Saturday 14th November 2020

Friendly

Lochgilphead Red Star 0 - 2 Oban Saints

Lochgilphead Joint Campus (3G)

Kilmory

Lochgilphead

Argyll

PA31 8AA

Kick Off 1.00pm

Referee Mr Jimmy Litster

Just three weeks after their last encounter Oban Saints and closest neighbours Lochgilphead Red Star once again took advantage of Argyll and Bute's tier two Coronavirus protection level status to stage a friendly fixture at Lochgilphead Joint Campus last Saturday afternoon. Fortunately the forecasted heavy rain stayed away for the most part making the journey home for the players, still in their playing kit, slightly less uncomfortable than it could have been.

Referee Jimmy Litster ensured strict matchday protocols, including no changing facilities or supporters inside the perimeter fencing, were followed by both sides where goals from Gavin Forgrieve and Captain Craig MacEwan gave Saints a deserved victory over their Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division One hosts.

Injuries, work and family commitments once again severely hampered Manager Willie Gemmell's selection opportunities with only thirteen players, himself included, available to make the trip.

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 as holding midfielders was Matty Kelly. Supporting Skipper and central striker Craig MacEwan were Aaron McKay, Gavin Forgrieve and Cammy Hill. Joining Gaffer Willie Gemmell on a sparsely populated bench was Martin Bonar.

Oban Saints starting lineup:-

Used substitute:-

Martin Bonar

Unused substitute:-

Willie Gemmell

The hosts were first to threaten and passed up a good early chance in just the third minute. Breaking forward on the right wing Andy Weir had Skipper Aaron Moore and Chris Hart to aim for and sent over a tempting cross which Hart headed wide of Graham Douglas' left hand post.

Saints responded with a Gavin Forgrieve cross from the left which Aaron McKay at the back post headed back across the face of goal but just in front of the onrushing Matty Kelly.

Saints took the aerial route again in the thirteenth minute with Ruaridh Horne providing a good delivery from the right which Andy Weir did well to turn back to keeper Ally Lewis ahead of Cammy Hill.

Red Star had Stedfast man Ciaran McPhie back in their ranks for this fixture and the young striker tested Graham Douglas in the fifteenth minute with a snap shot from the edge of the box which the Saints keeper held comfortably.

Ally Lewis clawed away a sixteenth minute Gavin Forgrieve free kick after Cammy Hill had been felled by Andy Weir. Hill was on the receiving end again two minutes later this time from Coll McCallum who was given a stern talking to from Referee Jimmy Litster.

The home side were defending well and it took until the twenty first minute for Saints to register their first effort on target. A sweeping move from right to left saw Scott Johnston pick out the overlapping run of Scott Maitland who found Gavin Forgrieve in the box for a low shot which Ally Lewis held well to his left.

Saints kept probing for openings and Skipper Craig MacEwan flashed a twenty fourth minute diving header wide of target from a Cammy Hill cross curled in from the corner of the eighteen yard box.

Young Red Star keeper Ally Lewis used his feet to good effect to take an Aaron McKay right wing cutback off the toes of Craig MacEwan after McKay and Ruaridh Horne had linked well in the twenty fifth minute.

Red Star fullback Coll McCallum made a vital interception on the half hour mark to stop a Craig MacEwan through ball from reaching Cammy Hill before once again being in the right place at the right time to block a Matty Kelly shot from twenty yards.

Kelly did manage to find a gap after being tee'd up by Craig MacEwan in the thirty third minute but Ally Lewis was equal to the task holding at the second attempt low to his right.

Graham Douglas was called into action in the thirty sixth minute saving well from a Chris Hart shot after the Red striker had shaken off the attentions of Kerr Newbigging and Scott Maitland.

Saints finally found a way past Ally Lewis in the thirty ninth minute but were thwarted by the frame of the goal. Little and large wingers Aaron McKay and Cammy Hill switched wings and McKay on the Saints left burst into the box holding off the challenge of Andy Weir and lifted the ball over Ally Lewis only to see it come back off the crossbar before being thumped to safety by Kyle Selfridge.

Both sides made changes for the start of the second half. Martin Bonar replaced Scott Johnston for Saints while Chris Hart made way for Innes Meikle for the hosts.

Meikle was quickly involved in the action heading a very presentable opportunity over the Saints crossbar after good work on the right from Ciaran McPhie and Andy Weir.

The deadlock was broken in the fifty seventh minute from a quickly taken free kick by Cammy Hill after Martin Bonar had been brought down in the centre circle by James McGuiness. Hill spotted Aaron McKay in space on the right and sent him scurrying forward. McKay cut into the box and picked out the run of Craig MacEwan who was foiled from six yards by Ally Lewis. The young keeper's good work was however undone when he couldn't hold MacEwan's shot allowing the ball to spin away from him. Ben Forbes was on hand with a sliding challenge to knock the loose ball away from MacEwan but only as far as Gavin Forgrieve who gleefully tapped home from four yards.

Lewis saved again from MacEwan three minutes later this time managing to hold onto the ball at the second attempt before a neat Matty Kelly turn on the corner of the Star eighteen yard box wrong footed Ben Forbes creating the space for Kelly to curl a ball to the far post a matter of inches in front of the outstretched boot of Scott Maitland.

Maitland got forward again in the seventy first minute finding Gavin Forgrieve in front of goal who took the ball down well only for Innes Meikle to get back with a vital challenge at the expense of a corner kick. Martin Bonar climbed well at the back post to meet Forgrieve's delivery from the right but couldn't direct his header on target.

Despite being unable to hit the target himself Bonar as however able to claim an eighty first minute assist for the second and final goal. The big midfielder, a key member of Red Star's 2018 Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division Two title winning side, won possession well in the centre circle and opened up his former team mates with a perfectly weighted pass for the forward run of Skipper Craig MacEwan. Top marksman MacEwan comfortably beat stranded Red Star keeper Ally Lewis with a deft chip from twenty eight yards into the unguarded net.

Referee Jimmy Litster, who ensured the two local rivals remained on friendly terms throughout, called time on proceedings after three added minutes with both sides satisfied to complete another ninety minutes while the majority of their respective league rivals remain sidelined.