Half Term Report Part Two

With Oban Saints currently enjoying a four week festive break Winning In The Rain takes a look back at the season so far continuing this week with Saints exploits in the cup competitions:-

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

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 suffered their only defeat of the season so far.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Debutant Murdo MacKenzie

Greg Wilson opens the scoring

Greg Wilson makes it 2 - 0 from the penalty spot

Sean O'Conner saves Lewis Cameron's penalty kick

Craig MacEwan pulls one back for Saints

Steven MacLeod is just off target with the last kick of the game

Saturday 12th October 2019
The Scottish Amateur Football Association Challenge Cup Competition
Second Round
Oban Saints 4 - 4 Vale of Earn

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.

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.

Leading the line in just his second start of the season Saints Co-Manager Donald Campbell was enjoying a personal duel with Vale goalkeeper Garry Brock and, after several good saves from open play, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Garry Brock saves Donald Campbell's penalty kick

Craig MacEwan heads Saints second goal

Craig MacEwan's effort comes back off the inside of the post

Cammy Hill heads Saints fourth goal

Graham Douglas can't keep out Ross Nixon's penalty kick 

Garry Brock saves Craig MacEwan free kick

Saturday 19th October 2019
The Scottish Amateur Football Association Challenge Cup Competition
Second Round Replay
Vale of Earn 3 - 3 Oban Saints
Oban Saints win 4 - 3 on penalty kicks

Following the previous week's high scoring draw at Oban High School, Oban Saints and Vale of Earn produced another thriller in the Scottish Amateur Cup second round replay at Market Park, Crieff.

Once again ninety minutes of ebb and flow couldn't separate the two evenly matched sides who finished on three goals each and a penalty shoot was required to decide who would progress to face Westerlands in round three.

Vale striker Peter Reilly, who had led the line well in both matches, was the unlucky man who missed the target and decided the tie in Saints favour by four successful penalty kicks to three.

Saints made two changes to the previous week's starting lineup giving Willie Gemmell his first start of the season in place of the unavailable Myles McAuley and preferring fit again Ruaridh Horne at right back to utility man Matt Rippon who dropped to the bench.

The hosts also made two changes with regular net minder Daniel Yurdakol relieving Club Secretary Garry Brock of his duties in goal and Kros Brown replacing Fraser Corbett in midfield.

Saints kicked off attacking the King Street end of a long grassed and very heavy Market Park which favoured the home side's more direct style and eventually forced the visitors to adapt their own style accordingly.

The home side got off to the best possible start with James Webster pulling out wide to meet a second minute ball over the top from Ross Nixon. The pacy striker raced away from Saints Skipper Dene Cassells on the right and, cutting inside, slipped the ball wide of the advancing Graham Douglas into the path of strike partner Peter Reilly who gleefully slammed the ball into the unguarded net.

Worse was to follow for Saints four minutes later when they failed to deal with a throw-in from the Vale right level with eighteen yard line and left Brian Finlay in acres of room to curl a delicious left foot finish into the top corner to double the home side's advantage.

Saints were reeling from Vale's blistering start and were inches away from conceding a third when Webster's pace on the counter attack once again left the Saints defence trailing. Fortunately for Saints Peter Reilly's stretching neck muscles couldn't quite connect his forehead with Webster's cross from the right as the ball flew agonisingly across the face of goal.

The shell shocked Saints eventually managed to pose a few problems of their own with Donald Campbell heading a Ruaridh Horne right wing cross wide of target from a tight angle at the back post and Vale keeper Daniel Yurdakol doing well to cut out a Lewis Cameron cross ahead of Craig MacEwan.

Saints were the beneficiaries of an uncontested drop ball after Referee Race inadvertently broke up a promising attack just inside the Vale box. Donald Campbell picked out Management partner Willie Gemmell who marked his first appearance of the season with a low drive from thirty five yards which arced away from the despairing dive of Daniel Yurdakol and into the bottom corner of the net to bring Saints right back into the match.

Saints pulled themselves level after thirty three minutes in a move started by returning right back Ruaridh Horne. Making his first appearance since sustaining concussion in the West of Scotland Cup defeat to Inverclyde, Horne carried the ball out from the back before finding Lewis Cameron midway inside the Vale half. Cameron kept the move flowing feeding the ball out to Craig MacEwan on the left. MacEwan did well to get away from Kros Brown and, from the bye-line, sent a low cut back to the near post where Donald Campbell got across his marker tuck the ball into the bottom corner for the equaliser.

Confidence was now high in the Saints ranks and Willie Gemmell was inches away from doubling his own personal tally with a thumping right foot shot from twenty eight yards which flew wide of Daniel Yurdakol's left hand post.

The hosts regained the lead on the hour mark when a deep James Webster corner kick from the left was returned invitingly across the six yard box by Peter Reilly and poked home at the back post by Kros Brown.

Daniel Yurdakol produced a vital double save in the seventy ninth minute diving full length to his right to push away a Matty Kelly shot from twenty two yards before getting quickly to his feet to block Craig MacEwan's follow up effort from a tight angle at his near post.

Graham Douglas kept his side in the tie with an excellent one handed save low to his right from a curling left foot James Webster shot on the break which, with just three minutes remaining, would have almost certainly guaranteed a home win.

An increasingly desperate Saints threw Dene Cassells into attack in an attempt to make some impression on the solid Vale back three who were winning every high ball. The presence of Cassells was enough to force just about the only error of the afternoon from opposite number Ross Brock whose miscued attempt to head clear a ninetieth minute Willie Gemmell long throw from the left could only help the ball across the face of goal. Donald Campbell was first to react and, after peeling off his marker on the corner of the six yard box, met the ball perfectly on the half volley and sent it beyond Daniel Yurdakol for a last gasp equaliser.

With four minutes of added time to be played Saints resisted the temptation to bring on penalty taker Matt Rippon believing that with the momentum firmly with them they could secure the win without the need for penalty kicks.

There was, however, to be no further scoring as the home defence remained firm sending the tie into the lottery of a penalty shoot-out.

Displaying maturity beyond his tender years Cammy Hill stepped up to dispatch the first penalty past Daniel Yurdakol to establish an early advantage for Saints.

Further successful strikes followed from Dene Cassells and Vale's Ross Nixon and Euan Carter before the decision to leave Matt Rippon on the bench threatened to prove costly when Yurdakol dropped to his right to beat away Willie Gemmell's spot kick.

Vale Skipper Ross Brock confidently slammed his kick straight down the middle to edge his side in front heaping pressure on Lewis Cameron whose response was to calmly send the keeper the wrong way and restore parity.

Having kept his side in the proceedings just a few minutes earlier Graham Douglas made another vital intervention diving to his left to claw away David Sinclair's effort effectively sending the shoot-out into sudden death.

Daniel Yurdakol guessed correctly but Craig MacEwan successfully found the bottom corner to heap pressure on Peter Reilly for Vale penalty number five.

The big striker left Graham Douglas rooted to the spot but steered his effort fractionally wide of the keeper's left hand post to hand the tie to Saints by the narrowest of margins.

Willie Gemmell shot flies past Daniel Yurdakol to bring Saints back into the game

Donald Campbell levels the scores at 2 - 2 

Kros Brown puts Vale back in front

Donald Campbell's ninetieth minute equaliser

Commiserations from Graham Douglas for Vale striker Peter Reilly

Saturday 2nd November 2019
The Scottish Amateur Football Association Challenge Cup Competition
Third Round
Westerlands 1 - 4 Oban Saints

Two typically crisp strikes from Donald Campbell helped Saints past a stuffy Westerlands side, who gave a good account of themselves throughout, and into the fourth round of the Scottish Amateur Cup at a damp Garscube Sports Complex last Saturday afternoon. Also on the score sheet for Saints against the Caledonian League First Division promotion chasers were Captain Dene Cassells, who showed the strikers how to dispatch a penalty kick, and the evergreen Ross Maitland who wrapped up a 4 - 1 victory with his first touch after coming on as a second half substitute.

Co-Managers Donald Campbell and Willie Gemmell were deprived of the services of Graham Douglas, Cammy Hill and Matt Rippon who all dropped out of the squad from the previous week's home league fixture against Garrowhill Thistle. Coming in to join the travelling party were able deputies Murdo MacKenzie, James Ford and Ross Maitland.

Westerlands, with Obanites Elliot Dougall and Liam MacIntyre in their ranks, kicked off on the narrow grass park on the banks of the river Kelvin which was in remarkably good condition given the recent heavy rain.

Saints were enjoying the majority of the possession but were finding the Westerlands defence, with Liam MacIntyre at it's heart, a difficult nut to crack until a stroke of good fortune in the twenty seventh minute. Lewis Cameron's cross from the right edge of the penalty area hit the outstretched hand of Gavin Edwards which, although unfortunate for the big central defender, was correctly ruled as a penalty kick by Referee Ian Hamilton who handled proceedings well throughout. With Donald Campbell and Lewis Cameron both having had mixed results from the penalty spot in recent weeks Captain Dene Cassells decided to show the strikers how it should be done and smashed an emphatic spot kick past Blair Haldane to open the scoring.

The lead lasted barley sixty seconds as Calum McCrossan pounced on a rare slip by Ruaridh Horne, who produced an otherwise steady performance at right back, and poked a good finish underneath the advancing Murdo MacKenzie to draw the hosts level.

Westerlands keeper Blair Haldane showed some of the form which has earned him a place in the Caledonian League Select squad with an excellent double save four minutes before the interval. After clawing away a Lewis Cameron cross come shot which looked set to sneak under his crossbar, the big Westies number one took up a good position at his near post to beat away Donald Campbell's follow up effort from the corner of the six yard box.

The interval did little to derail the Saints momentum and five minutes after the restart their endeavour was rewarded with a second goal. Scott Maitland made good ground on the left and rolled the ball up to Craig MacEwan on the the edge of the box who tee'd up Donald Campbell with a delightful lay-off which the Co-Gaffer thumped across Blair Haldane into the far corner of the net.

Saints doubled their advantage in the fifty seventh minute when Donald Campbell met David Beaton's cross perfectly on the half volley sending his right foot strike flying past Blair Haldane after Beaton and Ruaridh Horne had linked up well on the right.

Westerlands kept up their pursuit of an avenue back into the match and were denied a second goal by a fine save from Murdo MacKenzie after Grant MacFarlane prodded a loose ball goalwards as Saints struggled to clear a long free-kick from just inside their own half.

Substitute Ross Maitland's introduction produced instant results when the evergreen winger in his twenty third Saints season slammed the ball into the roof of the net from fourteen yards after Blair Haldane could only parry a Donald Campbell shot on the turn.

Gavin Edwards made an excellent sliding interception to prevent Craig MacEwan from adding to the scoring after latching onto a Lewis Cameron through ball in the eighty fourth minute. That proved to be Cameron's final contribution of another productive afternoon and he was replaced for the closing stages by James Ford.

As the clock ticked down Ford wriggled clear of Paul Kerins on the right of the Westies box and tee'd up Gavin Forgrieve for a strike on goal which drifted agonisingly wide of Blair Haldane's right hand post.

Captain Dene Cassells opens the scoring from the penalty spot

Donald Campbell fires home the first of his two goals

Donald Campbell's sweet strike makes it 3 - 1 

Saturday 30th November 2019
The Scottish Amateur Football Association Challenge Cup Competition
Fourth Round
Rothie Rovers 0 - 3 Oban Saints

Oban Saints made a gruelling 410 mile round trip to the chilly North East for a Scottish Amateur Cup re-match with last season's conquerors Rothie Rovers. Thanks to the sterling efforts of the Rothie Rovers Committee, Rothie Park survived the deep freeze which wiped out half of the fourth round card passing an early morning pitch inspection to give the Saints travelling party the green light for an 8am departure from Oban.

Co-Manager Willie Gemmell was dealt a selection blow on the eve of the match when illness ruled out midfielder Kerr Newbigging and leading goalscorer Craig MacEwan forcing Gemmell to include himself on the substitutes bench alongside Ross Maitland, Matt Rippon and youngster Aaron McKay.

MacEwan's goals however were not missed with a brace from Cammy Hill, adding to David Beaton's fifteenth minute opener, giving Saints revenge for the agonising penalty shoot-out defeat in last season's epic encounter and confirming their place in the fifth round draw.

Slightly against the run of play Saints opened the scoring in the fifteenth minute. Cammy Hill won a throw-in on the left level with the eighteen yard line. Hill laid Scott Maitland's throw back to the Scottish Amateur International left back who sent a tempting cross into the box. David Beaton was first to react coming in from the right to slam a left foot half-volley past the helpless Lewis Milne.

Scott Maitland also provided the assist for Saints second goal which came from a quick breakaway five minutes later. Dene Cassells and Steven MacLeod ensured there was no way through for Gavin Smart on the right of the Saints box with their combined efforts eventually blocking the ball behind for a corner kick. Robert King's deep delivery was knocked back into the middle by Jack Brown where Myles McAuley met his cross with a solid header out to the left. Maitland launched the ball long to Cammy Hill who galloped away from the Rothie defence, rounded the advancing Lewis Milne and slammed the ball left footed into the net.

The Saints left back almost made it a hat-trick of assists in the twenty first minute sending James Ford racing into the box where only a well timed sliding interception from Robert King denied Saints a third goal.

North of Scotland Amateur Cup holders Rothie pushed hard for a route back into the match but found the Saints defence a hard nut to crack. Keith Walker found a way through in the twenty ninth minute but curled his shot well wide of target. Gavin Smart did manage to work Graham Douglas ten minutes later and the Saints number one did well to parry Smart's crisply struck shot before diving to smother the loose ball.

Saints made the tie safe with twenty minutes still to play after Cammy Hill's perseverance won a corner kick on the left. Lewis Cameron's delivery looped over the heads of Dene Cassells and Ryan Walker and was met perfectly on the volley by Cammy Hill who side footed past Lewis Milne from five yards.

The home side, one of just four Aberdeenshire sides still involved in the competition, refused to give up and were almost rewarded for their efforts in the seventy seventh minute when Sean Bremner wriggled into the Saints box only to be foiled by a perfectly timed challenge by Dene Cassells.

Cammy Hill, who lead the line well, passed up a glorious opportunity to claim the match ball when he raced through onto an eighty second minute Matty Kelly pass but sent a poor finish wide of Lewis Milne's right hand post.

David Beaton's busy shift came to an end with five minutes to play when he was replaced by Aaron McKay in a straight swap on the right.

Saints ended the match on the front foot but it was definitely a case of the wrong man in the right place as Myles McAuley turned up in the Rothie box to head a good chance wide of target after good work on the right by Matty Kelly, Cammy Hill and Aaron McKay.

Referee Crawford signalled the end of the match after three added minutes sending Saints back down the long road to Oban in buoyant mood after a hard fought win over a very good Rothie Rovers side who will once again be challenging for the top Aberdeenshire Amateur Football Association honours.

Gavin Smart hits the post

David Beaton opens the scoring

Cammy Hill trots back to the centre circle after netting Saints second goal

Cammy Hill makes it 3 - 0

Next week, in the final instalment of the trilogy, Winning In The Rain will take a look at Saints league fixtures from September to December..

#monthesaints