Bridge over troubled waters
McAuley cements another Saints victory
A collector’s item goal from Myles McAuley extended Oban Saints’ Central Scottish Amateur Football League Division 1B winning run to 14 games at a wintry Oban High School last Saturday afternoon.
Bridgewater, Scottish Amateur Cup semi-finalists of 2018, threatened to end Saints’ 100 per cent record by twice coming from behind to cancel out strikes from Lewis Cameron and Dene Cassells.
However, normally shot-shy midfielder McAuley popped up in the Bridgewater sixyard box with a 76-minute winner to stretch Saints’ lead over second-placed Blantyre RGM to 10 points.
Matty Kelly and Matt Rippon remained sidelined through injury, however, James Ford, Ross Maitland and Kerr Newbigging all returned to bolster the squad and increase manager Willie Gemmell’s options.
Visitors Bridgewater kicked off in the last of the day’s sunshine with ominously dark clouds rolling in from the school end.
Penalty kick
After a slow start, Saints got their noses in front in the fifth minute from the boot of last season’s top goal scorer Lewis Cameron. There was a big appeal from the home side for a penalty kick when big defender Stuart McIntosh barged into Aaron McKay but, as referee Michael Kerr waved play on, Craig MacEwan controlled the loose ball and rolled in Lewis Cameron for an easy finish past Daniel Campbell.
Left winger Callum Boyle, one of nine changes to the Bridgewater squad from last September’s reverse fixture at Govan’s Palace of Art, stopped a promising break from David Beaton with a wild lunge on the pacy Saints winger, wide on the right.
The Bridgewater defence struggled to deal with Lewis Cameron’s free-kick swung in on top of the keeper but Mr Kerr came to their rescue with an extremely tight offside call against Craig MacEwan.
Graham Douglas was called into action in the 11th minute to push over a Ross Gemmell header from a Craig Keating corner kick.
David Beaton’s pace continued to cause problems for the visitors and the policy of ‘stop at all costs’ also continued with central defender Fraser Morrison aiming two wild swipes at the Saints wide man. Incredibly referee Kerr considered this double assault worthy only of a yellow card and added insult to injury by booking Beaton for retaliation.
Before play could re-start Bridgewater were forced into the first change of the afternoon when defender Stuart McIntosh was replaced by Christopher Black. Saints failed to capitalise on Lewis Cameron’s excellent set-piece delivery with Craig MacEwan glancing a header from five yards out just wide of Daniel Campbell’s right hand post.
As the sleety snow began to blow across the park Myles McAuley won the ball well in the centre circle and sent Aaron McKay off on a run up the left wing. McKay’s low cross looking for Lewis Cameron was well cut out by Daniel Campbell on his sixyard line.
Saints continued to look the more likely to add to the scoring and David Beaton came close with a 29-minute front post header from a Lewis Cameron cross which flashed inches wide of target.
The visitors enjoyed a massive slice of luck when, after good work on the left by Aaron McKay and Craig MacEwan, a Lewis Cameron shot from 18 yards bounced back off the inside of the post into the grateful arms of Daniel Campbell.
Bridgewater’s luck improved still further when a breakdown in communication between Steven MacLeod and Graham Douglas allowed Logan Dempsey to nip in and nod the loose ball from another searching Craig Keating delivery into the empty net to level the scores.
Notebook
Saints full back Ruaridh Horne found his way into referee Kerr’s notebook for a 38-minute trip on Callum Boyle just inside the Saints half.
A Ross Canavan shove into the back of Lewis Cameron earned Saints a 42nd-minute free-kick on the edge of the Bridgewater box. Cameron’s free-kick was blocked behind for a corner kick which the visiting defence couldn’t fully clear with Myles McAuley firing in a fierce shot from the edge of the box which Daniel Campbell did well to tip over at full stretch. From the resulting corner kick on the right Craig MacEwan bundled the ball over the line from close range however Mr Kerr disallowed the ‘goal’ for a foul on the Bridgewater keeper.
Leading goal scorer MacEwan sent another header from a Lewis Cameron corner kick wide of target before Mr Kerr brought the first half to a close.
The second half was only four minutes old when an out-of-sorts Gavin Forgrieve made way for Daniel Croarkin.
Saints regained the lead in the 62nd minute from a free kick on the right won by David Beaton. Lewis Cameron rolled the ball short to the unmarked Beaton on the edge of the Bridgewater box, who lofted a cross onto the head of Craig MacEwan. Daniel Campbell managed to push MacEwan’s header onto the crossbar but Saints skipper Dene Cassells was first to react and nodded the loose ball into the net from two yards’ range.
The Saints lead lasted just three minutes when Andrew Guthrie, one of five survivors from the Bridgewater side which reached the semi-finals of the 2017-18 Scottish Amateur Cup, was allowed time and space to measure a delightful chip from the corner of the Saints 18-yard box over Graham Douglas and into the net.
Saints gaffer Willie Gemmell made a double substitution in the 68th minute sending on Ross Maitland and James Ford to replace David Beaton and Aaron McKay.
Logan Dempsey picked a yellow card for pulling back James Ford as the Saints substitute threatened to make an instant impact on proceedings.
Work colleagues Ross Maitland and Myles McAuley combined in the 76th minute for what would ultimately prove to be the winning goal. Substitutes James Ford and Ross Maitland linked up well on the right and Maitland’s low ball across the face of goal was turned in at the back post by unlikely goal scorer McAuley.
Encouragement
Having hit the front for the third time Saints once again failed to build on their advantage and gave the visitors every encouragement that a third equaliser might be in the offing.
In worsening weather conditions, chances came and went for both sides in what was a frustrating watch for the Saints faithful.
Lewis Cameron twice dragged shots from promising openings wide of the far post while at the other end Mark Chisolm and Logan Dempsey also both failed to find the target from presentable openings.
Teenage striker Cammy Hill replaced Craig MacEwan for the closing minutes and his run of bad fortune in front of goal continued when Daniel Campbell spread himself well to win the one-on-one battle and prevent the big striker from easing the growing tension on the sidelines.
A succession of misplaced passes and extravagant flicks from Saints did nothing to calm the nerves before referee Kerr eventually called time on proceedings after five added minutes ending the agony for the hardy band of drenched and frozen spectators.