Saturday 30th October 2021

Central Scottish Amateur Football League

Premier Division

Castlemilk Dynamo 2 - 2 Oban Saints

Toryglen Regional Football Centre

480 Prospecthill Road

Glasgow

G42 0BY

Referee Mr Stephen Payne

Ten man Oban Saints held on for a share of the points against 2019-20 Division One Champions Castlemilk Dynamo in an absorbing Central Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division encounter at Toryglen last Saturday afternoon.

A close range Robert Hughes strike had given the hosts a narrow half-time advantage but a strong start to the second half saw Saints take the lead through a Dene Cassells brace before a controversial second yellow card for Daniel MacCuish handed the hosts a numerical advantage for closing twenty five minutes.

Saints defended manfully, riding their luck at times, but couldn't hold out succumbing to a stooping back post header from defender Mark Blakey.

Injuries, suspensions and work commitments continue to hamper Manager Willie Gemmell's selection options forcing the Gaffer into a rare starting role in central defence alongside Dene Cassells. Myles McAuley also returned to the starting eleven with youngster Louie MacFarlane earning a place on the substitutes bench.

Saints lined up with Graham Douglas in goal behind a back four of Matty Kelly, Dene Cassells, Willie Gemmell and Cammy Hill. Myles McAuley and Gavin Forgrieve anchored the midfield with Ross Maitland, Captain Lewis Cameron and James Ford supporting central striker Daniel MacCuish. On the substitutes bench David Beaton and Alex Craik provided the experience to balance the youth of Kyle Cooper and Louie MacFarlane.

Oban Saints starting line-up:-

Used substitutes:-

David Beaton

Kyle Cooper

Unused substitutes:-

Alex Craik

Louie MacFarlane

Saints kicked off attacking the Prospecthill Road end at Toryglen with the low sun at their backs. Dynamo striker Robert Hughes had the first attempt of the match in the second minute with a twenty two yard strike into the midriff of Graham Douglas. Saints responded with a good move up the right wing from where Ross Maitland's low cross was well cut out at the near post by Mark Blakey.

Dean McGinnity threaded a good ball inside Saints fullback Matty Kelly for Dominic Reynolds whose low shot across Graham Douglas flew wide of the Saints keeper's left hand post.

Playing in an unfamiliar centre forward role Daniel MacCuish didn't quite have the pace to reach Gavin Forgrieve's ninth minute defence splitting through ball before inadvertently blocking a crashing thirty yard shot from Cammy Hill after a right wing corner kick from Lewis Cameron.

When MacCuish eventually did find space in the Castlemilk defence the outstretched right foot of Derek Hewitt diverted the ball out of MacCuish's path after a good run on the right from Matty Kelly.

In the fifteenth minute Dene Cassells was allowed to come a long way forward from his defensive beat before seeing his shot from thirty yards blocked behind. From the resulting corner kick Ross Maitland's delivery from the right was headed out to the edge of the edge of the box where the lurking Lewis Cameron saw his volley blocked by the advancing Dynamo defence.

Dean McGinnity and Dominic Reynolds linked well on the Dynamo left in the eighteenth minute with Robert Hughes getting a touch on Reynolds' low cross which sent it beyond Graham Douglas but also just wide of target.

The hosts made an early change replacing Dominic Reynolds with late arrival Alan Semple after twenty three minutes.

Semple's impact on proceedings was instant when he provided the cross from the left with Cammy Hill's ineffective clearance landing at the feet of Robert Hughes who tucked the ball past Graham Douglas from the corner of the six yard box.

Willie Gemmell followed his defensive partner's earlier example and made his way forward for a long range effort which again failed to trouble Thomas Hollis in the Dynamo goal.

Hollis was eventually forced into action in the thirty second minute diving low to his right to push away a Lewis Cameron effort after a jinking run through the Dynamo defence from the Saints Skipper.

In the dying stages of the first half Referee Stephen Payne flashed yellow cards in the direction of Daniel MacCuish and Ryan Kerr after a minor scuffle on the touchline at a Saints throw-in with MacCuish's caution ultimately proving very costly.

Saints made a positive start to the second half which saw Lewis Cameron send a free-kick just wide of target and Daniel MacCuish have a powerful left foot shot charged down on the edge of the Castlemilk penalty area.

Thomas Hollis saved again from Lewis Cameron pushing the Saints Skipper's stabbed effort around his right hand post in the fifty seventh minute. Cameron's corner kick from the left was headed away by the Dynamo defence but hopes of a counter-attack floundered when Alan Semple was adjudged to have controlled with his hand. From the resulting free-kick Hollis saved to his right once again tipping Willie Gemmell's effort behind for another Saints corner kick.

The building Saints pressure finally told and Dene Cassells' glancing header from six yards diverted Lewis Cameron's corner kick beyond Thomas Hollis and Ryan Kerr on the goal line and into the bottom corner to level the scoring.

Saints impressive start to the second period continued and on the hour mark Lewis Cameron was sent sprawling inside the Dynamo box with Referee Payne immediately pointing to the penalty spot. Dene Cassells made it two successful penalty kicks in as many weeks when he stepped up to slot past Hollis to give Saints the lead.

Saints hopes of building on their lead were dealt a blow when Daniel MacCuish fell over in the Dynamo penalty area with Mr Payne considering this to be simulation and therefore worthy of second yellow card.

The ten men came close to adding to their advantage just sixty seconds later but were denied by a fine save from Hollis low to his left from another Lewis Cameron srtike.

Gaffer Willie Gemmell made his first change replacing Ross Maitland with David Beaton in the hope that Beaton's pace on the break could trouble the Dynamo defence.

The hosts set up a rousing final twenty minutes when defender Mark Blakey came in unmarked at the back post to send a stooping header from a Connaire Dawson free-kick from the right beyond the despairing dive of Graham Douglas to level the scoring.

Alan Semple was inches wide of target with an attempted lob and Dean McGinnity's right foot shot after cutting in from the left curled wide of the postage stamp corner as the hosts looked to capitalise on their numerical advantage.

When Castlemilk did hit the target they found Graham Douglas impossible to beat for a third time with the Saints number one twice making good saves to deny Semple.

Saints final personnel change came with eight minutes remaining when Kyle Cooper replaced James Ford.

Determined defending saw Saints withstand the pressure from three corner kicks in quick succession from the right boot of Dynamo substitute Craig Connell.

The sight of central defender Dene Cassells pushing forward in the dying minutes of such a delicately poised match had hearts in mouths on the Saints touchline however Cassells' link up play with Kyle Cooper set up a shooting opportunity for Myles McAuley which the Saints midfielder sent disappointingly wide of target.

Having dealt with everything the hosts could throw at them it was the ten man Saints who almost snatched victory in stoppage time. A Matty Kelly and Lewis Cameron inspired break on the right saw Cameron fizz a low cross along the six yard line but unfortunately just too far in front of the chasing pack of David Beaton and Kyle Cooper.

The big games keep on coming for Saints and this coming Saturday they face fellow Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division side Drumchapel Amateurs in the Scottish Amateur Cup third round. Caledonian League Referee Joseph Todd takes charge of proceedings for the 2pm kick off at Glencruitten which must be decided on the day.