Three goals and three points for Saints GG
Covid-19 restrictions forced the cancellation of Oban Saints scheduled Central Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division clash with reigning champions St Patrick’s FP leaving Oban Saints GG to take centre stage at Oban High School last Saturday afternoon.
The Saints second string lost their opening Greater Glasgow Premier Amateur Football League President’s League Cup group section match against Division One side Rhu GGP the previous Saturday and were looking to bounce back against Lochwinnoch based Calderglen also of the top division.
Goals from Thomas McCrindle, Donald Campbell and Rory Dowd gave Saints their first Group Section One points but more importantly put valuable minutes in the tank for a number of players in need of game time.
Manager Donald Black had only seven of the previous week’s squad available for selection and was forced to make significant changes hampering his preparations for when the serious business of the Division 3A league campaign gets underway in September.
It took Saints until the 10th minute to register the first serious attempt on goal generated principally by the endeavour of Craig Livingstone on the right.
The flying wing back made a strong run on the right and fizzed over a cross fractionally too high for Fraser MacFarlane in the middle.
Donald Campbell’s excellent first touch brought the ball under control at the back post but his shot back across goal from a tight angle slipped wide of target.
Saints took the lead when Fraser MacFarlane was fouled after 34 minutes with the challenge from Nicky Parsons earning the Calderglen winger a yellow card from referee Martin Rae.
Further punishment followed for the visitors when Donald Campbell’s glancing header helped Cammy Clark's free-kick across the face of goal where Thomas McCrindle was on hand to prod the ball home from close range.
Saints retained the upper hand going into the closing stages of the first half and Kenneth Black’s driving run on the left forced a corner kick in the 45th minute.
Gavin Forgrieve, who saw a lot of the ball in central midfield, sent over an inviting delivery, however, Donald Campbell was denied the opportunity to get his head on it by the arms of Logan Macdonald whose indiscretion didn’t escape the attention of referee Martin Rae, who immediately pointed to the penalty spot.
Donald Campbell duly dispatched the spot kick past Colin Robertson to give Saints a two-goal advantage going into the half-time interval.
The second half was only seven minutes old when the home side added a third thanks in the most part to the trickery of Fraser MacFarlane on the left.
MacFarlane got to the byeline and cut back for Rory Dowd who slotted home from close range for what would prove to be the final goal of the afternoon.
This Saturday the Oban Saints first team squad make the long trip to take on Lesmahagow in their first league outing of the season after Covid restrictions put paid to games against Drumchapel Ams, Drumchapel PYM and St Patrick’s FP.
The game at Glebe Park kicks off at 2pm.
The Saints GG squad are also on their travels when they take on Erskine in a President’s League Cup match.