Saturday 7th August 2021

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Oban Saints 3 - 0 Steins Thistle

Glencruitten 2

Mossfield Avenue

Oban

Argyll

PA34 4EH

Kick Off 2.00pm
Referee Mr Anthony McCann

Oban Saints completed their pre-season schedule last Saturday when they welcomed first time visitors Steins Thistle to Glencruitten. Originally founded as the works team for the Steins Brickworks the now well established Allandale based Jags boast two East of Scotland Amateur Cup wins in their fifty one year history and provided another good test for Saints ahead of the new Central Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division campaign.

Oban's luck with the weather finally ran out and the long anticipated heavy rain materialised early in the first half and had the socially distanced Glencruitten faithful running for cover in what for a while resembled monsoon conditions.

Injuries to key players continue to restrict Manager Willie Gemmell's options and the Gaffer was forced to shuffle his pack once again handing unfamiliar fullback roles to Matty Kelly and Cammy Hill.

Saints lined up with Graham Douglas in goal behind a back four Matty Kelly, Steven MacLeod, Dene Cassells and Cammy Hill. Myles McAuley and Gavin Forgrieve anchored the midfield with Ross Maitland, Captain Lewis Cameron and Rory Dowd behind central striker Kyle Cooper. On the bench were Donald Campbell, Alex Craik, Fraser MacFarlane and new signing Jack Wright.

Oban Saints starting line-up:-

Used substitutes:-

Alex Craik

Donald Campbell

Fraser MacFarlane

Jack Wright

The visitors were on the front foot straight from the kick-off and forced Saints number one Graham Douglas into action inside the first minute. Centre forward William Robertson split Saints central defensive pairing of Dene Cassells and Steven MacLeod and fired off a right foot shot which Douglas, at full stretch, saved well to his right.

Steven MacLeod covered well to cut out a third minute ball through the inside right channel for the run of Alexander Tonner as the Jags continued their bright start.

Ross Maitland's fifth minute run on the left forced the first corner kick of the match with Rory Dowd's downward header from Lewis Cameron's delivery bouncing up and wide of Jags keeper Kieran Glaser's left hand post.

Lewis Cameron had the chance to test the young Steins keeper from a set-piece after he had been felled on the edge of the box by John Whiteford but the Saints Skipper for the day blasted his effort from right of centre high and wide of target.

Cameron and Kyle Cooper pressurised the Steins defence into conceding another corner kick on the Saints left after fifteen minutes and another good Cameron delivery this time found the head of Cammy Hill for an off target header.

Graham Douglas denied William Robertson for a second time showing safe hands in slippery conditions to hold the Steins strikers twenty fifth minute twenty two yard free-kick.

Saints remained a little sluggish and were still unable to test the Steins keeper with first Ross Maitland and then Gavin Forgrieve having efforts just off target.

Graham Douglas made it a hat-trick of saves from William Robertson pushing wide for a corner kick which the Saints number one also got a solid fist to.

As the rain intensified so eventually did the Saints tempo with the home side finally putting the visiting defence under a good spell of pressure.

Saints opened the scoring in the forty second minute with their first attempt on target after Ross Fox had felled Lewis Cameron on the edge of the Steins box. Kieran Glaser looked to have Cameron's free-kick well covered however David Gordon intervened with as fine a diving header as you are ever likely to see. Unfortunately for the big defender his attempt to clear the ball flew high into his own net giving Saints the lead going into the half-time break.

Saints kicked off the second half attacking the car park end but it was the visitors who posed the first real threat with Graham Douglas again showing good handling to hold a left foot shot from Ross Fox.

Saints Manager Willie Gemmell made his first changes after just five second half minutes sending on experienced duo Donald Campbell and Alex Craik to replace youngsters Rory Dowd and Gavin Forgrieve.

Dene Cassells made an excellent interception to prevent William Robertson breaking into the box in the fifty second minute as the Saints defence adjusted to a back three of Cassells, Alex Craik and Steven MacLeod.

Pushing forward on the right Matty Kelly swung over a deep fifty third minute cross which Donald Campbell acrobatically cut back for strike partner Kyle Cooper who blasted over the bar from close range.

Cutting inside after a good run on the left Cammy Hill was hauled down by Alexander Tonner with Lewis Cameron firing the resulting fifty seventh minute free-kick inches wide of the junction of post and crossbar.

The home side doubled their advantage on the hour mark after more good work on the left from Hill. After good close control the newly discovered utility man found Ross Maitland in the middle who lashed the ball from twenty yards high into the net past Kieran Glaser's despairing right hand.

Saints continued to threaten and only a well timed sliding interception from Ross Fox prevented teenage striker Kyle Cooper from testing the keeper.

Cooper hasn't looked at all out of place since his promotion from the youth ranks for the pre-season schedule but failed to add to his three previous goals turning Ross Maitland's cross wide at the back post after Maitland and Donald Campbell had linked up well on the right.

Maitland was a threat again in the seventieth minute sending over an inviting cross which Steins defender Jamie Johnston did well to head behind for a corner kick. Lewis Cameron's delivery from the left was knocked out to the edge of the box but retrieved by Donald Campbell who sent a crisp strike zipping along the slippery turf which a fully extended Kieran Glaser did well to stop to his right. The young keeper was unfortunately out of luck as Matty Kelly was first to react and pounced to roll the ball into the unguarded net for Saints third and final goal of the afternoon.

Manager Willie Gemmell turned to his bench for the closing stages withdrawing Myles McAuley and Kyle Cooper in favour of Fraser MacFarlane and new signing Jack Wright.

Keiran Glaser turned a seventy fifth minute Cammy Hill left foot effort around his right hand post before punching clear the resulting corner kick from Lewis Cameron.

The visitors kept up their search for a consolation goal and forced two corner kicks in quick succession which the Saints defence did well to repel.

With ten minutes remaining Saints launched a counter-attack through Lewis Cameron with the Scottish amateur internationalist finding Cammy Hill up in support at the back post. Hill unfortunately couldn't cap a good display on the Saints left with a goal and struck the woodwork from close range.

Steins weren't done yet and substitute Connor Mackie forced Graham Douglas into another good save from a quickly taken free-kick on the halfway line.

William Robertson had one last attempt curling a right foot shot wide of the postage stamp corner after a knock down from substitute Cole Smith before Referee Tony McCann, who handled proceedings well, blew for full time.

Saints have their first taste of Central Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division action this coming Saturday when they travel to face Drumchapel Amateurs.