Oban Saints – a look back at this season’s cup exploits
With Oban Saints currently enjoying a four- week festive break, Derek Black takes a look back at the season so far continuing this week with Saints exploits in the cup competitions.
Saturday 21 September West of Scotland Amateur Cup First Round
Oban Saints 1 – 2 Inverclyde
A disastrous opening 16 minutes in which Oban Saints fell two goals and a man down left last season’s runners-up with a West of Scotland Amateur Cup mountain to climb at a sun baked Glencruitten.
Despite enjoying the majority of possession throughout the first round match Saints were unable to turn the tie around and suffered their only defeat of the season so far.
Craig MacEwan scored the Saints’ goal.
Saturday 12 October
The Scottish Amateur Cup Second Round
Oban Saints 4 – 4 Vale of Earn
Oban Saints and Vale of Earn shared eight goals in a highly entertaining Scottish Amateur Cup second round tie which ebbed and flowed through 90 incident packed minutes at Oban High School.
Scoring for Saints were Matt Rippon, Craig MacEwan (2) and Cammy Hill.
Saturday 19 October
The Scottish Amateur Cup Second Round Replay Vale of Earn 3 – 3 Oban Saints
(Oban Saints win 4-3 on penalty kicks) Following the previous week’s high scoring draw at Oban High School, Oban Saints and Vale of Earn produced another thriller in the Scottish Amateur Cup second round replay at Market Park, Crieff.
Once again 90 minutes of ebb and flow could not separate the two evenly matched sides who finished on three goals each and a penalty shoot was required to decide who would progress to face Westerlands in round three.
On target for Saints during the 90 minutes were Willie Gemmell and Donald Campbell (2). The game went to penalties with Cammy Hill, Dene Cassells, Lewis Cameron and Craig MacEwan successfully netting for the Oban side to give them a 4-3 penalty shoot-out win.
Saturday 2 November
The Scottish Amateur Cup Third Round Westerlands 1 – 4 Oban Saints
Two typically crisp strikes from Donald Campbell helped Saints past a stuffy Westerlands side, who gave a good account of themselves throughout, and into the fourth round of the Scottish Amateur Cup at a damp Garscube Sports Complex.
Also on the score sheet for Saints against the Caledonian League First Division promotion chasers were captain Dene Cassells, who showed the strikers how to dispatch a penalty kick, and the evergreen Ross Maitland who wrapped up a 4-1 victory with his first touch after coming on as a second half substitute.
Saturday 30 November
The Scottish Amateur Cup Fourth Round
Rothie Rovers 0 – 3 Oban Saints
Oban Saints made a gruelling 410 mile round trip to the chilly North East for a Scottish Amateur Cup rematch with last season’s conquerors Rothie Rovers.
Co-manager Willie Gemmell was dealt a selection blow on the eve of the match when illness ruled out midfielder Kerr Newbigging and leading goalscorer Craig MacEwan forcing Gemmell to include himself on the substitutes bench alongside Ross Maitland, Matt Rippon and youngster Aaron McKay.
However, MacEwan’s goals were not missed, with a brace from Cammy Hill adding to David Beaton’s 15th-minute opener, giving Saints revenge for the agonising penalty shoot-out defeat in last season’s epic encounter and confirming their place in the fifth round with a home draw against Renfrew Town.
Next week, in the final instalment of the trilogy, Derek Black will take a look at Saints league fixtures from September to December.