Saturday 13th November 2021

Central Scottish Amateur Football League
Premier Division
St Patrick's F.P. 2 - 0 Oban Saints

Our Lady and St Patrick's High School

Howatshaws Road
Bellsmyre

Dumbarton

G82 3DR

Kick Off 2.00pm
Referee Mr Tony McCann

Oban Saints run of testing fixtures continued last Saturday with a trip to Dumbarton to face reigning Central Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division Champions St Patrick's FP. The home side warmed up for their delayed 2019-20 season West of Scotland Amateur Cup appearance this coming Friday with an impressive performance to stretch their winning streak to seven games a run which includes five clean sheets.

Scottish Amateur international Ciaran McElroy capped an inspirational display with a second half goal to secure the points for St Pat's after a seventh minute wonder strike from Liam Rowan had set the home side on their way. Saints battled hard throughout but got no change from the miserly home defence and had goalkeeper Graham Douglas to thank for a clutch of excellent saves to keep the deficit at two.

With Manager Willie Gemmell unavailable Coach Ross Maitland and Secretary David Buchanan were left in charge. The stand-in Management duo were dealt a blow with the late withdrawal of stalwart defender Steven MacLeod and so handed a first team call-up to Thomas McCrindle rewarding the youngster for his recent impressive displays with the Club's Greater Glasgow Premier team.

McCrindle joined fellow youngsters Kyle Cooper and Louie MacFarlane on a bench which also included Coaches Ross Maitland and David Dunlop.

Saints lined up with Graham Douglas in goal behind a back three of Cammy Hill, Dene Cassells and Scott Maitland. Across the middle of the park were David Beaton, Matty Kelly, Gavin Forgrieve, Myles McAuley and Captain Craig MacEwan with Lewis Cameron and Daniel MacCuish up top.

Oban Saints starting line-up:-

Used substitutes:-

Kyle Cooper

Louie MacFarlane

Thomas McCrindle

Unused substitutes:-

David Dunlop

Ross Maitland

Saints kicked off on the 4G surface at Our Lady and St Patrick's High School and survived an early scare in just the second minute. Scott Maitland headed a cross from Scottish Amateur international colleague Ciaran McElroy behind for a corner kick. Liam Rowan's delivery from the left was headed out to the edge of the box where Referee Tony McCann ignored Saints appeals for a hand ball and allowed St Pat's Skipper Dominic Ruane to send in a shot which crashed off the Saints crossbar.

Livewire striker Ciaran McElroy was already proving a handful for the experimental Saints back three of Cammy Hill, Dene Cassells and Scott Maitland and provided the assist for the opening goal. McElroy collected the ball up from a throw-in on the right level with the penalty spot and picked out Liam Rowan unmarked twenty five yards from goal from where he arrowed a stunning strike into the top corner past a rooted Graham Douglas.

Saints were almost caught cold from the restart conceding possession immediately which saw David Connelly race through onto a Ciaran McElroy lay-off where his left foot shot was saved low to his right by Graham Douglas.

The hosts continued their high tempo start with McElroy sending Connelly through again in the tenth minute with Douglas producing another fine save this time to his left.

Saints were struggling to get their passing game going conceding possession too cheaply and inviting pressure on themselves which the hosts constantly looked to exploit through the twin strike force of McElroy and Connelly.

Saints finally made their presence felt at the other end with David Beaton's driving twenty third minute run on the right being unceremoniously brought to an end by Neil Allan. Lewis Cameron's inviting free-kick across the face of goal narrowly evaded the runs of both Dene Cassells and Cammy Hill and skipped behind for a goal kick.

Two minutes later Myles McAuley's ball from the left corner of the St Pat's box tried to pick out David Beaton at the far post with St Pat's keeper Brian Gallacher getting quickly across to smother the ball at Beaton's feet.

Liam Rowan tried his luck from distance again in the twenty sixth minute from a quickly taken short free-kick this time firing his powerful shot inches wide of Graham Douglas' right hand post.

Ciaran McElroy sent strike partner David Connelly through on goal again on the half hour mark with Dene Cassells doing well to keep pace with Connelly and putting the young striker under enough pressure for him to scuff his effort across Graham Douglas and wide of target.

Referee Tony McCann was sent reaching for his notebook and cards twice in quick succession when Ciaran McElroy and Dominic Ruane both went in late and high on Cammy Hill and Myles McAuley respectively. Mr McCann did however resist the temptation for a third card on the stroke of half-time when a badly timed swipe from Liam Rowan almost cut Lewis Cameron in two.

Saints started the second half brightly and a Ross Cannon foul on Daniel MacCuish gave Lewis Cameron a dead ball opportunity from twenty eight yards which he sent over the St Pat's wall but straight into the midriff of Brian Gallacher.

The visitors' good start to the second period was undone after just five five minutes when the hosts ruthlessly exploited more cheaply conceded Saints possession. A promising Saints move broke down wide on the left touchline midway inside the St Pat's half. Dominic Ruane's quick ball over the top was just the invitation Ciaran McElroy had been looking for and the speedy striker held off the challenge of Dene Cassells to slot left footed beyond the right hand of Graham Douglas and into the bottom corner.

Just two minutes later the hosts hit the woodwork for a second time when Mathew Devine collected a Ciaran McElroy lay off and thumped a left foot shot from eighteen yards off the foot of Graham Douglas's right hand post.

A golden opportunity for Saints to grab a foot hold in the game was passed up by Craig MacEwan after fifty four minutes. MacEwan ghosted in unmarked from the left onto a Lewis Cameron cross but with no shout to tell him just how much time he had the Skipper snatched a difficult header wide of target.

Gavin Forgrieve sent a long range effort over Brian Gallacher's crossbar after fifty five minutes before another chance fell to Craig MacEwan seven minutes later. Gavin Forgrieve and Matty Kelly combined well to send David Beaton scurrying forward on the right from where his cross picked out Craig MacEwan in the middle. MacEwan escaped the close attentions of both Neil Allan and Scott Anderson but curled his effort from fourteen yards wide of the postage stamp corner.

At the other end David Connelly resumed his personal battle with Graham Douglas with the Saints number one once again coming out on top palming down Connelly's shot for Cammy Hill to thump clear.

Saints made their first change after seventy three minutes sending on Kyle Cooper to replace David Beaton. St Pat's substitutes Martin Currie and Ryan Deeley combined well with fifteen minutes remaining when Currie beat Dene Cassells in the air to flick a Brian Gallacher kick from hands into the path of Deeley whose shot from eighteen yards was well saved by Graham Douglas.

Skipper Craig MacEwan tracked back to stop the eightieth minute run of Michael Symington on the right, unfairly in the opinion of Referee McCann who handled a full bloodied contest between the two old rivals well. From the resulting free-kick Ryan Deeley climbed well at the back post to head Ciaran McElroy's delivery back across the face of goal where Craig MacEwan was on hand to control and lift forward looking for Kyle Cooper.

MacEwan made way for Louie MacFarlane with eight minutes remaining and a final Saints change followed in the dying minutes when Thomas McCrindle replaced Daniel MacCuish.

Saints kept probing for the opening that would give them some glimmer of hope however it was the hosts who came closest with another swift counter-attack. Graham Douglas capped a first class personal performance with a point blank save to deny Ryan Deeley from a Luke Gray through ball before Mr McCann brought the contest to a close.

This coming Saturday Saints are on West of Scotland Cup duty when they host Westerlands of the Caledonian League First Division in a third round tie which must be decided on the day.