Saturday 24th July 2021

Friendly

Oban Saints 1 - 0 Thorn Athletic

Oban Community Sports Field (3G)

Soroba Road

Oban

Argyll

PA34 4JB

Kick Off 2pm
Referee Mr Pat O'Donnell

Former Scottish Amateur Football League rivals Oban Saints and Thorn Athletic met last Saturday at Oban High School in the first ever friendly match between the sides. Encounters between the two have always been highly competitive giving an extra edge to this eagerly anticipated friendly meeting which should stand both sides in good stead when the real action starts in August.

After leaving the Scottish Amateur Football League in 2015 Thorn gained immediate success by securing the Caledonian League First Division title in their first season and with it promotion to the Premier Division. The 2018-19 season saw the ambitious Johnstone club win the Caledonian League Premier Division title arguably one of the biggest prizes in Scottish amateur football. Oban Saints Secretary David Buchanan was therefore understandably delighted when his old counterpart Mark McGee accepted his invitation for such top quality opposition to provide the latest test for Saints ahead of the new Central Scottish Amateur Football League campaign.

Strict matchday protocols, including no changing facilities and no supporters inside the perimeter fencing, were followed by both sides where a solitary Martin Bonar strike was all that could separate the sides. Thorn will feel they deserved to take something from a game which they dominated for long periods and but for an inspired performance from goalkeeper Murdo MacKenzie and a defensive master class from Dene Cassells and Steven MacLeod they most certainly would have done so.

With Manager Willie Gemmell and Coach Ross Maitland both unavailable Secretary David Buchanan and Coach Peter MacCallum were in charge of team affairs and had former Managers Alex Craik and Donald Campbell alongside them on the touchline.

Saints lined up with Murdo MacKenzie in goal behind a back four of Kerr Newbigging, Steven MacLeod, Captain Dene Cassells and Scott Maitland. Anchoring the midfield were Myles McAuley and Martin Bonar with Matty Kelly, Gavin Forgrieve and Rory Dowd supporting central striker Cammy Hill. In an equal balance of youth and experience the substitutes bench consisted of Kenneth Black, Kyle Cooper, Donald Campbell and Alex Craik.

Oban Saints starting lineup:-

Used substitutes:-

Alex Craik

Donald Campbell

Kyle Cooper

Kenneth Black

Saints kicked off in something approaching thirty degree heat attacking the Glencruitten end and full credit to both sets of players who, despite the high temperature, maintained a high tempo throughout.

Rolling substitutions were the order of the day and Thorn Manager Paul Young made his first change after just five minutes sending on David "Buster" Edwards to replace central striker Paul Jamieson.

The Thorn strikers swapped places again ten minutes later and Jamieson had only just re-entered the field of play when Saints opened the scoring. Matty Kelly stepped inside Jack McDougall on the Saints right and threaded a diagonal ball for Cammy Hill to run onto. Hill outpaced Thorn right back Martin McInnes before drawing keeper Ryan Ward and squaring to Martin Bonar. Always with a keen eye for goal Bonar made good ground to get up in support of central striker Hill and with the goal at his mercy made no mistake from ten yards.

The visitors were almost back on level terms straight from the restart through Skipper Ryan Crawford. The Scottish Amateur International midfielder was given time and space to fire off a sweetly struck right foot shot from thirty five yards which had goal written all over it. Saints keeper Murdo MacKenzie, standing in for the unavailable Graham Douglas, had other ideas however and produced the first of a string of excellent saves leaping high to his right to push Crawford's effort over his crossbar.

MacKenzie was called into action again after twenty three minutes getting down well to his right to push a crisp Dean Scott twenty five yard strike behind for a corner kick.

Referee Pat O'Donnell called for a water break after twenty five minutes much to the bemusement of former Saints Manager Iain Jackson who looked on incredulous muttering "never in my day". Also bemused were the Saints players who were less than impressed with Coach MacCallum's choice of sparkling rather than still water.

Saints defensive solidity continued to restrict the visitors to shots from distance with Murdo MacKenzie holding well from Muir McCluskey before watching carefully as another Dean Scott effort flew narrowly wide of target.

On the half hour mark Myles McAuley was penalised for a late challenge on Ryan Crawford twenty eight yards from goal. Saints were relieved that dead ball expert Paul Young was on the touchline however Muir McCluskey lifted a left footed strike worthy of his Gaffer over the Saints wall forcing Murdo MacKenzie to make another fine save high to his left. From the resulting corner kick McCluskey found the head of Jordan Verrecchia but, under pressure from Dene Cassells and Rory Dowd, the big central defender sent his header looping high over the crossbar.

Five minutes later it was Saints turn to try to exploit a dead ball situation. Scott Maitland and Cammy Hill linked up well on the left with Hill finding the feet of Rory Dowd whose jinking run towards goal was halted unceremoniously inches outside of the Thorn box. With no Lewis Cameron on the park Rory Dowd took responsibility for the free-kick. The young midfielder successfully curled his free-kick around the Thorn wall but was left cursing his luck when he effort came crashing back off Ryan Ward's left hand post before being thumped to safety.

Saints temporary management team of Buchanan and MacCallum made their first change for the closing stages of the first half sending on Alex Craik to replace Kerr Newbigging at right back.

Craik kept his place for the start of the second half and would go on to have a telling influence of proceedings.

The visitors were quickly on the attack at the start of the second half but it was Saints who came closest to adding to the scoring with a swift counter-attack. Matty Kelly sent Cammy Hill away on the right with the big striker drawing an excellent save from Ryan Ward low down to his right.

Ward was tested again in the fifty third minute and he did well to hold a twenty five yard Gavin Forgrieve effort after good work on the left from Rory Dowd.

Thorn had the ball in the Saints net in the fifty fifth minute but Referee O'Donnell, who handled a keenly contested affair well, ruled Paul Jamieson's header out for offside.

There was a welcome sight for Saints loyal home support when Donald Campbell made his first appearance in almost a year replacing Martin Bonar in midfield for the closing half hour. The former Co-Manager who has re-joined the playing staff and is currently working his way towards full match fitness used his experience to good effect alongside Myles McAuley who put in another excellent midfield performance.

Murdo MacKenzie showed good handling to cut out a sixty second minute Cameron Armstrong cross intended for Paul Jamieson before Mr O'Donnell signalled for the second half water break.

Saints were slow out of the blocks after the re-start and the visitors finally managed to get behind the seemingly impregnable central defensive pairing of Dene Cassells and Steven MacLeod with a David Edwards delivery from the right. Veteran defender Alex Craik was however alive to the danger and made an excellent diving headed interception to deny Cameron Armstrong at the near post.

Saints came close to doubling their advantage in the seventy fourth minute after good work on the right involving Donald Campbell, Matty Kelly, Gavin Forgrieve and Cammy Hill sent Kelly racing towards the bye-line. Kelly got there before Jack McDougall but sent his cutback too close to Ryan Ward with Rory Dowd and Scott Maitland waiting.

Sixty seconds later Cammy Hill was felled midway inside the Thorn half giving Saints the chance to get bodies in the Thorn box. Gavin Forgrieve's delivery picked out Donald Campbell who had peeled off at the back of the ruck of bodies. Campbell's cushioned ball back towards the penalty spot was agonisingly behind Rory Dowd denying the youngster a chance to test the keeper.

Kerr Newbigging rejoined the action for the closing fifteen minutes replacing Matty Kelly.

Murdo MacKenzie continued his heroics between the posts with another fine save low down to his left to push away a Muir McCluskey free-kick.

Kenny Black replaced the injured Gavin Forgrieve for the closing ten minutes with Kyle Cooper also getting a late run-out up front in place of Cammy Hill who had put in a good shift against an experienced Thorn defence.

Alex Craik made another terrific interception to deny Thorn what would have been a deserved equaliser however to lose their clean sheet at the last gasp after such a solid defensive performance would also have been harsh on Murdo MacKenzie and his defence.

It's Caledonian League Premier Division opposition again this coming Saturday when Stenhousemuir Community come visiting in Saints penultimate friendly match before the new season kicks off on Saturday 14th August.