Saturday 14th August 2021

Greater Glasgow Premier Amateur Football League

President's League Cup Section One

Rhu GGP 5 - 3 Oban Saints GG

DCF Park

Cumberland Road

Rhu

G84 8RX

Kick Off 1.00pm

Referee Mr Chris Irving

Oban Saints GG got their Greater Glasgow Premier Amateur Football League season underway at the DCF Park, Rhu last Saturday afternoon where hosts Rhu GGP came out on top in an eight goal thriller. Two goals from Martin Bonar and one from Robert Johnstone kept Saints GG in touch right until the end of an entertaining President's League Cup Section One encounter however the lack of any form of pre-season action for the Saints second string was evident with the fitter and sharper hosts running out deserved winners.

Saints lined up with Murdo MacKenzie in goal behind a back three of Aidan Campbell, Kerr Newbigging and Nathan Allan. Across the midfield were Craig Livingstone, Cammy Clark, Martin Bonar, Ruaridh Munro and Captain Kenneth Black with Robert Johnstone and Keir Maclean up front. On the substitutes bench were Lewis Buchanan, Alex Craik, Thomas McCrindle and Gary MacCuish.

Saints GG starting line-up:-

Used substitutes:-

Alex Craik

Thomas McCrindle

Gary MacCuish

Lewis Buchanan

In April of this year Helensburgh Amateurs were brought under the wing of Rhu Amateurs and rebranded as Rhu GGP. The new addition to the Rhu stable will take Helensburgh's place in the Greater Glasgow Premier Amateur Football League Division. Also undergoing a rebranding is Rhu's famous old grass park. Formerly known as Ardenconnel Park Rhu's home patch has been renamed as the DCF Park in honour of the Club's sponsor however it still retains is characteristic steep slope across the pitch and iconic wooden Clubhouse.

Saints made a bright start on the tight bumpy surface with Keir Maclean and Cammy Clark both putting decent openings wide of target and Nathan Allan forcing Rhu keeper Craig Gemmell into action with a stooping header.

But for profligate finishing and some excellent saves from both goalkeepers the scoreboard from the neighbouring Helensburgh Cricket Club would have been required to keep track of proceedings and the hosts got the high scoring underway in the thirteenth minute.

Twins Adam and Kyle Sharkey combined with Kyle evading three Saints challenges on the left before picking out Adam in the box who slammed high into the net past Murdo MacKenzie.

The hosts doubled their advantage three minutes later after Referee Chris Irving had ruled Keir Maclean offside when through on goal. Keeper Gemmell launched the ball upfield which was flicked on by Callum Dods and picked up by Ross Jeffrey. Dangerman Jeffrey skipped past Nathan Allan and fired a right foot shot into the postage stamp corner.

The Saints front pairing of Keir Maclean and Robert Johnstone combined well with Maclean this time getting a right foot effort on target which Craig Gemmell saved well at his near post.

Gemmell and Maclean were in direct opposition again after twenty three minutes when the Rhu number one raced to the edge of his box to punch clear ahead of Maclean who had timed his run well to beat the Rhu offside trap.

Saints midfielder Cammy Clark found his way into Referee Chris Irving's notebook for a twenty fifth minute late challenge on Rhu fullback Grant.

Murdo MacKenzie showed good handling to claim a thirty second minute free-kick from the Rhu right and launched a Saints counter-attack. Kerr Newbigging, Cammy Clark, Craig Livinstone and Robert Johnstone were all involved as Saints swept upfield before Johnstone picked out Keir Maclean for a low shot agonisingly wide of Craig Gemmell's right hand post.

It was Rhu's turn to counter on the stroke of half-time and the hosts succeeded where Saints had failed. A suspiciously offside looking Ross Jeffrey was allowed to continue and had his effort parried by Murdo MacKenzie with the loose ball landing at the feet of Kyle Sharkey. Sharkey's shot came back off the post but into his stride allowing him to square to Jeffrey for the wide man to complete his brace.

Kerr Newbigging pulled up with a hamstring strain and was replaced by Alex Craik for the final few seconds of a disappointing first half for Saints.

Half time changes saw Gaffer Donald Black send on Thomas McCrindle and Gary MacCuish to replace Aidan Campbell and Ruaridh Munro also pushing Martin Bonar forward to join Keir Maclean and Robert Johnstone in a front three.

Saints started the second forty five with a higher tempo and tested Gemmell after just two minutes when the Rhu keeper got down well to his right to save a Robert Johnstone effort.

Gemmell was finally beaten in the fifty second minute when Martin Bonar fired into the roof of the net from fourteen yards after good work on the right by Craig Livingstone.

All of the good early second half work was unfortunately undone after an uncharacteristic error by the otherwise steady Murdo MacKenzie. The Saints GG number one dropped a Caldwell right wing cross at the feet of Ross Jeffrey who had the simplest of tasks in rolling the ball into the unguarded net.

MacKenzie redeemed himself immediately after the restart making a point blank save to deny Caldwell.

Saints made their final change in the sixty fourth minute with Lewis Buchanan replacing Nathan Allan.

Referee Chris Irving, who had a good game, cautioned veteran Saints central defender Alex Craik in the sixty fifth minute for hauling down Ross Jeffrey who remained a constant threat to the stretched Saints defence.

Cammy Clark failed to connect with an attempted overhead kick after Keir Maclean had beaten keeper Gemmell in the air to head a Kenneth Black free-kick across the face of goal.

The goalkeepers figured prominently again with Craig Gemmell saving well from Robert Johnstone before Murdo MacKenzie emulated his opposite number with an excellent stop to deny Caldwell.

Lewis Buchanan and Keir Maclean combined well on the Saints left in the seventy fifth minute and the Saints striker was unlucky to see his shot slip just wide of Gemmell's left hand post.

Sixty seconds later Saints halved the deficit when Robert Johnstone followed in at the back post to slot home Martin Bonar's cutback from the right.

Saints got themselves within touching distance of completing an unlikely comeback with ten minutes remaining. Robert Johnstone did well to win possession midway inside the Rhu half and played the ball out to Craig Livingstone on the right. Livingstone worked his way into the Rhu box and squared to Martin Bonar who rattled home for Saints third.

Skipper Kenneth Black carried the ball out from the back in the eighty first minute and was allowed to continue deep into Rhu territory before sending a thumping left foot drive just over Gemmell's crossbar.

Saints pursuit of an equaliser left them man for man at the back and Rhu exploited this vulnerability to devastating effect in the eighty second minute. Caldwell outpaced Kenneth Black on the Rhu right and fired a low cross along the six yard line which was turned into his own net by unfortunate youngster Thomas McCrindle who had done well to match the run of Ross Jeffrey.

This proved to be one blow too many for Saints who, despite attempts from Lewis Buchanan and Keir Maclean, were unable to further test Gemmell in the Rhu goal and had to rely on Murdo MacKenzie for one more save to prevent flying right winger Caldwell from notching a sixth for the home side.

It is Division One opposition for Saints GG again this coming Saturday when they host Lochwinnoch based Calderglen in another extremely difficult President's League Cup Section One match.