Saturday 16th October 2021

West of Scotland Amateur Cup
Second Round
St Joseph's FP AFC 1 - 2 Oban Saints AFC
Scotstoun Sports Campus
72 Danes Drive
Glasgow
G14 9HD
Kick off 2pm
Referee Mr Mark McGuire

Oban Saints travelled to Scotstoun last Saturday afternoon to face former Scottish Amateur Football League rivals St Joseph's FP in the second round of the West of Scotland Amateur Cup.

Clinical finishes from James Ford and Lewis Cameron either side of a thumping free-kick from St Joe's defender Kieran Greene put Saints into the hat for the third round draw and gave the club a much needed shot in the arm after the previous week's heavy league defeat to Wishaw High School Former Pupils.

Manager Willie Gemmell's team selection worries were handed a significant boost when injured trio Lewis Cameron, James Ford and Scott Maitland reported fit for action. Also boosting the numbers in a much changed squad were long term absentees Daniel Cassells, Daniel MacCuish and Ally McKerracher.

Saints lined up with Daniel Cassells in goal behind a back four of Cammy Hill, Steven MacLeod, Dene Cassells and Captain Scott Maitland. Matty Kelly and Gavin Forgrieve anchored the midfield with Daniel MacCuish, Lewis Cameron and Ross Maitland supporting central striker James Ford. On the substitutes bench were Kyle Cooper, Alex Craik, Willie Gemmell and Ally McKerracher.

Oban Saints starting line-up:-

Daniel Cassells

Cammy Hill

Steven MacLeod

Dene Cassells

Scott Maitland (Captain)

Matty Kelly

Gavin Forgrieve

Ross Maitland

Lewis Cameron

Daniel MacCuish

James Ford

Used substitutes:-
Kyle Cooper

Ally McKerracher

Unused substitutes:-
Alex Craik

Willie Gemmell

Prior to kick-off Referee Mark McGuire lead both sets of players in a silence of remembrance for former St Joe's player Neil Mcgroarty who had sadly passed away recently.

Saints kicked off resplendent in their new red kit jointly sponsored by D&K Lafferty Contractors and MKM Building Supplies. The club would like to thank David and Kathleen Lafferty for their continued support and to welcome Iain Hunter and Sandy Cameron of MKM Oban as new sponsors.

After answering the late S.O.S. call to take the gloves Saints keeper Daniel Cassells was pressed into action in just the second minute coming through a ruck of players to punch away an in-swinging Aaron Graham free-kick from the left.

Making his first appearance since the 2015-16 season Cassells will claim his part in the assist for Saints opening goal in the fifth minute. The big keeper's long ball up the left found Daniel MacCuish who held off the challenge of St Joe's defender Keiran O'Brien to feed James Ford on the corner of the eighteen yard box. Ford jinked along the eighteen yard line making space for his low shot across keeper Christopher Wright which found the net off the inside of Wright's left hand post.

Ford tried his luck again four minutes later this time finding the midriff of Wright from twenty five yards after latching onto a lay-off from Lewis Cameron after a good run on the left from Scott Maitland.

St Joe's front two of Ally Graham and Alastair Scholes combined well in the tenth minute with the senior Ally setting up youngster Scholes for a shot from twenty yards which Daniel Cassells held comfortably.

After a strong start from Saints the hosts began to find their feet and forced a corner kick on the right from the first of a string of vital interceptions from the inspirational Dene Cassells. Ryan Forrester's delivery from the right was met at the back post by the forehead of Ally Graham whose header crashed off the crossbar and bounced into the path of Sean Carrick. The St Joe's wide man couldn't believe his luck when his well struck effort was spectacularly hooked to safety by Steven MacLeod a yard short of the goal-line.

Saints responded with a well worked move from right to left which saw Scott Maitland cut inside onto his less favoured right foot for a firmly struck shot which Christopher Wright could only parry before gathering at the second attempt ahead of Lewis Cameron.

The hosts already stretched resources were dealt a further blow in the twenty sixth minute when central midfielder Sam Gallacher pulled up injured hastening the arrival of veteran of many tussles with Saints Ryan Halpin.

A driving thirtieth minute run from Scott Maitland was halted on the corner of the eighteen yard box by the combined efforts of Sean Carrick and Keiran O'Brien. From the resulting free-kick Lewis Cameron struck the inside of Christopher Wright's right hand post with the rebound bouncing agonisingly between on-rushing pair Daniel MacCuish and Dene Cassells before being thumped to safety.

As the evenly contested first half wore on off target shots from St Joe's pair Ryan Forrester and Aaron Graham were followed up by a dipping effort from Lewis Cameron which wouldn't come down quickly enough to trouble Christopher Wright in the St Joe's goal.

Lewis Cameron's fortieth minute driving run at the St Joe's defence took him past Craig Cameron and Keiran O'Brien however Kieran Greene covered well to shepherd the ball safely through to Christopher Wright.

Set pieces were looking to be St Joe's most likely route back into the game and after another timely interception from Dene Cassells Sean Carrick headed Ryan Forrester's corner kick narrowly wide of Daniel Cassells' right hand post.

At the other end a Lewis Cameron free-kick from the corner of the eighteen yard box straight into the St Joe's defensive wall was the final act of an entertaining first half.

Referee Mark McGuire, who had a good match, showed the only yellow card of a keenly but fairly contested encounter to St Joe's central midfielder David Seagrave for a mis-timed forty sixth minute tackle on Daniel MacCuish.

A forty ninth minute Keiran O'Brien challenge on Lewis Cameron gave Cameron the chance to swing over a free-kick which Cammy Hill headed wide of target.

Hill was up in support of the attack again sixty seconds later shooting just wide of the postage stamp corner from a Daniel MacCuish lay-off.

Scott Maitland was adjudged to have impeded Sean Carrick on the corner of the Saints box giving the home side a fifty second minute set-piece opportunity which they fully exploited. With a three man wall in place there wasn't much of a target for Kieran Greene to aim at but the big defender found the net with such power in his crisply struck left foot strike as to give Daniel Cassells no chance.

On the hour mark Saints carved out an excellent opening on the right when Daniel MacCuish and Cammy Hill combined to send James Ford into the St Joe's box. Ford was forced wide by Craig Cameron but still managed to send a tempting ball along the six yard line with unfortunately no takers in red.

Saints Gaffer Willie Gemmell made his first change in the sixty fifth minute sending on youngster Kyle Cooper to replace elder statesman Ross Maitland.

The Saints winner came in the sixty eighth minute after good work on the right. Cammy Hill, Daniel MacCuish and Matty Kelly were all involved before Lewis Cameron took control of the bouncing ball in the D and steered the ball beyond the grasp of Christopher Wright and into the bottom corner.

Straight from the restart St Joe's forced a corner kick on the right from where Ryan Forrester's delivery was headed over by Skipper Craig Cameron.

Sixty seconds later Dene Cassells was again on hand with another telling interception to deny Ally Graham after the St Joe's striker had managed to get the better of Steven MacLeod. From the resulting corner kick Daniel Cassells showed good handling to claim Aaron Graham's delivery from the left.

Lewis Cameron tried to catch out Christopher Wright with an attempted seventy third minute lob from thirty six yards but found the St Joe's number one equal to the task.

The home side kept pressing for a second equaliser to take the tie to a penalty shoot-out however the Saints back four remained resolute forcing Ryan Forrester and Ryan Halpin into strikes from distance which failed to land on target.

Saints final change saw the return of exiled Obanite Ally McKerracher who replaced Daniel MacCuish on the right of midfield for the final fifteen minutes. The hosts used their last available substitution withdrawing Alastair Scholes and sending on Euan Burns.

Ally McKerracher and Kyle Cooper linked up to good effect in the eighty fourth minute to force a corner kick on the right. Cammy Hill did well to reach Lewis Cameron's delivery from the corner flag but the big fullback couldn't direct his header on target.

The hosts kept up their pursuit of an equaliser but got no change out of the solid Saints back line. When the Duntocher men eventually found a chink in the Saints armour Sean Carrick's overhead kick from six yards went straight into the grateful arms of Daniel Cassells.

Referee McGuire brought proceedings to an end after two added minutes with Saints in possession deep inside St Joe's territory.

This coming Saturday Saints return to league business when they welcome Fallin to Oban in the Central Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division. Referee Chris Costello takes charge of the 2pm kick off at Glencruitten.