Saturday 15th January 2022

West of Scotland Amateur Cup

Fourth Round
Uddingston Anvil 0 - 2 Oban Saints
Sir Matt Busby Sports Complex
Main Street
Bellshill
ML4 3DP
Kick-off 2pm
Referee Mr. David Cameron

Oban Saints twice postponed West of Scotland Amateur Cup Fourth Round tie against Uddingston Anvil finally got underway at a dank and drizzly Sir Matt Busby Sports Complex last Saturday afternoon.

Having previously fallen victim to high covid numbers and snow the all Central Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division tie went ahead on the all weather surface in Bellshill where first half goals from Cammy Hill and Daniel MacCuish saw the visitors prevail.

Manager Willie Gemmell was forced to make three changes to the starting eleven which had rounded off 2021 with a home win against Gartcosh United giving a starting role to youngster Thomas McCrindle in central defence and a debut in central midfield to new signing James Conington. To complete the changes veteran goalkeeper David Dunlop took the gloves for the second time this season.

Saints lined up with David Dunlop taking care of business in goal behind a back three of Steven MacLeod, Myles McAuley and Thomas McCrindle. Across the five man midfield were David Beaton, Matty Kelly, James Conington, Gavin Forgrieve and Cammy Hill with Daniel MacCuish and Captain Craig MacEwan up front. On the substitutes bench were Kyle Cooper, Ruaridh Horne, Louie MacFarlane and Ross Maitland.

Oban Saints starting line-up:-

Used substitutes:-

Kyle Cooper

Ruaridh Horne

Unused substitutes:-

Ross Maitland

Louie MacFarlane

The hosts were looking for a repeat of their two goal victory at Glencruitten when the two sides met ten weeks previously on league business but, despite having the better of the early exchanges, Uddingston got little change out of the previously untried Saints back three of Steven MacLeod, Myles McAuley and Thomas McCrindle.

A blocked shot from Cammy Hill and a Matty Kelly effort wide of the postage stamp corner was as close as either side came to testing the respective goalkeepers before Cammy Hill opened the scoring after twenty minutes.

James Conington, who impressed on his debut in central midfield, won possession on the halfway line and found Cammy Hill on the left touchline. Hill played his way out of a tight situation with the help of Craig MacEwan and Matty Kelly and continued his run to get on the end of Matty Kelly's pass which sent him racing through on goal. Hill held off the challenge of Ross Ferguson before wrong footing Anvil keeper David McKegney with a clipped finish into the bottom corner.

Thomas McCrindle did well to hold up the progress of Kieron Markey and concede a twenty ninth minute corner kick on the Uddingston right with David Dunlop showing safe hands to claim a good delivery from Robert Dimmer.

Craig MacEwan's dissenting voice after Cammy Hill had been harshly penalised for a challenge on Paul Finnigan earned the Saints Skipper the first yellow card of the match in the thirty eighth minute.

Sixty seconds later Hill showed Finnigan and Christopher Mcaleney a clean pair of heels with another incisive run on the left. The flying wing back drew David McKegney off his line and squared to Daniel MacCuish for a tap-in to double Saints advantage.

On the stroke of half-time MacCuish showed good strength to hold off Ross Ferguson and send David Beaton away on the right wing. Beaton's pace took him to the bye-line from where his cutback looking for Craig MacEwan was well intercepted by the outstretched boot of Christopher McLenaghan.

Kieron Markey's late challenge on Cammy Hill earned the Anvil striker a booking just two minutes into what would be a frustrating second half for the home side who could find no way through a solid Saints defensive performance.

Good work on the left by Gavin Forgrieve and James Conington tee'd up Matty Kelly for a shot from twenty yards which was deflected for a corner kick on the Saints left which would be the first of three in quick succession before Craig MacEwan was eventually penalised for a push inside the six yard box.

At the other end a dipping fifty ninth minute Alan Inch effort from thirty yards was tipped over by David Dunlop who was in no mood to give up his highly prized clean sheet. This was followed two minutes later by a Christopher Owen free-kick high and wide of target from twenty two yards.

Saints responded with an off target effort of their own when Gavin Forgrieve lifted a shot from thirty yards over the crossbar after good work on the left from Cammy Hill, James Conington and Craig MacEwan.

Gaffer Willie Gemmell made his first change after sixty five minutes replacing David Beaton with Kyle Cooper in a straight swap at right wing back.

Robert Dimmer shot narrowly wide of the postage stamp corner in the sixty seventh minute before a flurry of yellow cards from Referee David Cameron had Daniel MacCuish, Cammy Hill, Matty Kelly and Gavin Forgrieve all walking a disciplinary tight rope for the closing stages.

A double block by Craig MacEwan from a seventy second minute Robert Dimmer free-kick personified the they shall not pass Saints attitude which gave the home side little encouragement in their pursuit of a route back into the game.

Saints Gaffer Willie Gemmell made his second and final change with fifteen minutes remaining replacing Daniel MacCuish with Ruaridh Horne. The change saw Kyle Cooper join Craig MacEwan up front with Horne taking the right wing back berth.

Cammy Hill met a seventy eighth minute Gavin Forgrieve corner kick with a solid back post header which flew over David McKegney's crossbar before the Uddingston number one made a routine save from a Craig MacEwan effort from the edge of the box.

James Conington was denied a goal to round off an impressive debut when David McKegney saved his shot from eighteen yards after Kyle Cooper had raced forward on the right from a good advantage played by Referee Cameron after Anvil substitute Ryan Hutchison had clattered into Matty Kelly on the halfway line.

Kelly will claim he hadn't quite fully recovered from the challenge when he miscued his finish from fourteen yards wide of target from a Ruaridh Horne cross after a Craig MacEwan led counter-attack in the ninetieth minute.

Neither goalkeeper was troubled in the five additional minutes allowed by Mr Cameron before the final whistle confirmed Saints progress to the fifth round.

Awaiting Saints in the fifth round is an away tie against Giffnock North of the Caledonian League Premier Division, Glenburn Miner's Welfare of the Ayrshire Premier League or Glynhill Moorcroft of the Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division.

This coming Saturday Saints return to league business for the visit of old friends and rivals Greenock High School Former Pupils.