Gart are ‘coshed’ by last gasp Saints’ winner
Oban Saints 2 Gartcosh United 1
Central Scottish AFL Premier Division
Oban Saints’ final home fixture of 2021 brought their long-awaited first home Central Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division win of the season.
Last Saturday morning’s heavy rain forced a switch of venue from Glencruitten to Oban High School and with it a much-needed change of fortune.
Matty Kelly gave Saints a deserved first-half lead but the home side were pegged back after just two second-half minutes after an excellent turn and shot from former Celtic and Scotland striker Craig Beattie. This has been an all too familiar story in Saints debut season in the top division in Scottish amateur football. However, spurred on by the large and unusually vocal home support, the D&K Lafferty and MKM Building Supplies sponsored side dug in and bagged the three points when Dene Cassells headed home an 85th minute Gavin Forgrieve free-kick.
Gartcosh kicked off in torrential rain attacking the school end and were immediately on the front foot forcing Ruaridh Horne to make a good block to divert a Ross Fisher shot behind for a corner kick. The delivery from Scott Starrs on the right found Craig Beattie but the big central defender couldn’t direct his header on target.
The deadlock was broken in the 33rd minute when Saints broke with pace after repelling another Jordan Murphy long throw. Dene Cassells won the header which was picked up on the edge of the box by Matty Kelly who sent Cammy Hill off on a run up the left. Hill’s perfectly weighted pass into Kelly’s path was met with crisp finish into the bottom corner past Gartcosh keeper Andrew Barlow’s left hand.
Saints’ good first half work was undone after just two second-half minutes when cheaply conceded possession was clinically punished by the visitors. David Beaton’s clearing header from Jordan Murphy’s throw-in was picked up by Daniel MacCuish on the Saints’ right but his flick intended for Matty Kelly was easily read and intercepted by Murphy whose raking ball to the far post found the still up in attack Craig Beattie. Despite now operating as a central defender Beattie has lost none of his striking prowess and, after taking the ball down expertly and turning away from Ruaridh Horne, he slammed an unstoppable shot past Graham Douglas to level the scoring.
Ruaridh Horne’s first start of the season came to an end after 65 minutes when he was replaced in the back three by veteran Alex Craik.
Saints’ winner came when they were awarded a free kick in the 85th minute after a late challenge by Callum Galloway on Gavin Forgrieve. Forgrieve, who put in a good midfield shift alongside Myles McAuley and Matty Kelly dusted himself down to take the free-kick from 16 yards inside the visitors’ half.
Forgrieve’s delivery was met perfectly by the head of Dene Cassells whose run dissected Gartcosh central defensive pairing of Stewart Diamond and Craig Beattie to guide the ball past Andrew Barlow and into the unguarded net.
Saints are on their travels this coming Saturday with a trip to North Lanarkshire to face Uddingston Anvil in the fourth round of the West of Scotland Cup. The game will be played at the Matt Busby Sports Centre, Bellshill.