Saints not at their best but good enough to pick up three points
Oban Saints
East Kilbride SAFL Premier Division 3 0
OBAN Saints returned to Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division action last Saturday when they welcomed 2015-16 champions East Kilbride FC Amateurs to a cold but sunny Glencruitten.
Extended runs in the Scottish and West of Scotland amateur cups had restricted Saints to just six Premier Division fixtures so far with this being being their first league outing for almost four months.
The return of six players afforded manager Alex Craik the rare luxury of leaving himself out of the match day squad.
East Kilbride kicked off attacking the Mossfield end where their top marksman Johnny Diack forced an early corner kick after a sprint on the right with Scott Maitland. Paul Carmichael headed Reiss Tallon’s delivery clear before Scott Maitland’s tight hamstring forced him to call it a day after just 90 seconds.
Maitland’s departure forced a reshuffle in the Saints ranks with Jamie Graham moving to left back, Steven MacLeod to right back, Paul Carmichael dropping back to partner Marc Maccallum in the centre of defence with Carmichael’s midfield berth being taken up by substitute Shaun MacIver.
Jamie Graham showed his willingness to get forward with an overlapping run on the left to fire over a cross from Willie Gemmell’s through ball which unfortunately swung too close to stand-in keeper Jamie Innes.
The visitors were missing their dead ball expert Gavin Thomson so it was leading goal scorer Diack who assumed responsibility for an eighth minute free-kick on the corner of the Saints box. This came after a high line from the East Kilbride back four had caught Willie Gemmell offside just inside the Kilby half. Marc Maccallum headed Gary McDowal’s long straight delivery out to the edge of the box where a stretching Shaun MacIver caught Mathew Meechan on the edge of the box. Diack took aim for the top corner, with Saints keeper Graham Douglas happy to see his effort fly wide of the junction crossbar.
At the other end, it was Saints turn to try and exploit a dead ball opportunity after Craig Scott had felled Lewis Cameron 28 yards out. Willie Gemmell succeeded in curling the ball up and over the East Kilbride wall but unfortunately also over the crossbar.
Saints’ slow start to the match continued and only an uncharacteristically wayward finish from Johnny Diack spared Steven MacLeod’s blushes after an equally rare mistake from the usually dependable Saints defender. MacLeod’s under hit pass to Marc Maccallum in the 19th minute allowed Diack to intercept and race through for a shot from the left of the box which, from a good position, only succeeded in finding the side netting.
Two minutes later, Jamie Innes sent a clearance straight to the feet of Craig MacEwan.
Innes, however, quickly redeemed his error backpedalling of post and
Saints’ keeper Graham ‘Sugar’ Douglas made some
excellent saves. to his six-yard line to reach up and pluck MacEwan’s attempted lob from the corner of the 18 yard box out of the air.
Saints opened the scoring in the 23rd minute after a good passing move on the left involving Willie Gemmell and Craig MacEwan fed Donald Campbell on the edge of the ‘D’.
Campbell held the ball up well and laid off to Shaun MacIver who fired a low shot across Jamie Innes and into the East Kilbride keeper Jamie Innes tries in vain to scoop Craig MacEwan’s volley back from behind the goal line. bottom corner the lead.
After going ahead, Saints strangely seemed to drop out off the game with the visitors enjoying a good ten minute spell. However, despite playing some nice passing football, East Kilbride were restricted to shots from distance by the experienced Saints back four marshalled in typically dynamic and vocal style by the returning Marc Maccallum.
Saints shook off their lethargy with a late flourish which saw Willie Gemmell crack a thunderous 20 yard shot off the crossbar.
A perfectly weighted Willie Gemmell ball through the inside left channel opened up the East Kibride defence for Craig MacEwan to race into the box, only for Jamie Innes to come out and make a good block at his near post before referee Matthew Dickinson blew for half-time.
Saints opened the second half brightly with Craig MacEwan winning a corner on the left inside the first minute. Jamie Innes clawed away Willie Gemmell’s inswinger. However, the East Kilbride defence couldn’t fully clear their lines and Donald Campbell dribbled his way into the box before getting the ball caught under his feet and being closed down on the six yard line by Mathew Meechan and Craig Scott.
Graham Douglas was forced into action for the first time in the 47th minute after Marc Maccallum had made a good interception to cut out a Reiss Tallon cross from the right. East Kilbride took the resulting throw-in quickly and Tallon whipped in another cross, this time picking out former Charlton Athletic man Bob Thanda on the penalty spot, who for once, got the better of Keith Millar to power a header on target which Graham Douglas held well springing to his left.
Douglas was tested again in the 51st minute when Donald Campbell brought down to
Paul Carmichael heads clear during last Saturday’s game against East Kilbride at Glencruitten. give Saints Johnny Diack 28 yards out. Jett wide of the keeper’s left hand Docherty’s effort was straight post. at Graham Douglas though With Saints struggling to who gathered comfortably. make an impression in the second
After his quiet start to the half, manager Alex Craik match, Graham Douglas was made his first change of the back in action again in the 58th afternoon in the 67th minute minute making a fine save at withdrawing Lewis Cameron, his near post from Johnny Diack who had a quiet game by his who had wriggled his way standards, and introduced past Jamie Graham on the East Connor Howe. Howe took up Kilbride right before firing in a position on the right of the low shot. midfield diamond with Shaun
The visitors kept the pressure MacIver moving forward to on and had a loud appeal for a join Craig MacEwan. penalty kick turned down by the Tempers briefly threatened referee when Paul Carmichael to boil over after a mistimed dispossessed Johnny Diack just tackle by Steven MacLeod on inside the left corner of the 18yard Reiss Tallon on the touchline. box. Mr Dickinson waved Mr Dickinson quickly restored play on and Carmichael strode order and restarted the game out of defence to send Lewis with a free-kick for East Cameron away on the right Kilbride but not before taking the name of MacLeod, Marc Maccallum and Stuart McMillan for their part in the heated debate that ensued. Keith Millar, who put in a good shift on his return from a hamstring injury which had kept him out for four weeks, headed clear Mathew Meechan’s free-kick from the left.
Saints were the grateful recipients of a major let-off in the 72nd minute when Stuart McMillan scooped over from three yards after Reiss Tallon had headed a Chris Philbin corner from the right back across the face of goal.
Saints rubbed salt into the East Kilbride wound by doubling their advantage straight from the restart. Donald Campbell and Craig MacEwan linked up well to send Shaun MacIver racing in behind the East Kilbride defence for another well-placed low finish across Jamie Innes and into the bottom corner for his fifth goal in three appearances since returning from suspension.
The two-goal cushion allowed Saints gaffer Alex Craik to give young Ruaridh Horne a run out at right back when he came on to replace Jamie Graham. The switch brought a third change of position for Steven MacLeod who showed his versatility by
Keith Millar, who made a welcome return to the Saints’ squad, marks East Kilbride’s
Bob Thanda, a former Charlton Athletic player. where he won a corner kick off Mathew Meechan.
From the corner flag, Cameron picked out strike partner Craig MacEwan who shook free of Craig Scott to glance a header six inches wide of the keeper’s right hand post.
Saints’ skipper Donald Campbell’s deft touch took him away from opposite number Gary McDowal in the 64th minute, however, his finish from the 18-yard line curled agonisingly Shaun MacIver is congratualted by his teammates after netting his and Saints’ second goal.
taking up the left back berth. Saints put the final outcome beyond any doubt in the 77th minute when double goalscorer Shaun MacIver turned provider with a delicious cross from the left to pick out Craig MacEwan’s back post run.
MacEwan’s cushioned volley from a tight angle was parried onto the goal-line by Jamie Innes but, agonisingly for the keeper, the spin on the ball took it behind the line before he could scoop it away. Referee Dickinson was up with the action and well placed to award the goal and give manager Craik the chance to make another change. Daniel MacCuish replaced Willie Gemmell on the left of midfield and the youngster would continue his excellent form.
A driving 83rd minute run from Ruaridh Horne after Marc Maccallum had headed out a free-kick from the halfway line had the East Kilbride defence scrambling to get back. Saints, however, failed to capitalise when, from Horne’s pass, Craig MacEwan sent his cross looking for Shaun MacIver too close to the goalkeeper.
The Saints’ gaffer made his fifth and final change in the 84th minute replacing Steven MacLeod, who had filled every position along the back four, with another youngster Craig MacMillan. Graham Douglas made one final save to deny Stuart McMillan in the 85th minute before Saints passed up three presentable chances to add to the scoring in the closing stages.
Shaun MacIver’s hat-trick opportunity came courtesy of another driving run from Ruaridh Horne, however, instead of shooting across the keeper as before, MacIver aimed for the near post where he found the side netting.
Horne’s running won a 92nd minute free-kick when he was sent tumbling by Mathew Meechan. Saints skipper Donald Campbell bizarrely picked up a yellow card for not taking the free-kick when the wall was only seven yards away. Campbell appealed for the wall to retreat the required distance only to find his way into the referee’s note book for his troubles. Predictably Campbell’s free-kick failed to clear the wall before Mr Dickinson who, that incident apart, had a good game blew for full time.
Saints, meanwhile, resume their Scottish Amateur Cup campaign on Saturday when they welcome Yoker United of the Strathclyde Saturday Morning League to Glencruitten where they will do battle for a place in the quarter finals. Kick-off is 2pm with referee Thomas Gilchrist in charge.