Saturday 3rd October 2020
Lesmahagow 5 - 0 Oban Saints
Central Scottish Amateur Football League
Division 1B
Dalziel Park
Hagen Drive
Motherwell
ML1 5RZ
Kick-off 1pm
Referee Mr. Douglas Gunning

A severely depleted Oban Saints side missing a host of key players made the long trip to Dalziel Park Motherwell last Saturday to complete the D&K Lafferty sponsored side's 2019-20 Central Scottish Amateur Football League Division 1B fixtures.

With the league title already in the bag the only incentive for Manager Willie Gemmell's makeshift squad was to make it twelve wins out of twelve and end their debut Central Scottish Amateur Football League season with a 100% record.

Hosts Lesmahagow still harboured hopes of joining Saints in gaining promotion to the Premier Division but knew that only three wins from their three remaining fixtures would be good enough to achieve that goal.

Unfortunately for Saints there was to be no perfect end to the season with Lesmahagow putting in their best performance of the season to secure the points.

Saints lined up with Jamie Strachan in goal behind a back four of Ruaridh Horne, Steven MacLeod, Kerr Newbigging and Scott Maitland. Gavin Forgrieve partnered Scott Johnston in the holding midfield roles with David Beaton, Craig MacEwan and James Ford supporting central striker Cammy Hill. On an experienced bench were Donald Campbell, Sean Ford and Willie Gemmell.

Oban Saints starting lineup:-

Used Substitutes:-

Donald Campbell

Willie Gemmell

Unused Substitute:-

Sean Ford

Saints started brightly in the heavy rain which poured down relentlessly throughout the ninety minutes and carved out an excellent opportunity in just the third minute. Captain for the day Craig MacEwan and David Beaton linked up well on the right and fed the ball in to Cammy Hill on the edge of the Lesmahagow box. The tall striker turned away from his marker and fired off a shot but was denied by a fine save from Fraser Campbell. The big keeper, who had answered the club's late call to ease their goalkeeping crisis, was quickly back on his feet to complete an excellent double save when David Beaton latched onto the loose ball.

Pacy wide man Jordan McCrorie gave an early indication of the danger he would pose on the Gow right and only a well timed sliding interception from Scott Maitland halted a promising sixth minute attack from the hosts. From the resulting throw-in a deflected shot from Daryl Meikle forced the first corner kick of the afternoon. McCrorie's delivery from the right was met by Steven MacLeod however his header under pressure went back across the six yard box and was thumped into the net by the unmarked Meikle.

The hosts doubled their advantage five minutes later in very similar circumstances. After Ruaridh Horne had turned a Douglas Bell long throw behind for a corner kick on the left Saints this time left Robbie Kilpatrick unattended and the big central defender tucked a near post flick-on under Jamie Strachan from close range.

As Saints struggled to create any chances of note Cammy Hill was felled trying to force his way through a ruck of players on the edge of the Gow box. Craig MacEwan took responsibility for the fourteenth minute free-kick but, despite successfully lifting the ball over the five man wall, was unable to direct his effort on target.

Leading goal scorer MacEwan was off target again three minutes later heading a David Beaton right wing corner kick wide of the junction of post and crossbar.

Deputising for the unavailable Graham Douglas Saints goalkeeper Jamie Strachan had his name taken by Referee Gunning in the twenty second minute for an accidental handball outside his penalty area when trying to intercept another lightning quick break from Jordan McCrorie. After Douglas Bell had run over the ball the Saints wall obligingly jumped high enough for Darren Smith to drill a fierce low shot which zipped along the sodden 4G surface and into the bottom corner beyond Strachan's despairing right hand.

Strachan's struggles with the difficult conditions continued in the twenty eighth minute when, despite initially doing well to intercept Douglas Bell just inside his eighteen yard box, the big keeper allowed the greasy ball to squirm from his grasp which Bell was able to square to the unmarked Jordan McCrorie who tucked the ball into the unguarded net to put the hosts four goals ahead.

Glimpses of goal remained at a premium for Saints and another free-kick opportunity was spurned after Craig MacEwan had been fouled twenty eight yards from goal. Kerr Newbigging left his centre back berth to try his luck but was unable to beat the Gow wall which stood firm to deflect his low effort behind for a corner kick.

Newbigging and Jason McCrorie were involved in a spot of pushing and shoving just before the half-time whistle with McCrorie deemed by Mr Gunning to be the aggressor and picking up a caution for his troubles.

The second half was only seven minutes old when Newbigging's tightening hamstring forced him off with Willie Gemmell having to fill the void in the back four.

Gemmell had only been on the pitch for three minutes when his illegal attempt to halt Jordan Callan's run to meet a Jordan McCrorie free-kick saw Referee Gunning point to the penalty spot. Mr Gunning, who handled proceedings well throughout, added Gemmell to the list of miscreants in his notebook with no complaints from the Saints Gaffer. Darren Smith expertly dispatched the spot kick into the bottom corner sending Jamie Strachan in the opposite direction in the process.

Sadly lacking any creative midfield spark Saints introduced Donald Campbell at the expense of Cammy Hill with Craig MacEwan moving forward to take the young strikers place in attack.

Campbell's influence gave Saints a boost and brought them within inches of snatching a consolation goal. From a quickly taken Scott Maitland free-kick Campbell found Craig MacEwan in the box with his back to goal. MacEwan held the ball up well and laid off to Campbell who clattered Fraser Campbell's right hand upright with a fierce strike from twenty two yards.

The improved spell from Saints continued in the sixty seventh minute with a driving run on the left from Scott Maitland who picked out David Beaton's supporting run through the middle. Beaton's first touch was good setting him up for a low strike which Fraser Campbell, displaying agility belying his bulky stature, got down extremely well to his left to stop.

More good build-up play on the left involving Scott Maitland and Donald Campbell presented Craig MacEwan with a seventieth minute half chance which he hooked wide of target.

The brief Saints resurgence fizzled out and the home side comfortably saw out the closing minutes for a thoroughly deserved victory setting the stage for another vital home clash this coming Saturday against Cambusnethan Talbot.

Saints have no fixture this weekend and will use the free date to regroup for the massive challenge which awaits in the Central Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division, arguably the top league in Scottish amateur football.