Winning In The Rain: Ferguslie Desmond

Saturday 9th November 2019
Greater Glasgow Premier Amateur Football League
Division Three
Ferguslie Star 2 - 2 Oban Saints GG
Ferguslie Sports Centre
106 Blackstoun Road
Paisley
PA3 1HH
Kick off 3.00pm
Referee Mr David Smith

A rearranged Scottish Amateur Cup third round tie for Oban Saints sheduled Central Scottish Amateur Football League Cinema Cup opponents St Patricks FP handed the Division 1B league leaders an unexpected and unwelcome day off last Saturday.

The first team's free Saturday allowed Saints Greater Glasgow Premier side to call on the services of teenagers Gavin Forgrieve and Aaron McKay to bolster their numbers for the visit to Ferguslie Sports Centre to face Division Three promotion rivals Ferguslie Star.

Unlikely goal hero Kenneth Black opened the scoring for Saints in the first half with Martin Bonar adding a second on the hour mark. Unfortunately a below par Saints were pegged back twice and were left hanging on against an impressive Star to claim a share of the points and maintain their position as the division's only undefeated side.

Manager Donald Black and Assistant Brian Forgrieve handed Murdo MacKenzie the number one shirt after his Scottish Amateur Cup heroics with the first team on the previous Saturday. Veteran defender Alex Craik marshalled an otherwise youthful back four where he was joined by Craig Livingstone, Nathan Allan and Captain Kenneth Black. Experienced campaigners Martin Bonar and David Smith occupied the holding midfield roles with teenage triumvirate Aaron McKay, Gavin Forgrieve and Rory Dowd ahead of them supporting central striker Dean Smith. Adding his vast experience to the Saints bench was former Club Captain Keith Millar who had Aiden Campbell, Ryan MacDonald, Fraser MacFarlane and Douglas MacLeod for company.

Oban Saints GG starting lineup:-

Used substitutes:-
Aiden Campbell
Keith Millar
Fraser MacFarlane

Unused substitutes:-
Ryan MacDonald
Douglas MacLeod

In a good opening spell from Saints Dean Smith twice tested Star keeper Raymond Brown before Rory Dowd sent a decent effort just wide of target after a patient build up involving Aaron McKay, Gavin Forgrieve and Dean Smith.

Dowd, whose appearances so far this season have been limited, continued to impress sending in a teasing sixteenth minute cross which Raymond Brown did well to take off the toes of Aaron McKay.

Dean Smith, who put in a typically energetic shift up front, won a twenty fourth minute corner kick which Gavin Forgrieve swung over from the right. The home defence struggled to clear the danger and Aaron McKay delivered a telling cross from the corner of the eighteen yard box in behind the advancing Star defence. Saints Captain Kenneth Black timed his run well to remain onside and showed good composure to cushion a volley into the roof of the net and give his side the lead.

David Cunningham, one of just a handful of survivors from Ferguslie Star's brief odyssey into the Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division, failed to recover from a head knock sustained in an accidental clash with Martin Bonar and was replaced in the twenty seventh minute by another Star stalwart Leon Morrow who would go on to produce a man of the match performance for the home side.

Morrow's first significant contribution was to halt Dean Smith's driving run at the heart of the Star defence which came at the expense of the first yellow card of the game.

After a quiet start the home side were slowly beginning to pose more of threat to the Saints defence which was cut open in the thirty second minute by a Morrow diagonal pass out to Graeme Fraser on the right. Alex Craik did well to match the run of Ross Hamilton but was completely taken out by Hamilton's back heel into the path of William Yates who flashed a shot across Murdo MacKenzie and just wide of the far post.

Saints failed to heed this warning and were undone in similar fashion just sixty second later. An Aaron McKay cross from the right was cut out on the corner of the Star box from where the home side launched a swift counter attack. Morrow again picked out Graeme Fraser racing through the inside right channel who this time went for goal himself and duly found the net deftly lifting the ball over the advancing Murdo MacKenzie.

Usually more of a goal threat in his own eighteen yard box, Saints Captain Kenneth Black once again popped up in opposition territory ten minutes before the interval. Rory Dowd held the ball up well on the right before laying off to David Smith. Another well timed run from Black was picked out expertly by Smith however, with the angle against him, Black was unable to repeat his earlier heroics and sent his low finish agonisingly wide of the far post.

Murdo MacKenzie showed good hands to hold a thirty yard effort from William Yates before enjoying the massive slice of good fortune which his steady all round performance deserved. Nathan Allan and Kenneth Black were closed down trying to play the ball out from the back and the ball broke to Martin Stewart on the edge of the box. The fingertips of MacKenzie sent the shot from Stewart spinning onto the underside of the crossbar, back down onto his right heel and away from the goalmouth for Alex Craik to thump clear.

Saints made a double change for the start of the second half sending on Aiden Campbell and Keith Millar to replace Nathan Allan and David Smith. Star also made a switch and the introduction of striker Jack Deeney almost paid instant dividends. Just two minutes into the second forty five Aiden Campbell made a good sliding challenge on Ross Hamilton to turn the ball behind for a corner kick. The inswinger from the left delivered by William Yates fell at the feet of Deeney whose hooked effort on the turn flashed inches over the crossbar.

The action moved swiftly to the other end where Rory Dowd won a free-kick twenty eight yards out and slightly left of centre. Star keeper Raymond Brown opted for safety first pushing Dowd's fiercely struck shot over for a corner kick. Kenneth Black moved forward for the set piece and was unlucky to see his volley from Andrew Delaney's attempted clearance blocked on the six yard line.

Saints regained the lead on the hour mark when Dean Smith raced through on the end of a Gavin Forgrieve pass. Smith was pushed wide by Sean Morrison but still managed to pick out the supporting run of Martin Bonar whose nose for a goal edged him ahead of Richie Macavoy to poke the ball home from two yards range.

Falling behind again provoked a positive reaction from the home side who came close through Martin Stewart, Jack Deeney and Ross Hamilton before Hamilton deservedly found a way past Murdo MacKenzie. Leon Morrow once again provided the assist threading the ball through for Ross Hamilton who, just like Graeme Fraser in the first half, raced through the inside right channel and lifted the ball over MacKenzie.

A good turn on the edge of the Star box by Rory Dowd set up Gavin Forgrieve for a shot which cleared Raymond Brown's crossbar before Dowd was replaced by Fraser MacFarlane for the closing twenty minutes.

William Yates found his way into Referee Smith's notebook for a late challenge on Keith Millar as Saints set about regaining a fair share of the vital midfield area.

Martin Bonar stung the palms of Raymond Brown with a thumping seventy third minute drive with Fraser MacFarlane heading the loose ball over the crossbar.

Andrew Love earned a seventy fifth minute caution after he hauled down Dean Smith in the centre circle as the Saints striker looked set to burst through the middle on the end of a Gavin Forgrieve pass.That proved to be Love's last significant contribution as he was removed from the proceedings to be replaced by Dylan Caldwell.

The home side completed the final five minutes with ten men after Graeme Fraser's reaction to an Aaron McKay challenge earned the Star wide man a straight red card. McKay saw yellow for his part in the incident which thankfully did nothing to spoil what had been a good natured encounter.

Saints couldn't capitalise on their numerical advantage forcing just one more save from Raymond Brown who pushed a Gavin Forgrieve shot over his crossbar before Referee Smith, who had a good game, signalled the end of the match and also Saints one hundred percent league record.

Given the slightly off key performance from his charges Saints second string Manager Donald Black will be reasonably satisfied to see his young side come away from the home of one of their main promotion rivals with a share of the points.

The Greater Glasgow Premier League side are on the road again this coming Saturday with a trip to Dumbarton to face Westcliff while the first team resume their Central Scottish Amateur Football League Division 1B campaign just along the road at John Brown's Pitches against Clydebank.