Saturday 21st November 2020

Friendly

Dunoon Amateurs 1 - 3 Oban Saints

Dunoon Stadium

Argyll Road

Kirn

Dunoon

Argyll

PA23 7RL

Kick Off 1.30pm

Referee Mr Jimmy Litster

Oban Saints and Argyll neighbours Dunoon Amateurs took advantage of Argyll and Bute's continued tier two Coronavirus protection level status to stage a friendly fixture at Dunoon Stadium last Saturday afternoon. The vast grass playing surface successfully passed an early morning pitch inspection however underfoot conditions were extremely heavy ensuring quality football remained at a premium throughout.

Referee Jimmy Litster ensured strict matchday protocols were observed by both sides where Saints overturned a half time deficit to earn a deserved victory over their Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division One hosts.

Injuries, work and family commitments continued to hamper Manager Willie Gemmell's selection opportunities however Myles McAuley made a welcome return to the squad and the travelling party was further boosted by the inclusion of young Lewis Campbell .

Saints lined up with Graham Douglas in goal behind a back four of Ruaridh Horne, Steven MacLeod, Kerr Newbigging and Scott Maitland. Partnering Scott Johnston in the holding midfield role was Matty Kelly. Supporting Skipper and central striker Craig MacEwan were Aaron McKay, Gavin Forgrieve and Cammy Hill. Joining Gaffer Willie Gemmell on the bench were Martin Bonar, Lewis Campbell and Myles McAuley.

Oban Saints starting line-up:-

Used substitutes:-

Martin Bonar

Lewis Campbell

Myles McAuley

Unused substitute:-

Willie Gemmell

Hosts Dunoon Amateurs kicked off with the strong wind at their backs and were immediately on the attack. Evan Meyar-McDonagh and Paddy Mullholland linked well on the right wing with Mullholland sending a right foot shot from the edge of the Saints box high and wide of target.

A wind assisted ball out from the back turned the Saints back four however Lewis McCall was unable to capitalise sending his shot from the left corner of the eighteen yard box into the grateful arms of Graham Douglas.

After a slow start Saints were eventually able to exert some pressure on the Dunoon defence when Aaron McKay closed down and dispossessed full back JJ Friel. The Saints youngster raced into the box and squared to Craig MacEwan however the Saints Skipper couldn't get the ball out of his feet in the soggy conditions and a good chance was lost.

Dunoon central defender Allan Laughlan got enough of a block on Gavin Forgrieve's nineteenth minute shot from twenty yards to ensure that Saints first effort on target was an easy take for keeper Euan Hunter.

A slip at the vital moment from Kerr Newbigging gave Ewan McIlkenny a sight of goal and the Saints defender was a relieved man to see Graham Douglas spring high to his left to push McIlkenny's right foot shot over the crossbar.

Newbigging was involved at the other end in the twenty fourth minute having a shot from a Scott Johnston knock down blocked on the six yard line after Aaron McKay had won a corner on the Saints right.

The hosts lost the services of Lewis McCall who limped off injured injured after twenty five minutes and was replaced by Kyle Sinclair.

The Saints defence was caught napping at a twenty seventh minute throw-in on the Dunoon right. Ewan McIlkenny was allowed to make his way to bye-line inside the Saints box from where he picked out Evan Meyar-McDonagh who slammed the ball low into the net past the despairing dive of Graham Douglas.

Craig MacEwan and Gavin Forgrieve both failed to trouble Euan Hunter from set pieces and when MacEwan eventually did manage to get an effort on target the Dunoon keeper was able to safely gather the Saints Skipper's header from a Matty Kelly right wing cross.

On the stroke of half-time Kelly was this time on the end of a Gavin Forgrieve cross from the right but sent his header high over Euan Hunter's crossbar.

Forgrieve made way for Martin Bonar in a half-time change which also saw Saints switch to a 3-5-2 formation.

Saints made a positive start to the second half and, inside the first minute, Ruaridh Horne slipped Craig MacEwan into the inside right channel. MacEwan beat Jamie Robertson and cut onto his left foot for a shot which Euan Hunter did well to push behind at full stretch.

The home side had the ball in the net again in the fiftieth minute but Referee Jimmy Litster correctly disallowed Ewan McIlkenny's header from a left wing corner kick for pushing in the six yard box.

From the free-kick Saints worked the ball forward and were given the opportunity to draw level when Craig MacEwan was pulled down after a smart turn in the Dunoon box. The Skipper took responsibility for the spot kick himself and made no mistake beating Euan Hunter low to his right.

Hunter saved a fifty second minute Craig MacEwan header from a Scott Maitland left wing cross before Saints number one Graham Douglas had his first real taste of second half action. Cammy Hill brought down Evan Meyar-McDonagh twenty eight yards out and Douglas could only parry Christopher Richmond's firmly struck free-kick before gathering safely at the second attempt.

Stepping forward from midfield in the fifty sixth minute substitute Martin Bonar smacked Euan Hunter's left hand post with a rasping thirty yard drive as Saints stepped up the hunt for a second goal. They didn't have too much longer to wait and sixty seconds later Scott Maitland's strong running won a corner kick on the left. Craig MacEwan came short to meet Matty Kelly's corner kick and took the ball to the corner of the eighteen yard box before firing off a shot which Euan Hunter couldn't hold. The Dunoon keeper could only push the ball into the path of Kerr Newbigging who found the net from eight yards range.

Newbigging and Cammy Hill departed after sixty seven minutes to be replaced by Myles McAuley and Lewis Campbell.

Steven MacLeod had Ruaridh Horne and Martin Bonar for company in the back three for the closing stages and lead the defence by example with a perfectly timed sliding challenge to deny Ewan McIlkenny a seventieth minute strike on goal.

Dunoon keeper Euan Hunter made two fine saves to prevent Lewis Campbell from stretching the Saints lead but was powerless to prevent the young substitute from finding the net in the eighty fifth minute. Dunoon skipper Jamie Robertson flashed a dangerous ball across the Saints box but without any takers which paved the way for a swift counter attack up the right. Ruaridh Horne found Craig MacEwan for a lay-off into the path of Lewis Campbell. The youngster raced forward with fellow substitute Myles McAuley in support. Having witnessed McAuley's finishing in training Campbell wisely ignored the screams from the touchline to play in McAuley and curled a delightful finish across Hunter and into the top corner.

Referee Litster, who handled a typically competitive Argyll derby well, brought proceedings to an end after three added minutes with both sides pleased to have completed another ninety minutes of action while their respective league campaigns remain suspended.