Saturday 29th January 2022

Central Scottish Amateur Football League

Premier Division

Drumchapel Amateurs 7 - 2 Oban Saints

Glenhead Park

Farm Road

Duntocher

G81 6HH

Kick Off 2.00pm
Referee Mr Michael Kerr

Failure to capitalise on the first half wind advantage cost a depleted Oban Saints side any chance of taking anything from last Saturday's Central Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division clash with title contenders Drumchapel Amateurs.

The gale force wind blowing from the Farm Road end of Glenhead Park made for farcical playing conditions but it was the home side who dealt with them better to establish a slender lead at the interval before kicking on in the second half.

Manager Willie Gemmell's playing resources were severely stretched with ever reliable veterans David Dunlop and Alex Craik once again given starting roles. At the other end of the age spectrum Aidan MacDonald and Preston Macintyre were called up from the youth ranks to bolster the squad numbers.

Saints lined up with David Dunlop taking care of business in goal behind a back three of Steven MacLeod, Alex Craik and Ruaridh Horne. Across the five man midfield were David Beaton, Matty Kelly, Daniel MacCuish, Gavin Forgrieve and Cammy Hill with Kyle Cooper and Captain Craig MacEwan up front. On the bench were Scott Maitland, James Conington, Aidan MacDonald and Preston Macintyre.

Oban Saints starting line-up:-

Used substitutes:-

Scott Maitland

James Conington

Aidan MacDonald

Preston Macintyre

Saints Captain Craig MacEwan won the toss of Referee Michael Kerr's coin and elected to play with the wind in the first half which was only two minutes old when Saints took the lead.

Storm Malik was playing havoc with Drumchapel keeper Stephen Mather's kicking and when the wind helped his clearance perfectly into the stride of David Beaton the diminutive Saints wing back had the relatively straight forward task of passing the ball into the unguarded net for the opening goal.

Five minutes later Cammy Hill and Kyle Cooper linked up well on the left with Cooper cushioning Hill's pass into the path of Craig MacEwan who curled a right foot shot inches wide of the postage stamp corner.

Saints good start was undone in the twelfth minute when Steven MacLeod was adjudged to have tripped Jamie Ross inside the Saints penalty area on the Drumchapel left. MacLeod's challenge earned him the first yellow card of the afternoon. Drum striker Connor Higgins made no mistake from twelve yards tucking the ball in the bottom corner and sending David Dunlop in the opposite direction in the process.

The woodwork came to the rescue of a clearly struggling David Dunlop in the twentieth minute when Paul McConachie's cleanly struck effort from twenty eight yards struck the base of Dunlop's left hand upright.

Dunlop got a solid punch behind a twenty fourth minute Alan Kelly free-kick which launched a swift Saints counter-attack. Daniel MacCuish carried the ball to the halfway line and picked out David Beaton racing through the inside left channel. Beaton looked set to double his tally for the afternoon but was foiled by an excellent save at his near post from Drum keeper Stephen Mather.

Good pressing from the Saints central midfield three of Matty Kelly, Daniel MacCuish and Matty Kelly won possession deep inside opposition territory with Kelly sending Craig MacEwan through on goal. The Saints Skipper rounded Stephen Mather and evaded a last gasp challenge from Adam Douglas before tapping in from six yards range.

The hosts equalised straight from the restart with Alan Kelly finding the net via the inside of David Dunlop's right hand post from thirty yards.

Off target efforts from Matty Kelly and Daniel MacCuish followed from Saints before the hosts got their noses in front for the time in the contest on the stroke of half-time. David Dunlop's lack of mobility contributed heavily to him dropping an Alan Kelly left wing cross at the feet of Paul McConachie who had the simplest of tasks to poke home from close range.

Saints began the second half well and squandered an excellent opportunity to restore parity in the forty ninth minute. Ruaridh Horne and Gavin Forgrieve combined well on the right with Forgrieve picking out the run of Kyle Cooper through the inside right channel. Cooper's low shot across Stephen Mather evaded the big keeper's right hand but slipped inches wide of the post.

The hosts capitalised on this let-off in the fifty fifth minute when Paul McConachie headed home a right wing cross from eight yards.

Just three minutes later Drumchapel ended any thoughts of a Saints comeback when Jamie Ross beat Ruaridh Horne on the edge of the box and fired a low left foot shot past David Dunlop's right hand. Before the action could restart Saints Manager sent on Scott Maitland to replace Cammy Hill in a straight swap at left wing-back.

With the wind at their backs Drumchapel had Saints pinned back and completed devastating spell with a third goal inside eight minutes when Alan Kelly tricked his way past David Beaton on the Drum left and sent a low cross to Connor Higgins for yet another easy close range finish.

Having pulled on the number one jersey in every decade since his debut for the club in 1987 there can be no questioning David Dunlop's commitment to the Saints cause however there was no way his hamstring injury would allow him to continue and his place between the posts was taken by another club stalwart Alex Craik. Dunlop's departure allowed a second club appearance for James Conington who joined Steven MacLeod in central defence as Saints switched to a back four.

Saints steadied the ship and offered the stand-in goalkeeper a good level of protection as well as carving out a couple of decent opportunities for Craig MacEwan and Kyle Cooper at the other end. Unfortunately MacEwan made it a hat-trick of missed one-on-one openings and Cooper's low shot from the edge of the box was well held by Stephen Mather with MacEwan ready to pounce on any spillage.

Referee Kerr, who handled proceedings well, issued just the second yellow card of the afternoon in the seventy seventh minute to Drumchapel Captain Jonathan Devlin for simulation.

Manager Willie Gemmell used the final ten minutes to give youngsters Aidan MacDonald and Preston Macintyre another taste of first team action when the pair replaced Kyle Cooper and David Beaton respectively.

After keeping the hosts at bay for the best part of half an hour Saints were cruelly punished on the counter-attack on the stroke of full time. Connor Higgins was on hand to slam home a left wing cross completing his hat-trick and rounding off a disappointing afternoon for Saints which saw an end to the visitors recent run of victories.

This coming Saturday Saints are on the road again when they travel to Renfrew to face Glynhill Moorcroft in the fifth round of the West of Scotland Amateur Cup.