where a quickly taken long free-kick caught the Saints defence napping allowing Vale central midfielder Euan Carter, who put in an excellent shift for the visitors, a free header which he looped over the head of Graham Douglas and onto the crossbar. A second let-off immediately followed when James Webster sliced the rebound over the crossbar and into the perimeter fencing.

Garry Brock did well again in the eleventh minute with a diving punch to take a Lewis Cameron cross off the toes of Donald Campbell after good work on the edge of the box from David Beaton and Matty Kelly.

Brock foiled Campbell again after seventeen minutes diving low to his left to hold Campbell's penalty kick after Scott Maitland's driving run into the Vale box had been halted unlawfully by David Sinclair.

The Vale goalkeeper was proving to be a tough nut for Campbell to crack as Brock again denied him in the twenty second minute after Craig MacEwan and Lewis Cameron had combined well to send the Saints Gaffer through on goal.

Another quickly taken Vale free-kick had the Saints defence on their heels once again with Graham Douglas making a smart save from an Aaron Dawson twenty five yard shot.

Saints finally made the breakthrough in the thirty first minute when Scott Maitland was sent sprawling in the Vale box for a second time. Matty Rippon took responsibility for the second spot kick and made no mistake sending Garry Brock in the wrong direction in the process.

After his important contribution to the opening goal Maitland was back on defensive duty five minutes later making a perfectly timed sliding challenge to take the ball away from Fraser Corbett who was racing through onto a James Webster through ball.

The visitors drew level five minutes before the interval in opportunistic style capitalising on a series of indecisive moments in the normally dependable Saints defence. With Graham Douglas a long way from his penalty area Saints conceded possession midway inside their own half wide on the left. Even with an open goal to aim at Aaron Dawson did well to find the net with a lob from thirty five yards which sailed over the head of the backpedalling Saints keeper.

More hesitation in the Saints back line left James Webster unmarked and able to dissect Dene Cassells and Steven MacLeod before firing a good opportunity over the crossbar once again.

On the stroke of half-time it was the visitors who were the beneficiaries of a let-off when Craig MacEwan contrived to sent a clipped effort from eight yards the wrong side of Garry Brock's left hand post when sent clean through by Donald Campbell.

There was a frank exchange of views during the half-time team talk which unfortunately failed to resolve Saints defensive uncertainties and after nine second half minutes Peter Reilly pounced on another mistake to clip the ball over Graham Douglas stranded on his eighteen yard line and roll the ball into the empty net to give Vale the lead.

In between times Steven MacLeod had picked up a yellow card for protesting too long at the lack of a penalty kick award after Euan Carter had slid in on Matty Kelly on the six yard line. Referee Ross Holms, who remained firmly in control throughout, correctly waived away the Saints appeals before eventually losing patience with MacLeod.

The response to going behind from Co-Manager Willie Gemmell was to send on young striker Cammy Hill at the expense of Matt Rippon. The change produced instant results when Garry Brock parried away a net bound Hill shot which Scott Maitland returned from the left wing straight onto the head of Craig MacEwan who bulleted a header into the top corner from twelve yards.

Vale central defender Ross Nixon was fortunate only to see a yellow card for a very heavy late challenge on David Beaton on the half-way line in the sixty second minute. Fortunately there was no lasting damage on Beaton and he showed Darral Cramb a clean pair of heels on the right wing before firing over a perfect delivery on the run which Craig MacEwan cushioned past Garry Brock to regain the lead for Saints.

Saints made their second and final change of the afternoon sending on Ross Maitland to replace Donald Campbell with seventeen minutes remaining.

Craig MacEwan was denied a hat-trick by the narrowest of margins when his seventy seventh minute header from a David Beaton right wing cross beat Garry Brock but bounced back off the inside of the post and into the keeper's grateful arms.

The visitors took full advantage of this slice of luck to draw level in the eightieth minute. Once again Saints were complicit failing miserably to deal with a long throw-in from the left with Darral Cramb rifling the loose ball into the roof of the net from the corner of the six yard box.

Vale gave Aaron Smith the chance to make an impression on the final nine minutes of the match at the expense of Fraser Corbett.

The head of substitute Cammy Hill got Saints back in front with five minutes remaining. Lewis Cameron's endeavours won a throw-in on the right level with the eighteen yard line. Ross Maitland returned David Beaton's throw sending the diminutive wide man to the byeline from where he dug out an excellent cross to the back post. Teenage striker Hill leapt salmon like to beat Garry Brock at his near post with a thumping downward header.

The joy was short lived as the visitors produced yet another equaliser just three minutes later. The jitters in the Saints rearguard showed no sign of improvement and a failed attempt to clear the danger from a James Webster left wing corner fell kindly for Ross Nixon whose hooked effort from three yards was deflected wide of the post by Scott Maitland, illegally in the opinion of Referee Holms. There were few complaints from the Saints players and Ross Nixon wasted no time in placing the ball and dispatching it into the bottom corner way from the despairing dive of Graham Douglas.

It was anybody's game now and both sides pushed for the winner in the closing minutes. In the last of the three additional minutes allowed by Mr Holms Lewis Cameron was scythed down twenty six yards from goal by Euan Carter earning the industrious midfielder a place in the referee's notebook where he was joined by Aaron Dawson for his continued protestations.

Craig MacEwan's free-kick beat the Vale wall but lacked the power to get the better of Garry Brock who capped a fine performance deputising for regular net minder Barrie Chiverton by safely holding MacEwan's effort in the final act of an enthralling cup tie.

With home advantage now lost Saints will have to redouble their efforts in Saturday's replay if they are to book a place in the third round. Taking charge of the 2pm kick-off at Market Park, Crieff is Dundee based whistler Calum Race. The tie must be played to a finish on the day including a penalty shoot-out to decide the winner if the two sides cannot be separated after ninety minutes.