Good away win for Saints Greater Glasgow team

Oban Saints GG had a 4-2 win against Westcliff last Saturday in a competitive game played at Dumbarton Common.

Westcliff, after a mixed start to the campaign, boasted five new signings which included three from Junior football.

On a poor surface which suited neither team, Westcliff took the lead after 11 minutes after a misplaced goal kick fell straight in the path of Westcliff striker Marc Laird who put the Dumbarton side ahead.

In a back and forth first half, Westcliff were the better of the two teams. The half also saw Saints being awarded a penalty which the referee reversed to a goal kick.

The home side deservedly went in with the one-goal lead at half time.

The second half saw a shuffle in formation and, against the run of play, keeper Ryan Macdonald made an outstanding save to deny the young Oban side going 2-0 down.

In the 55th minute, workhorse Dougie MacLeod scored from close range after cutting in to make the score 1-1.

However he received a painful kick from the defender to his knee for which referee Niall Anderson only issued a yellow card.

Shortly after, Saints took the lead after some great build up play through Fraser MacFarlane whose powerful strike from outside the box couldn’t be held by the Westcliff number one.

A quick breakaway saw the home side equalise in the 73rd minute with a cracker from outside the box.

Rather than letting frustrations kick in, particularly with challenges becoming fiercer, Saints dominated the rest of the game amd kept their discipline and trusted the official to keep control of things and deservedly went 3-2 through a Rory Dowd header.

After once again taking the lead Saints took advantage of a red card being shown to veteran James Burns who was lucky to still be on the pitch after his earlier kick at Dougie MacLeod.

Saints kept good possession and soon after Sean Grant rounded off a well deserved 4-2 win with a top class finish.

Saints sit second in the table behind leaders Kirkfield by two points but have played three games fewer and remain undefeated in what is proving to be a competitive league which has seen eight new teams enter this season.

With no game this week the Saints squad will be supporting their first team colleagues in their home tie against Craigneuk before welcoming fellow league newcomers Kilbarchan Thistle to Oban the following week.