Narky Arky are put to the sword
Oban Saints maintained their 100 per cent start to the season with a hard fought win over last season’s Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division One champions Barrhead Arky at Glencruitten last Saturday.
With the remainder of the Premier Division in West of Scotland Amateur Cup action the win stretches Saints’ lead at the top of the fledgling league table to six points over nearest challengers St Joseph’s FP and Goldenhill.
Graham Douglas returned in goal behind an unchanged back four of Jamie Graham, Steven MacLeod, Captain Dene Cassells and Scott Maitland. Kerr Newbigging and Daniel Croarkin continued their promising partnership in the middle of the park while ahead of them Matt Rippon took over from the unavailable Lewis Cameron, flanked by Fraser MacFarlane and James Ford. With Craig MacEwan and Paul Carmichael still unavailable, and Shaun MacIver injured, a short-of-fitness co-manager Donald Campbell continued in the centre forward role.
Campbell’s other half Willie Gemmell took his place on the bench with Dougal Graham, Ben Pollock and youngsters Ruaridh Horne, Kenneth Black and Aaron McKay for company.
The D & K Laffertysponsored Oban side kicked off attacking the railway end on a Glencruitten surface which was in remarkably good condition considering the recent heavy rain.
In the opening stages the fluency of the 8-1 win against Dunoon on their last home outing appeared to have deserted Saints and they struggled to settle into their usual rhythm taking until the 10th minute to muster a shot on goal. After some good work on the left James Ford tee’d up Kerr Newbigging for a thumping shot from the edge of the box which flew narrowly wide of target.
Jamie Graham got forward on the right in the 13th minute and picked out Matt Rippon’s near post run, however, a timely interception by Arky central defender Darren Livingston took the ball off Rippon’s toe and out for a corner kick. Fraser MacFarlane’s delivery was a poor one failing to clear the first defender and the visitors broke up the left with Craig Cameron squaring to Conor McArthur for a volley back across goal and wide of target.
Another break up the left in the 26th minute, after Jamie Graham had misjudged a header, saw Arky fullback John Kennedy crash a powerful shot over the crossbar as the visitors enjoyed their best spell of the first half.
Saints finally forced Arky keeper Jamie Henderson into action in the 29th minute but Matt Rippon couldn’t generate enough power on his back post header from a James Ford cross from the left to seriously trouble the Arky net minder.
Standing in for regular keeper Ross O’Hagan, Henderson showed he is no slouch between the posts as 60 seconds later he dived full length to his right to finger-tip a low, net bound, James Ford drive around the post for a corner kick.
Fraser MacFarlane produced a far better delivery this time picking out a near post run from Dene Cassells who prodded the ball home from three yards out to give Saints the lead.
Saints doubled their advantage in the 32nd minute after Jamie Graham was felled just inside the Arky box on the Saints right. Referee Archie Mitchell, taking charge of his first Premier Division match, was well positioned and had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. With regular penalty taker Lewis Cameron unavailable Matt Rippon seized the opportunity to add to his goal tally and made no mistake leaving Henderson rooted on his goal-line as the ball nestled in the bottom corner.
Having taken the initiative Saints looked to extend their lead still further in the 38th minute. Donald Campbell and James Ford linked up well on the left with Ford picking out Daniel Croarkin’s supporting run from midfield. Unfortunately Croarkin was unable to replicate his clever flicked finish of the previous week (curmudgeonly described here as a four yard tap-in) with Jamie Henderson making a vital block at his near post.
A well-measured 41st minute Scott Maitland cross from the left after a driving run from deep deserved better than Matt Rippon’s wayward back post header as Saints, despite not being at their best, ended the first half good value for their two-goal lead.
Saints began the second half in determined fashion and the visitors required a vital
sliding interception from Darren Livingston to foil James Ford after a delightful flick from Donald Campbell.
Gavin Turner’s heavy 52nd minute challenge on James Ford gave Saints a dead ball opportunity in a dangerous area. With Willie Gemmell on the sidelines Kerr Newbigging tried his luck from 28 yards, however, the search for a new free-kick specialist looks set to continue as Newbigging blasted his effort high over the crossbar.
The Saints pressure began to build and Jamie Henderson came off his line well to make an excellent block at Fraser MacFarlane’s feet.
Donald Campbell couldn’t believe his luck in the 55th minute when his attempted low curler into the bottom corner struck the outstretched left leg of Gavin Turner and spun away from goal. The loose ball fell to Kerr Newbigging who couldn’t get it under control on the edge of the six-yard box with John McDade finally managing to clear the danger.
Arky made three changes just before the hour mark replacing John Kennedy, Jack Doak and Craig Cameron with Andrew Smith, Sean Love and Jamie Pattison.
A 61st minute push by Kerr Newbigging handed Conor McArthur the chance to test Graham Douglas from 28 yards but, despite managing to beat the four-man Saints wall, he was unable to find the target.
Jamie Graham skipped away from Andrew Smith on the right in the 63rd minute but failed to pick out Matt Rippon in the middle with a low cross too close to Jamie Henderson.
Dene Cassells got forward in the 67th minute and sent Fraser MacFarlane away on the left for another disappointing cross which failed to find a red shirt in the box.
In the first of co-manager Willie Gemmell’s changes Jamie Graham made way for Ruaridh Horne in a direct swap at right-back.
Saints were denied a penalty kick, firmly in the stone wall category, for a late and heavy challenge on Daniel Croarkin.
A minute later referee Mitchell awarded Barrhead a spot kick with a ‘ball to hand’ decision given against Steven MacLeod. Graham Douglas came to the rescue diving low to his left to parry Arky skipper Gary Kelly’s spot kick before scrambling across to smother the ball at the on-rushing David Bannerman’s feet.
The visitors pulled a goal back in the 75th minute when John McDade got in between Kerr Newbigging and Dene Cassells to nod home David Bannerman’s corner kick from the right.
Saints came agonisingly close to restoring their two-goal advantage straight from the re-start only for Jamie Henderson to produce another top quality save leaping high to his right to push behind a Kerr Newbigging 25-yard pile-driver.
A late 77th minute Donald Campbell challenge on the halfway line had both sets of players and the Arky supporters searching for their handbags as tempers boiled over.
Fortunately Mr Mitchell was able to draw on his experience and quickly restored order with the award of a free-kick to Arky. Before the restart Saints made their final switch sending on Dougal Graham to replace Daniel Croarkin. Graham took over Scott Maitland’s left-back berth with Maitland moving into midfield.
Graham Douglas came out confidently to claim the free-kick under pressure from Darren Livingston and Jamie Pattison and launched a Saints counter-attack where Donald Campbell picked out Scott Maitland’s supporting run with an inch perfect pass.
Disappointingly Maitland snatched at the chance blazing a very presentable opportunity wide of target.
Fraser MacFarlane’s clever flick from Matt Rippon’s 85th-minute free-kick from the right almost crept in at the far post before the vistors launched one last free-kick into the box.
Darren Livingston beat Kerr Newbigging in the air to send the ball across the face of goal but thankfully too far ahead of Sean Love coming in at the back post.
Mr Mitchell’s final whistle brought to a close an ‘entertaining’ afternoon for the Glencruitten faithful who can look forward to another home fixture this coming Saturday when Motherwell Thistle bring their own 100 per cent record to town for a Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division clash.
The game will be played at Glencruitten with a 2pm kick-off.