Saturday 10th July 2021

Castlemilk Dynamo 1 - 1 Oban Saints

After Extra Time

Castlemilk Dynamo win 4 - 1 on Penalty Kicks
Central Scottish Amateur Football League
Division 1 Play-off
Dalziel Park
Hagen Drive
Motherwell
ML1 5RZ
Kick-off 2pm

Referee Mr. Scott Pearce

Assistant Mr. Pat O'Donnell
Assistant Mr. Douglas Gunning

Fourteen months later than scheduled Oban Saints finally got their hands on the Central Scottish Amateur Football League Division 1B trophy last Saturday afternoon at Dalziel Park Motherwell. However there was to be no double celebration as, after 120 minutes of football could not separate the sectional winners, Division 1A Champions Castlemilk Dynamo emerged victorious from the penalty shoot-out to clinch the Division One trophy.

Having returned to competitive action on 4th June Dynamo held the edge in terms of match sharpness over a Saints side with just ninety minutes of friendly action in the tank. However there was nothing between the sides, both of which spurned chances to win the tie in regulation time, with Castlemilk holding their nerve to win the shoot-out by four successful kicks to one.

With Manager Willie Gemmell forced to self isolate as a close contact of a positive covid case Coach Ross Maitland and Secretary David Buchanan were left in charge of team matters which saw Rory Dowd drafted in as a late replacement for the unavailable James Ford.

Saints lined up with Graham Douglas in goal behind a back three Kerr Newbigging, Steven MacLeod and Dene Cassells. Across the midfield were Ruaridh Horne, Gavin Forgrieve, Lewis Cameron, Myles McAuley and Scott Maitland. Up front David Beaton partnered Captain Craig MacEwan. On the bench were Alex Craik, Rory Dowd, Cammy Hill, Matty Kelly and Ross Maitland.

Oban Saints starting lineup:-

Used Substitutes:-

Matty Kelly

Cammy Hill

Rory Dowd

Ross Maitland

Unused Substitute:-

Alex Craik

Saints kicked off attacking the railway line end and came within a whisker of opening the scoring inside the first minute. Ruaridh Horne's ball up the line sent David Beaton away on the right wing from where he sent over an inviting cross only for Skipper Craig MacEwan to steer his attempted finish wide of target with just thirteen seconds on the clock.

Recovering from this early scare Dynamo took control of the early exchanges but found the Saints back three of Kerr Newbigging, Steven MacLeod and Dene Cassells in uncompromising mood. A thirteenth minute Newbigging foul on Dean McGinnity gave Dynamo Skipper and set-piece expert Connaire Dawson a chance to test Saints number one Graham Douglas from twenty two yards. Diving to his right Douglas could only parry Dawson's curling effort and had to react quickly to smother the ball at the feet on the onrushing William Hewitt.

Saints were finding it difficult to get Lewis Cameron and Gavin Forgrieve on the ball in midfield but the pair combined well in the sixteenth minute to carve out an opening for Craig MacEwan. The Skipper made a good run into the box on the end of Forgrieve's pass but could only find the gloves of Dynamo keeper Thomas Hollis with his cutback intended for strike partner David Beaton.

Referee Scott Pearce had the benefit of assistants Pat O'Donnell and Dougie Gunning, a luxury not often afforded to Referees at this level, and Mr O'Donnell made the first of a number of important calls on the half hour mark flagging Dynamo's striker Gavin Macleod offside when clean through on goal.

Macleod was through again sixty seconds later but was forced wide by the attentions of Kerr Newbigging. The Castlemilk front man made it to the bye-line but couldn't beat Graham Douglas who made a smart save at his near post.

Saints central defender Dene Cassells made a foray into opposition territory in the thirty second minute and was chopped down on the left touchline midway inside the Castlemilk half. After a string of poor deliveries Lewis Cameron at last found his range and with it the forehead of Ruaridh Horne whose glancing header had Thomas Hollis scrambling across his line to fingertip the ball over his crossbar for a corner kick. William Hewitt headed Lewis Cameron's out-swinger from the right out for a throw-in from where Cameron and Gavin Forgrieve combined to send Craig MacEwan through on Thomas Hollis. MacEwan beat his old Postal United adversary but couldn't believe his luck when his effort bounced back off the inside of the post and out of reach for partner David Beaton before being thumped to safety.

The second half began in similar style to the first only this time the early chance fell to Castlemilk. Still inside the first minute the ball was rolled up to Gavin Macleod who did well to hold off the challenge of Dene Cassells and find the unmarked Joseph Lang who gleefully tucked the ball under Graham Douglas to open the scoring.

The Saints response to going behind was positive and Lewis Cameron threaded a delightful ball through the inside left channel for Craig MacEwan in the forty ninth minute. Thomas Hollis came off his line and did well to stop MacEwan getting round him. Ruaridh Horne was first to the loose ball and steered his right foot effort past the stranded Hollis only to see William Hewitt make a last gasp clearance off the goal line for a corner kick. Lewis Cameron's delivery from the right was headed out to the edge of the box however Saints kept the pressure on and Ruaridh Horne picked out Dene Cassells who got in behind the advancing Dynamo defence but could only find the midriff of Thomas Hollis with both Craig MacEwan and David Beaton screaming for a cutback.

Assistant Referee Pat O'Donnell made a big call in the fifty fourth minute when Craig MacEwan was sent sprawling inside the Castlemilk box. Referee Pearce didn't have a good enough view to make the call however Mr O'Donnell was better placed and immediately signalled for the infringement. Lewis Cameron held his nerve and sent Thomas Hollis the wrong way from the penalty spot to level the scoring.

Since falling behind Saints were enjoying their best spell of the match but still couldn't hit the net from open play. Lewis Cameron and Craig MacEwan combined well again in the fifty ninth minute with Thomas Hollis making a good parry to his left to deny the Saints Skipper. William Hewitt once again came to his keeper's rescue getting back on the goal line to block David Beaton's effort from the loose ball.

Kerr Newbigging's heart was in his mouth just after the hour mark when his headed back pass to Graham Douglas fell well short but fortunately for the big defender inches too far in front of the outstretched right boot of Joseph Lang.

William Hewitt made it a hat-trick of incredible goal-line clearances sticking out his left boot to deflect a net bound Craig MacEwan effort off target.

David Beaton's pace on the right wing took him away from Dynamo left back Gregg Twaddle but his delivery from the right was fractionally too high for Craig MacEwan who couldn't direct his header on target.

Beaton's afternoon came to a premature end just minutes later when he pulled up with what looked to be a strained hamstring giving Cammy Hill a seventy seventh minute appearance. Hill had only been on the pitch for two minutes when he linked up well with Craig MacEwan on the edge of the box but couldn't direct his shot from fourteen yards past Thomas Hollis.

Both sides made changes for the final ten minutes of the ninety with Matty Kelly replacing Gavin Forgrieve for Saints while Chris Hughes and Samuel Edun swapped places with Dean McGinnity and Joseph Lang for Castlemilk.

Dynamo finished the ninety minutes the stronger of the two with the Saints defence doing just enough to keep them at bay. When the Castlemilk men did break through luck was on Saints side when Gavin Macleod successfully lifted the ball over Graham Douglas but inches wide of the post.

In the second of the three minutes added on by Mr Pearce Castlemilk Skipper Connaire Dawson did well on the right to get get away from Scott Maitland and fire over a cross which opposite number Craig MacEwan was on hand to turn behind at the front post for a corner kick. Dene Cassells headed Dawson's corner kick from the right out to the edge of the box from where Sam Smith struck a crisp half-volley which Graham Douglas, at full stretch, managed to finger tip over his crossbar.

Despite the best efforts of both sides there was to be no winning goal in regulation time nor in the additional thirty which followed.

Saints lost the services of Captain Craig MacEwan in the ninth minute of extra time with Oban Saints Youth product Rory Dowd coming on to make his first team debut.

Castlemilk substitute Chris Hughes had the ball in the net just before the interval but Assistant Referee O'Donnell raised his flag for offside.

Saints Coach Ross Maitland was pressed into action as an emergency right wing back form the final fifteen minutes replacing the flagging Ruaridh Horne.

Mr O'Donnell had his flag raised again three minutes into the final period this time ruling out a Matty Kelly strike after good feet on the edge of the box from Rory Dowd found a fractionally offside Cammy Hill who tee'd up Kelly.

With a nod to the impending penalty shoot-out Dynamo Manager Gary Hamilton made his final change in the twenty ninth of the thirty additional minutes sending on Alan Semple to replace second half substitute Samuel Edun.

Referee Pearce selected the rugby pitch end of Dalziel Park for the penalty shoot-out which Castlemilk's Sam Smith got underway with a cool finish rolled into the bottom corner. Steven MacLeod levelled things for Saints before yet another intervention from Assistant Referee Pat O'Donnell snatched the advantage away from Saints. Graham Douglas stood up well to stop Connaire Dawson's effort however the eagle eyed Assistant ruled that Douglas had strayed off his line and ordered a re-take which Dawson successfully converted.

Cup Final penalty shoot-out victories don't feature very often in the Oban Saints annals and the first breakthrough came when Thomas Hollis guessed correctly to stop Lewis Cameron's effort with Mark Blakey capitalising with the next kick to stretch the Dynamo advantage. Cammy Hill failed to hit the target with Saints third attempt on Wimbledon finals weekend making it "Championship point" to Dynamo. Gregg Twaddle held his nerve to smash his penalty high past Graham Douglas' left hand to clinch the League Division One Championship for Castlemilk Dynamo.