Oban Saints Reds 4
Oban Saints Greys 3
Practice match
Left without a competitive fixture in the lead-up to their West of Scotland Amateur Cup fourth round tie against UB United, Oban Saints arranged an in-house practice match last Saturday morning.
With the assistance of a handful of special guest stars, manager Ross Maitland and assistant Iain Jackson assembled two evenly matched teams to give the squad a run-out ahead of the club’s most important match of the season so far.
Groundsman Iain Hay declared Glencruitten unplayable therefore the team made their first visit to the tight grass surface of the former blaes pitch behind the Mossfield grandstand.
The Gaffer took charge of Saints Reds who lined up with Craig Maitland in goal behind a back four of Craig Livingstone, Steven MacLeod, Fredrik Marthinsen and captain Scott Maitland. Aaron Mckay, Paul McFatridge and David Beaton formed the midfield engine room, with James Muir, Connor Moore and Ross Maitland up front.
The Silver Fox, Iain Jackson, was handed the reins of Saints Greys who lined up with Graham Douglas in goal behind a back four of Jamie Graham, captain Myles McAuley, Daniel MacCuish and James Conington.
Owen Lloyd, Martin Bonar and Lewis Cameron were the midfield triumvirate with Rhys Millar, Oran Bryce and Shaun MacIver in attack.
The deadlock was broken in the 14th minute. Lewis Cameron cut in from the left and arrowed a right foot shot across Craig Maitland and into the bottom corner to give the Greys a deserved lead.
Route one led to a second goal for the Greys when Graham Douglas’ 21st minute clearance was headed-on by Shaun Maciver and sprayed out to the right by Oran Bryce. Rhys Millar raced to the bye-line and picked out MacIver with a cross which the big striker headed home from close range.
It was a thumping header from Fredrik Marthinsen which halved the deficit. The big Norwegian defender timed his run perfectly to meet James Muir’s 23rd minute corner-kick from the right to give Graham Douglas no chance from six yards.
Connor Moore for the Reds and Lewis Cameron for the Greys both flashed efforts inches wide of target before Shaun Maciver doubled his tally cutting in from the left and beating Craig Maitland from a tight angle to re-establish the Greys’ two goal advantage.
The Reds reduced the deficit once again on the stroke of half-time when James Muir escaped the close attentions of Jamie Graham and Myles McAuley in the Greys’ 18-yard box to squeeze the ball past Graham Douglas.
Both goalkeepers were tested early in the second half with Graham Douglas getting down low to his left to deny Connor Moore and Craig Maitland springing high to his left to push away a dipping half-volley from Jamie Graham.
The Reds drew level with 20 minutes remaining when skipper Scott Maitland sent over a deep cross from the left which eluded Ross Maitland in the middle but was retrieved by Craig Livingstone who fired a low ball into the six-yard box. Keeping up his impressive recent goal-scoring run young James Muir was on-hand to tap home at
the back post and double his own tally.
Having enjoyed the better of the first half the Greys struggled to get going in the second 45 and, with 10 minutes remaining, fell behind for the first time in the match when Craig Livingstone was afforded time and space to arrow a low shot from 25 yards into the bottom corner beyond a static Graham Douglas.
Although delighted that his Red team had come out on top, manager Ross Maitland took more pleasure from so many of his squad getting a good run-out with such an important match next on the agenda.
Saints final outing of 2023 is a trip to Stepford Football Centre this Saturday to face high-flying UB United of the Strathclyde Saturday Morning AFA Premier Division in the West of Scotland Amateur Cup. Referee Gary Kirkwood takes charge of the fourth-round tie which must be decided on the day with penalty kicks to decide who goes into
the last 16 of the competition if the sides cannot be separated after90 minutes.