Winning In The Rain: Safe Hands MacLeod Helps Preserve Saints Winning Streak

Saturday 7th December 2019
Central Scottish Amateur Football League
Division 1B
Oban Saints 1 - 0 Blantyre RGM

Oban Community Sports Field (3G)

Soroba Road

Oban

Argyll

PA34 4JB

Kick Off 1.00pm
Referee Mr Pat O'Donnell

Ten man Oban Saints produced a battling backs-to-the wall performance at a rain soaked Oban High School last Saturday afternoon to cement their place at the top of Central Scottish Amateur Football League Division 1B. Leading goalscorer Craig MacEwan put Saints ahead with his fifteenth goal of the season but a red card for goalkeeper Graham Douglas gave the home faithful a nervous closing twenty four minutes to endure along with the horrendous weather conditions.

Saints Co-manager Willie Gemmell made one enforced change to the starting line-up from the previous week's trip to Rothienorman. James Ford failed to shake off the knee injury picked up in the Scottish Amateur Cup win over Rothie Rovers and was replaced by Craig MacEwan.

Saints lined up with Graham Douglas in goal behind a familiar back four of Ruaridh Horne, Steven MacLeod, Captain Dene Cassells and Scott Maitland. Matty Kelly partnered Myles McAuley in the holding midfield roles with David Beaton, Lewis Cameron and Craig MacEwan supporting central striker Cammy Hill. On the bench were Ross Maitland, Kerr Newbigging, Matt Rippon, Aaron McKay and Gavin Forgrieve.

Oban Saints starting lineup:-

Used substitutes:-

Ross Maitland
Kerr Newbigging
Matt Rippon
Aaron McKay

Unused substitute:-

Gavin Forgrieve

Saints kicked off attacking the Dalintart end and Craig MacEwan tested the handling of Adam McKay in the first minute with a crisply struck shot from eighteen yards which the Blantyre keeper did well to parry down and gather at the second attempt.

Two of Blantyre's four changes to the starting eleven from the reverse fixture in Bellshill ten weeks ago, Ryan Duffy and Alex Hill combined for the visitor's first strike on goal in the fifth minute when Duffy threaded the ball through to Hill for a shot from the corner of the eighteen yard box which flew well over the crossbar.

The value of having a man on the post at corner kicks was proven in the fifteenth minute when Scott Maitland blocked a Ross Burns header from a Barry McLaughlan corner kick on the Saints goal line before thumping clear. The visitors appealed strongly that the ball had crossed the line but Referee Pat O'Donnell was perfectly positioned to see the incident and rule in Saints favour.

The visitors were enjoying the better of the early exchanges however chances for both sides were at a premium. David Beaton sent over a tempting nineteenth minute cross from the right which Adam McKay did well to cut out ahead of Cammy Hill before Blantyre central midfielder Kris Beggs broke forward but shot well wide of target.

After being spoken to earlier by Mr O'Donnell, Alex Hill picked up the first yellow card of the match for a late challenge on Lewis Cameron inside the centre circle.

In a better spell for Saints Lewis Cameron wriggled into the Blantyre box on the left and sent a cutback from the byeline just behind Craig MacEwan whose improvised back heel flick looped gently into the arms of Adam McKay.

Cammy Hill and Scott Maitland then linked up well on the left in the twenty ninth minute for a Maitland cross which Conor O'Donnelly helped into the path of Myles McAuley who rifled a twenty five yard shot inches over the crossbar.

Dene Cassells climbed well to get on the end of a thirty third minute Lewis Cameron corner kick which was blocked three yards out. Blantyre couldn't fully clear the danger and Adam McKay produced the save of the afternoon to acrobatically push Cameron's attempted lob from the right edge of the penalty box over his crossbar.

2018-19 John Smith's Trophy Winners Blantyre maintained a threat on the break and were disappointed to see left winger Barry McLaughlan and centre forward Scott Black, who notched both Blantyre goals when the sides met back in September, both pass up decent chances without working Graham Douglas in the Saints goal.

Lewis Cameron's set piece deliveries continued to trouble the Blantyre defence and Dene Cassells once again won the aerial dual from the corner flag in the thirty eighth minute but sent his header just over the crossbar.

Adam McKay made another good save in the fortieth minute springing to this left to push away a curling Lewis Cameron effort after Craig MacEwan had flicked on a Scott Maitland long ball.

The Saints pressure eventually told and they broke the deadlock with three first half minutes remaining. Venturing a long way forward from his central defensive beat, Captain Dene Cassells swung over a perfect cross from the right edge of the Blantyre box into that corridor of uncertainty between goalkeeper and defenders where Craig MacEwan sneaked in to plant a header beyond Adam McKay for what would prove to be the only goal of the game.

Saints came close to doubling their advantage on the stroke of half-time when Cammy Hill shaved the outside of Adam McKay's right hand post with a low shot after a good interchange of passes on the left with Craig MacEwan and Lewis Cameron.

Saints remained on the front foot for the start of the second half with Cammy Hill forcing a corner kick on the left after just sixty seconds. Dene Cassells was again a handful for the Blantyre defence but still couldn't find the target with a poweful header.

The visitors made their first change in the fifty fifth minute sending on James Clark to replace Scott Black. Clark maintained Blantyre's threat on the break but could only find the arms of Graham Douglas with a fifty eighth minute cross after Adam McKay had made a solid connection with his punch to clear another Lewis Cameron corner kick.

Ruaridh Horne got forward from right back in the sixty third minute and picked out Craig MacEwan who controlled well on his chest but sent his right foot shot wide of Adam McKay's left hand post.

Saints were guilty of over elaborating at the back and were relieved to see Alex Hill slip at the vital moment and send his shot wide of target after he had intercepted a stray sixty fifth minute pass from Graham Douglas.

After winning another corner kick on the right, Lewis Cameron tried to catch out Adam McKay under his crossbar with the keeper having to climb over the top of Barry McLaughlan at the front post to make his punch. The ball looped back across the face of goal where Dene Cassells was once just off target with a header from three yards.

Saints Co-Manager Willie Gemmell made a change with twenty minutes remaining sending on Ross Maitland as a direct replacement for David Beaton on the right. The visitors also looked to the substitutes bench to freshen things up with Sam Kelly and John Morrice swapping places with Martin Kelly and Alex Hill,

Dene Cassells once again popped up in an attacking role just being crowded out by David Cairney and Ross Burns after an adventurous seventieth minute run.

The defence pushing too far forward left Graham Douglas hopelessly exposed in the seventy third minute and the Saints number one raced out of his goal to concede a free-kick just outside of his box. Despite the keeper's claims that the ball had hit him on the chest, Referee O'Donnell, who had his customary steady game, correctly signalled a hand-ball and issued Douglas with the inevitable red card.

Central defender Steven MacLeod took the gloves bringing to an end Cammy Hill's involvement as the big centre forward was sacrificed for the more defensive minded Kerr Newbigging.

Newbigging slotted in alongside Dene Cassells in central defence with Craig MacEwan and Myles McAuley also adding their aerial presence to ensure the Blantyre free-kick was successfully dealt with.

Saints closest league challengers looked to capitalise on their numerical advantage causing nerves to jangle on the sidelines but Saints defended manfully from the front and stand-in keeper MacLeod remained relatively untroubled.

Further personnel changes followed when Craig MacEwan was withdrawn to make room for utility man Matt Rippon before Kerr Newbigging's troublesome hip forced him off to be replaced by Aaron McKay in the ninetieth minute.

James Clark sent a free-kick high and wide of target before David Cairney was similarly wayward with a header as the time added by Mr O'Donnell dragged slowly by.

With the hardy band of soaked to the skin onlookers beginning to wonder if the Referee's watch had stopped Mr O'Donnell finally blew for full time after six added minutes extending Saints unbeaten run to eleven games and stretching their lead over second placed Blantyre RGM to sixteen points.

Saints have no fixture this coming weekend and, with Scottish amateur football now going into the festive break, will not return to competitive action until the Scottish Amateur Cup fifth round tie against Renfrew Town on 11th January. The club does however hope to arrange a couple of friendly matches details of which are yet to be announced.