Sunday, 20 December 2020

Saints GG Bounce Into The Shutdown

Saturday 5th December 2020

Bounce Game

Oban Saints GG Blues 3 - 5 Oban Saints GG Reds

Oban Community Sports Field (3G)

Soroba Road

Oban

Argyll

PA34 4JB

Kick Off 1.00pm

Referee Mr Alex Craik

Oban Saints GG Manager Donald Black could have had no idea that his hastily arranged bounce game at Oban High School last Saturday afternoon would be the last football action his charges would enjoy before Argyll & Bute's newly acquired level one Covid-19 status would be cruelly snatched away. The shock announcement from the Scottish Government on Saturday evening that the entire country would be subject the level four restriction from 26th December saw the First Minister put the ball firmly on the slates ruling amateur football strictly off the agenda for several weeks.

Despite the frustration of the unexpected football shutdown Saints GG can at least console themselves that they were able to keep playing until the last gasp.

Manager Black and Coaches Brian Forgrieve and Scott Buchanan called on the services of some of the younger members of the first team squad as well as calling up some rising stars from the Club's youth set-up to assemble two evenly matched sides for an entertaining encounter.

Oban Saints GG Blues

Murdo MacKenzie

Craig Livingstone

Louis MacFarlane

Cammy Clark

Kenneth Black

Keith Millar

Gavin Forgrieve

Lewis Buchanan

Rory Dowd

Keir MacLean

James Beaton

Lewis Campbell

Garry McIvor

Oban Saints GG Reds

Innes Horne

Ruaridh Horne

Ryan Barclay

Lewis McPhee

Andy Moore

Martin Bonar

Daniel MacCuish

Ruaridh Buchanan

Fraser MacFarlane

Kyle Cooper

Zander Craik

Cammy Hill

Andrew Nicol

Keir MacLean opened the scoring for the Blues in the fifth minute tucking a good finish under young Innes Horne in the Reds goal after good work on the right from Lewis Buchanan and Craig Livingstone.

Reds midfielder Martin Bonar drew a good save from Murdo MacKenzie with a crisply struck twenty eight yard shot in the eighth minute before Daniel MacCuish curled a left foot shot inches wide of MacKenzie's right hand post sixty seconds later.

MacCuish set his sights on goal again in the eleventh minute with young Louis MacFarlane, who along with all of the youth team players impressed in more experienced company, getting a vital touch to deflect MacCuish's effort wide for a corner kick. Influential Reds midfielder MacCuish trotted over and found the head of central defender Lewis McPhee from the corner flag. Unfortunately McPhee's header failed to trouble Murdo MacKenzie and landed on the school roof giving Saints Coach and School Janitor Peter MacCallum an extra task to retrieve the ball on Monday morning.

MacCuish produced another excellent delivery from a twentieth minute corner kick after Cammy Clark had blocked a Fraser MacFarlane shot behind. On the end of MacCuish's in-swinger from the right was midfield partner Martin Bonar who steered his header the wrong side of Murdo MacKenzie's left hand post.

The Blues doubled their advantage in the twenty second minute with an excellent left foot finish from the corner of the eighteen yard box by young Lewis Campbell son of Saints legend Colin "Shuggie" Campbell.

The Reds were off target once again when Kyle Cooper cut in from the right and angled a low shot across Murdo MacKenzie but wide of the far post.

Martin Bonar was once again the target for a Daniel MacCuish corner kick and finally found the target for the Reds sending a header looping just out of Murdo MacKenzie's reach and into the net to halve the deficit in the twenty fifth minute.

Inside the first minute of the second of the three thirty minute periods Lewis McPhee hauled down Rory Dowd with newly qualified Referee Alex Craik correctly spotting that the challenge was made fractionally outside of the Reds eighteen yard box. The Reds defensive wall however did it's job and stood firm to block Dowd's free-kick.

The Blues re-established their two goal cushion in the thirty fifth minute after good work on the right by Gavin Forgrieve and Lewis Buchanan. Forgrieve found Garry McIvor on the edge of the D who rolled the ball into the path of Kenneth Black. The Blues Skipper showed good strength to hold off the challenge of Ruaridh Horne and poke the ball left footed under Reds goalkeeper Innes Horne.

Two minutes later the Reds began would be a stirring comeback with Cammy Hill finding the net after young Ruaridh Buchanan cut in from the right and found Ruaridh Horne in support inside the eighteen yard box. Horne turned away from Cammy Clark and picked out Cammy Hill who slammed the ball into the roof of the net from eight yards.

The Reds equaliser in the forty seventh minute owed much to the endeavour of Daniel MacCuish on the left. MacCuish evaded three challenges on his way to the bye-line from where his cutback arrived nicely into the stride of Ruaridh Buchanan. Buchanan beat the dive of Murdo MacKenzie but not the crossbar however fortune favoured the attacking side and Cammy Hill got to the rebound ahead of Louis MacFarlane to complete his brace.

One minute into the final thirty minutes Daniel MacCuish worked a one-two with young Zander Craik which took him into the box where Murdo MacKenzie was at full stretch to push MacCuish's left foot shot round the post for a corner kick.

The Reds got their noses in front for the first time in the match in the sixty ninth minute through Zander Craik. The young striker was sent through the inside right channel by Daniel MacCuish and held off the challenge of Cammy Clark to fire a low shot across Murdo MacKenzie and into the far corner of the net.

MacCuish and Craik combined again for the final goal of the afternoon. With youngster Andrew Nicol also involved on the left the Reds worked the ball into Craik who picked out strike partner Kyle Cooper who fired high into the net to complete the scoring.

Referee Craik, who acquitted himself well on his debut, brought an entertaining encounter to an end leaving Oban Saints GG Manager Donald Black encouraged by the work rate of his players and impressed by the contribution of the youth players.

Referee Alex Craik

Gavin Forgrieve keeps an eye on Daniel MacCuish

Zander Craik gets his shot away to put the Reds in front

Louis MacFarlane holds off Fraser MacFarlane

Kyle Cooper and Louis MacFarlane

Lewis McPhee

Cammy Hill

#monthesaints

Sunday, 13 December 2020

Saints All At Sea Doon The Watter

Saturday 12th December 2020

Friendly

Rothesay Brandane 5 - 4 Oban Saints

Rothesay Joint Campus

Townhead

Rothesay

Isle of Bute

PA20 9JH

Kick Off 1.30pm
Referee Mr James Crichton

A Jekyll and Hyde performance from number one Graham Douglas played a pivotal role in the final outcome of Oban Saints friendly encounter with Rothesay Brandane at Rothesay Joint Campus last Saturday afternoon. After keeping his strangely out of sorts team mates in the match with a string of fine first half saves, two uncharacteristic lapses in concentration from the Saints keeper ultimately helped the home side come out on top in a nine goal thriller.

Local Referee James Crichton ensured the current match day protocols, including no spectators inside the perimeter fencing, were strictly enforced for the 1.30pm kick-off played in pleasant winter sunshine.

Saints Manager Willie Gemmell's ongoing selection headaches intensified with Kerr Newbigging the latest to join the lengthy list of injury victims. Coach Jamie Graham was therefore pressed into a starting role and Fraser MacFarlane was called up from Oban Saints GG to make up a thirteen man squad.

Saints lined up with Graham Douglas in goal behind a back four of Aaron McKay, Steven MacLeod, Jamie Graham and Captain Scott Maitland. Scott Johnston anchored the midfield behing Matty Kelly and Gavin Forgrieve. Up front were David Beaton, Cammy Hill and James Ford. Joining Gaffer Willie Gemmell on a sparsely populated bench was Fraser MacFarlane.

Oban Saints starting lineup:-

Used substitutes:-

Fraser MacFarlane

Unused substitute:-

Willie Gemmell

The home side kicked off playing into the low sun and the first half's main protagonists, Graham Douglas and Sean Lawrence commenced their own personal battle in the tenth minute when the Saints keeper spread himself well to prevent a Lawrence cutback from the right finding it's way to the waiting Robert Fisher.

Prior to that Cammy Hill smashed a shot into the side netting after timing his run onto a Matty Kelly pass well enough to leave the home defence appealing in vain for an offside decision.

Skipper for the day, Scott Maitland, was pushing his side forward on the left and combined well with James Ford in the twenty second minute only for Ford to send his cross looking for the head of Cammy Hill into the grateful arms of Brandane goalkeeper William Lawrence.

Danes central defender Kalum Ledicott sent Sean Lawrence racing through the inside right channel in the twenty fifth minute where the Rothesay dangerman found Graham Douglas equal to the task getting down well to his right to gather safely. Douglas released the ball quickly to Steven MacLeod who launched a counter attack which saw Referee Crichton ignore Saints appeals for a free-kick when Matty Kelly was sent crashing on the edge of the Rothesay penalty area.

Sean Lawrence left Graham Douglas firmly rooted to the spot with a twenty sixth minute thirty yard screamer which came crashing back off right hand upright.

Far too many Saints passes were going astray and when Steven MacLeod joined the guilty list it was Douglas to the rescue again getting down well to his left to push another Sean Lawrence effort behind for a corner kick.

Lawrence looked suspiciously offside when found wide on the left by a Joe Livingstone ball over the top. Referee Chrichton however allowed play to continue with Lawrence sending a cross to the back post which Calum Robertson headed back across the face of goal for a spectacular overhead kick from Robert Fisher which looped high over the crossbar.

Mr Chrichton ruled in Lawrence's favour again in the thirty eighth minute ignoring Saints appeals for offside and allowing Lawrence to continue his personal duel with Graham Douglas with the Saints keeper once again coming out on top.

David Beaton's driving run on the right in the fortieth minute was unceremoniously halted on the edge of the Rothesay box by Ryan Craig. Saints however failed to exploit the free-kick opportunity and the home side countered quickly finding Sean Lawrence whose swerving thirty yard effort was watched carefully by Graham Douglas who took no chances in pushing the ball behind for a corner kick.

The strangely disjointed Saints finally found some fluidity and took an undeserved lead on the stroke of half time. Gavin Forgrieve found James Ford on the left where his quick feet took him away from Matthew Leitch and into the box before slotting a low finish across William Lawrence and into the bottom corner.

The second half was just five minutes old when Graham Douglas managed to undo all of his good first half work by mis-controlling a David Beaton pass back into his own goal.

Calamitous defending from Saints saw Steven MacLeod concede a fifty ninth minute penalty kick giving Sean Lawrence the opportunity to finally get the better of Graham Douglas which he did with ease beating the Saints number one emphatically from twelve yards.

Steven MacLeod departed shortly thereafter to be replaced by Fraser MacFarlane prompting a reshuffle which left Saints with an entirely unfamiliar back four of David Beaton, Scott Johnston, Jamie Graham and Scott Maitland.

Saints were offering more of an attacking threat in the second half pushing fullbacks David Beaton and Scott Maitland forward at every opportunity. Maitland combined well with James Ford on the left in the sixty second minute only for Kalum Ledicott to get a toe to Ford's low cutback looking for Cammy Hill.

Sixty seconds later Ryan Craig got a vital touch to divert a Cammy Hill header from a Gavin Forgrieve freekick behind for a corner kick.

The home side counter attacked to devastating effect in the sixty sixth minute when Calum Robertson raced away on the right wing and picked out Sean Lawrence in the middle who steered an excellent finish across Graham Douglas and into the net.

The Saints defence was all at sea once again two minutes later requiring Graham Douglas to make another excellent save to deny Sean Lawrence his hat-trick.

Rothesay central defender Ryan Craig upended Cammy Hill on the corner of the eighteen yard box in the seventieth minute. The big Saints striker climbed high above the home defence to meet Gavin Forgrieve's freekick but failed to generate sufficient power in his downward header which bounced through into the grateful arms of William Lawrence.

Scott Maitland, Aaron McKay and James Ford linked well on the left in the seventy second minute with the Saints Skipper wriggling through to slot the ball past Lawrence and cut the arrears to one.

Lawrence made an excellent save at his near post sixty seconds later to deny James Ford an equaliser. From the resulting corner kick on the Saints left Jamie Graham climbed highest to meet Gavin Forgrieve's delivery but couldn't direct his header on target.

Referee Crichton ignored loud Saints appeals for a penalty kick in the seventy fifth minute instead awarding a freekick just outside of the eighteen yard box after James Ford had been sent crashing to the artificial turf. The Rothesay wall did it's job to block Gavin Forgrieve's freekick before Aaron McKay sent the rebound wide of William Lawrence's right hand post.

After an improved spell Saints shot themselves in the foot once again when Graham Douglas sent a seventy seventh minute goal kick straight to the feet of Ryan Driver who gleefully accepted the invitation to restore the home side's two goal advantage.

James Ford set up an anxious final five minutes for the home side when he grabbed his second goal of the afternoon with a thumping right foot effort from twenty five yards which slammed into the roof of the net.

The thrills and spills kept coming and after William Lawrence had saved an eighty eighth minute Fraser MacFarlane effort the home side once again hit Saints on the counter attack. Aiden MacGregor sent an inch perfect pass into the stride of Ryan Driver on the right who raced into the Saints box and shot low across Graham Douglas into the bottom corner for his second goal of the afternoon.

Remarkably, despite such a below par performance, Saints were able to half the deficit for a third time and, after Gavin Forgrieve and David Beaton had both sent efforts over the crossbar, Rothesay central defender Ryan Craig stooped to divert a ninetieth minute Fraser MacFarlane right wing cross beyond his own goalkeeper.

There was insufficient time left on Referee Chrichton's watch for Saints to grab what would have been an ill deserved draw and after the final whistle Saints Manager Willie Gemmell left his charges in no doubt that he expects a marked improvement when training resumes after the Christmas and New Year break.

William Lawrence gets to the ball ahead of Cammy Hill

Scott Maitland

Scott Maitland and Sean Lawrence

Graham Douglas saves from Sean Lawrence

Cammy Hill heads clear

Fraser MacFarlane and Ryan Craig

Jamie Graham beats Robert Fisher in the air

Gavin Forgrieve

William Lawrence saves from Cammy Hill

Scott Maitland and James Ford

Scott Johnston

William Lawrence punches clear

Ryan Craig heads past William Lawrence

#monthesaints

Sunday, 6 December 2020

Saints Central Scottish Come Out On Top In Club Derby

Saturday 5th December 2020

Friendly

Oban Saints 5 - 0 Oban Saints GG

Oban Community Sports Field (3G)

Soroba Road

Oban

Argyll

PA34 4JB

Kick Off 1.30pm
Referee Mr Pat O'Donnell

Oban Saints Central Scottish Amateur Football League side and their Greater Glasgow Premier Amateur Football League counterparts played out an entertaining friendly at Oban High School last Saturday afternoon.

Despite the final score line this was no walk in the park for the senior of the club's two sides with the youthful second string ensuring their more experienced opponents had to work hard for their victory.

With a return to competitive football as we know it still some way away Referee Pat O'Donnell ensured the current match day protocols, including no spectators inside the perimeter fencing, were strictly enforced for the 1.30pm kick-off played in pleasant winter sunshine.

Both Managers had selection headaches not the least of which was first team Manager Willie Gemmell's own unavailability leaving Coaches Jamie Graham and Peter MacCallum and Club Secretary David Buchanan in charge.

Martin Bonar, James Ford, Myles McAuley and Craig MacEwan all dropped out from the previous week's squad with Scott Johnston returning and Coach Jamie Graham taking a place on the substitutes bench.

Saints lined up with Graham Douglas in goal behind a back four of Ruaridh Horne, Steven MacLeod, Kerr Newbigging and Scott Maitland. Scott Johnston returned to partner Matty Kelly in the holding midfield roles with Aaron McKay, Gavin Forgrieve and Cammy Hill supporting central striker David Beaton. On a sparsely populated bench were Lewis Campbell and Jamie Graham.

Oban Saints starting lineup:-

Used substitutes:-

Lewis Campbell

Jamie Graham

Saints GG Manager was without Alan Buchanan, Cammy Clark and Robert Johnstone but still had sufficient depth in his squad to name three substitutes.

Saints GG lined up with Murdo MacKenzie in goal behind a back three of Ryan Barclay, Alex Craik and Andy Moore. Across the five man midfield were Craig Livingstone, Craig Easton, Daniel MacCuish, Daniel Sloss and Captain Kenneth Black. Up front were Fraser MacFarlane and Lewis Buchanan. On the bench were James Beaton, Kyle Cooper and Keir MacLean.

Oban Saints GG starting lineup:-

Used substitutes:-

James Beaton

Kyle Cooper

Keir MacLean

Saints kicked off attacking the school end and straight from Referee Pat O'Donnell's first whistle took the game to their Greater Glasgow Premier Amateur Football League opponents. Aaron McKay sent a shot wide of Murdo MacKenzie's right hand post in the third minute before Ryan Barclay made an important block to deny the Saints wide man in the ninth minute. Barclay's interception fell kindly for Gavin Forgrieve who looked set to give Murdo MacKenzie his first test of the afternoon until Craig Easton's vital touch sent the ball spinning behind for a corner kick.

Forgrieve's delivery from the right was intercepted at the front post by Andy Moore with a glancing header which flashed dangerously across the six yard box. Saints kept the pressure on the GG defence and worked the ball back over to the right wing where Andy Moore slid in on Scott Johnston at the expense of another corner kick. This time Gavin Forgrieve aimed for the back post where his perfect delivery was met by Cammy Hill who leapt above the GG defence to head home from four yards range.

Having provided the assist for the opening goal Gavin Forgrieve opened his own account in the sixteenth minute rounding off a patient build up with a sweet curling finish. Thirty plus passes were involved as Saints probed for an opening which finally came from a David Beaton lay off to Forgrieve on the corner of the eighteen yard box who curled a right foot finish across Murdo MacKenzie into the postage stamp corner.

Saints GG made their first foray forward in the eighteenth minute but found Steven MacLeod once again in commanding form at the heart of the Saints defence. MacLeod was too strong for Fraser MacFarlane and launched a counter attack up the left wing. Gavin Forgrieve found Cammy Hill in the middle who helped the ball on to galloping fullback Ruaridh Horne who held off the challenge of Daniel Sloss before crashing a right foot shot into the side netting.

Elder statesman of an otherwise youthful Saints GG line up Alex Craik showed all his experience to snuff out a promising burst into the box from David Beaton before Craig Easton was once again on hand with an interception to divert a net bound Gavin Forgrieve effort wide of target.

Rolling substitutes was the order of the day and Saints GG Manager Donald Black was first to take advantage of this option swapping Fraser MacFarlane for Kyle Cooper. The young striker was quickly involved in the action getting on the end of a Craig Easton cutback from the left. Daniel MacCuish did well to dispossess Scott Johnston and send Easton away however, despite making a good near post run, Cooper was unable to beat Saints number one Graham Douglas from close range.

Both sides made enforced changes in the thirty fifth minute. Lewis Buchanan couldn't run off the effects of a heavy Matty Kelly challenge and was replaced by Keir MacLean while a thigh strain ended Kerr Newbigging's involvement giving Jamie Graham an unexpected run out in central defence.

The new front pairing for Saints GG linked up well in the thirty eighth minute taking advantage of a slack ball out from the back by Graham Douglas. Keir MacLean picked out Kyle Cooper at the back post but the young striker couldn't direct his effort on target.

Saints took full advantage of the two let-offs to stretch their lead still further in the fortieth minute. Cammy Hill held the ball up well on the edge of the GG box and laid off to Gavin Forgrieve who turned onto his right foot and sent a shot from twenty three yards arcing away from Murdo MacKenzie's right hand into the top corner of the net.

With the low sun in his eyes Graham Douglas had to watch a speculative forty fourth minute long range effort from Andy Moore carefully before calmly plucking the ball out of the air.

There was no such calm sixty seconds later when the backpedalling keeper was at full stretch to make a fine save tipping a forty yard Daniel MacCuish lob over his crossbar.

Saints made a change for the start of the second half sending on Lewis Campbell to replace Aaron McKay. Inside the first minute Campbell was sent sprawling in the box however Referee Pat O'Donnell, who handled proceedings well throughout, saw nothing wrong with the challenge from Andy Moore.

Campbell was involved again in the fiftieth minute shooting wide of target after Murdo MacKenzie could only parry a Scott Maitland effort.

Skipper for the day Maitland was in adventurous mood again five minutes later driving into the box on the left however Murdo MacKenzie read his intentions and stood up well to beat the ball away.

MacKenzie made another good save to deny Ruaridh Horne in the fifty seventh minute but was powerless to stop Cammy Hill from finding the net for a second time from the resulting corner kick. Gavin Forgrieve once again found Hill's head in the six yard box from the corner flag. MacKenzie stopped Hill's header on the goal line but was beaten for the fourth time by Hill's side foot finish on the rebound.

James Beaton replaced Andy Moore for the final thirty minutes and won a sixty fifth minute free-kick on the left on the corner of the Saints eighteen yard box. Keir MacLean sent an inviting ball bouncing across the face of goal which Matty Kelly, guarding the back post, was happy to thump clear.

Sixty seconds later Jamie Graham sent MacLean crashing to the ground on the opposite corner of the box which favoured the left foot of Daniel MacCuish. The central midfielder lifted his free-kick over the Saints wall forcing Graham Douglas to punch clear with Alex Craik and Keir MacLean waiting to pounce.

Murdo MacKenzie held a seventy fifth minute Lewis Campbell shot before, at the other end, Kyle Copper headed over a Kenny Black cross after the Saints GG Skipper had been sent clear on the left by Craig Easton.

Daniel MacCuish continued to impress in central midfield for Saints GG and turned away from Aaron McKay in the centre circle in the seventy eighth minute. MacCuish drove forward and tee'd up Fraser MacFarlane for a twenty five yard shot which Graham Douglas safely held.

Following a quick release from Graham Douglas Saints moved swiftly into the Saints GG half where Cammy Hill slipped David Beaton through in the inside right channel. Beaton's pace took him away from the defence and his early shot from nineteen yards gave Murdo MacKenzie no chance and rounded off the scoring.

To their credit Saints GG refused to give up and kept pushing for a consolation goal but found the Saints defence in no mood to surrender a highly prized clean sheet. James Beaton led an eightieth minute Saints GG counter attack and tried to feed Fraser MacFarlane but Steven MacLeod read the danger well to usher the ball safely through to Graham Douglas.

Jamie Graham, who was a lot closer to the action than the afternoon of barking orders from the touchline he had anticipated, was on hand with a vital interception in the eighty fifth minute heading a Daniel MacCuish left wing cross behind for a corner kick.

Murdo MacKenzie made futher saves from Aaron McKay, who had rejoined the action as a replacement for Scott Johnston, Matty Kelly, Gavin Forgrieve and Lewis Campbell before Referee O'Donnell brought an entertaining encounter to an end.