Saints alive
OBAN Saints are through to the next round of the Scottish Cup thanks to a narrow replay victory.
A COLLECTOR’S item Myles McAuley goal eventually proved the difference between Oban Saints and Falkirk Community at Glencruitten last Saturday. After an epic 180-plus minutes Scottish Amateur Cup struggle, McAuley’s second-half strike finally separated the sides earning Saints a fourth round trip to old rivals Greenock High School Former Pupils.
Saints manager Alex Craik was yet again forced to ring the changes as Graham Douglas, Shaun MacIver and David Smith all dropped out of the squad that had shared six goals with Falkirk Community at Alva Academy just seven days previously. Craig Campbell and Paul Carmichael returned after spells in the treatment room while Thomas McCulloch and veteran Ross Maitland answered the call to bolster the depleted squad numbers.
After an impeccably observed Armistice Day silence of remembrance, visitors Falkirk Community kicked off attacking the Mossfield end on a remarkably good Glencruitten surface considering the recent heavy rain.
Saints were quickly onto the attack with skipper Donald Campbell driving into the Falkirk box only to be dispossessed before he could get a shot away by the combined efforts of Brayden Docherty and opposite number Scott Wright.
Falkirk gave an early warning of the threat they would pose on the break from recent signing from Sauchie Juniors Stuart MacFarlane’s measured clearance. Callan Kerr flicked on MacFarlane’s clearance on the half-way line to strike partner James Stevenson who raced away from Willie Gemmell and fired in a shot which Thomas McCulloch held well low down to his right.
From McCulloch’s clearance Saints were on the attack again with Craig MacEwan and Donald Campbell combining in the box to pick out a good overlapping run from Myles McAuley.
McAuley’s cut back from the left found Paul Carmichael, who rattled the crossbar from 12 yards with goalkeeper Stephen McKinnon rooted to the spot.
The early Saints pressure continued forcing a series of corner kicks on the left which the Falkirk defence successfully repelled before Paul Carmichael again narrowly failed to find the target. Craig MacEwan and Myles McAuley were again heavily involved before Donald Campbell held off the challenge of Scott Wright to set up Carmichael for a shot from 18 yards which flew inches over the crossbar.
In the 12th minute Paul Carmichael had a surging run from midfield halted on the edge of the box by Falkirk right fullback Brayden Docherty.
From the left and level with the penalty spot, Willie Gemmell rolled his free-kick back to Ross Maitland who placed a low shot 12 inches wide of keeper McKinnon’s right hand post.
Saints maintained their earlier dominance but still had to be wary of Falkirk who continued to look dangerous on the break.
The home side deservedly got their noses in front in the 26th minute from a passage of play started by the game’s principal protagonist Myles McAuley.
Keith Millar fed McAuley in the centre circle who strode forward and fired in a shot from 25 yards which took a slight deflection on the way through and struck the foot of Stephen McKinnon’s left hand post. Donald Campbell returned the loose ball which McKinnon could only parry into the path of Craig MacEwan 12 yards out, who calmly side footed the ball into the bottom corner of the net.
Over elaboration in front of goal prevented Saints from testing Falkirk keeper McKinnon further which was to prove costly as the first half neared an end. Another stray pass in midfield allowed Falkirk to run at the Saints defence once again with Willie Gemmell producing an excellent sliding interception to halt James Stevenson 20 yards from goal.
Saints failure to capitalise on their first-half superiority was severely punished two minutes before the interval.
From a disputed throw-in on the Falkirk right, level with the Saints penalty spot, even more Saints protests erupted when what appeared to be a foul throw went unpunished. Falkirk worked the ball into the box where Myles McAuley scuffed an attempted clearance straight to James Stevenson who didn’t need a second invitation to slam the ball past Thomas McCulloch and bring the Bairns level.
An incensed Marc Maccallum continued his protests into the half-time interval where, after a heated exchange of words, calm was eventually restored.
The equaliser reinvigorated the visitors who began the second half strongly, refusing to allow Saints to settle back into their first-half rhythm.
Thomas McCulloch produced the save of the match in the 54th minute diving high to his right to finger tip a James Stevenson net bound effort out for a throw-in.
First half roles appeared to be fully reversed with Falkirk dominating possession and Saints now reduced to hitting on the counter-attack. Cutting in from the left Paul Carmichael flashed a shot across Stephen McKinnon but wide of his left hand post before narrowly failing to get on the end of a Ross Maitland cross from the right which the veteran winger sent fractionally too deep.
Coming out of retirement to help his beleaguered former team mates Ross Maitland put in an excellent shift on the right of the front three but was again too heavy with a right wing cross on the hour mark which drifted harmlessly behind Donald Campbell at the far post.
Both sides received injury blows in the 64th minute. Speedy Falkirk winger Grant Plenderleith pulled up with a hamstring injury while Saints lost the services of Paul Carmichael to a calf strain. Falkirk made a straight swap with club vice captain Joe Clark taking Plenderleith’s place on the right wing while Saints moved Willie Gemmell forward into midfield with Alex Craik coming on to join Marc Maccallum at the heart of the defence.
The movement of Falkirk strike pairing James Stevenson and Callan Kerr continued to pose problems for the Saints defence and it took a perfectly timed 71st minute Steven MacLeod challenge on the 18-yard line to deny James Stevenson a one-on-one with Thomas McCulloch.
Falkirk hit the front with 15 minutes remaining thanks to an audacious strike from substitute Joe Clark. With Saints defending a throw-in on the right and seemingly little danger the diminutive winger picked up the ball on the corner of the 18-yard box and curled a delightful finish into the top corner past a helpless Thomas McCulloch.
Saints picked themselves up immediately and were back on terms just two minutes later. Craig MacEwan won a throwin eight yards from the bye-line on the left. Willie Gemmell looked for MacEwan’s head with the throw but keeper Stephen McKinnon climbed above MacEwan to punch the ball towards the corner flag. Just as Brayden Docherty was about to clear, MacEwan nicked the ball away and was clattered by Docherty’s follow-through with referee McCann having no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot. Despite guessing correctly, keeper McKinnon couldn’t reach Willie Gemmell’s perfectly placed strike from 12 yards which beat his right hand and nestled in the bottom corner.
With the momentum now swinging back in Saints’ favour the lead changed hands for the fifth and final time in the 80th minute with the goal coming from the unlikeliest of sources.
A devastating move on the left wing involving Donald Campbell and Craig MacEwan was started and finished by Myles McAuley who atoned for his first half error with a calm side foot finish past the despairing right hand of Stephen McKinnon to put Saints back in front.
Having found the net in stoppage time seven days earlier, Falkirk were desperate for another late equaliser to force extra time. The Bairns threw everything they could muster at the Saints defence which this time remained defiant with Thomas McCulloch barely troubled.
At the other end Donald Campbell passed up a good opportunity on the break to put the tie to bed. Racing through the middle on the end of a 93rd-minute Ross Maitland pass Campbell uncharacteristically missed the target to leave the Saints bench and large crowd of spectators still looking nervously at their watches.
As everyone wondered if Mr McCann’s watched had stopped, Saints received another injury blow when Craig MacEwan and Falkirk man-ofthe-match Stuart MacFarlane collided on the right touchline midway inside the Falkirk half. A badly shaken MacEwan came off worse nursing a suspected cracked rib and was replaced by Craig Campbell.
Eventually after six added minutes Mr McCann, who had a good game, blew for full time sending Saints through to a hard-fought fourth round tie against two-time Scottish Amateur Cup winners Greenock High School Former Pupils. This game is due to be played on December 2.
Manager Alex Craik said: ‘This was another cracking game between two evenly matched teams. We played some great football at times, especially in the first half. We were disappointd to lose the equaliser in added-on time the week before but I thought the boys worked really hard and we got the result our play deserved.’
Saints have another big cup tie this Saturday when they travel to take on Red Star of the Glasgow Saturday Morning League in the fourth round of the West of Scotland Cup. The game will take place at Lochend Sports Centre with a 1.30pm kick-off.