Another Early Cinema Cup Exit

Saturday 23rd September 2023

Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association Cinema Cup

Round One

Oban Saints 1 - 5 Steins Thistle

Glencruitten 2

Mossfield Avenue

Oban

Argyll

PA34 4EH

Kick-off 2.00pm

Referee Mr Pat O'Donnell

Oban Saints poor showing in the Cinema Cup continued at Glencruitten last Saturday afternoon. Yet again Saints headed for the turnstiles before the usherette could get the ice creams out of the freezer making it three first round exits in four attempts in the competition.

After an even first forty-five where Saints were unlucky to concede from the game's first attempt on target visitors Steins Thistle took a strong grip on second half proceedings netting a further four times to run out comfortable winners.

Gaffer Ross Maitland was unavailable therefore Assistant Manager Iain Jackson took charge of team duties where the usual mix of injuries, work and family commitments restricted his selection options. Aaron Moore returned earlier than expected following his head injury sustained in the previous week's victory over Calderglen while fellow injury victims Marc Maccallum and Scott Maitland were kept on the bench in the "use only in the case of an emergency" category.

Saints lined up with Graham Douglas in goal behind a back four of Craig Livingstone, Captain Steven MacLeod, James Conington and Drew Murray. Across the four-man midfield were Martin Bonar. Aaron Moore, Paul McFatridge and Aaron McKay with James Ford and James Muir up front. On the substitutes bench were Daniel Beaton, Oran Bryce, Marc Maccallum, Scott Maitland and goalkeeper Craig Maitland.

It was another dry sunny Saturday afternoon for the Glencruitten faithful but that was about as good as it got for the home crowd as their favourites' recent upturn in fortunes came to a juddering halt. Despite end-to-end action there was little to test the respective goalkeepers who were well protected by their defences in the first thirty minutes or so.

Aaron Moore, who had bravely reported for duty despite still nursing a head knock, made a good block to stop a shot from Steins striker Christopher Hendry before slipping in Aaron McKay at the other end where Calum Gray was smartly off his line to gather at McKay's feet.

Christopher Hendry was giving Saints central defensive pairing Steven MacLeod and James Conington plenty to think about and the big striker played-in wide man Declan Valentine in the ninth minute for a low shot across Graham Douglas and wide of the far post.

The visitors survived a penalty appeal in the thirty-second minute when skipper Graeme Armstrong had a handful of James Muir's shirt in the Steins box when sliding in to put the ball out of play. Referee Pat O'Donnell failed to spot the shirt pull and awarded a corner-kick which Calum Gray punched to the edge of the box where Aaron McKay was waiting for a volley which dipped just over the crossbar.

Having been cruelly denied an opportunity from the penalty spot Saints suffered a further setback just three minutes later when a Kyle Allison shot deflected into the path of Gianni DeLuca who found the bottom corner to open the scoring with the game's first effort on target.

Saints could consider themselves unlucky to be behind after an even opening forty-five minutes however it was the visitors who kicked-on after the interval with a dominant second-half performance which landed them a deserved victory.

The warning signs were there straight from the restart when Steins forced a corner-kick on the left inside the first minute. Declan Valentine's delivery broke kindly for Dominic McGrandles on the corner of the six yard box who thumped a left-foot shot off the crossbar.

McGrandles looked set for another strike on goal two minutes later but was denied by a well-timed sliding interception from Steven MacLeod. The blistering start to the second half from the visitors was rewarded in the fifty-second minute when Steins right fullback Louis McPherson was afforded the freedom of Glencruitten to pick his spot from the corner of the eighteen-yard box bulleting a shot across Graham Douglas to double the visitor's advantage.

John Harrison joined the action wide on the left as a fifty-seventh minute substitute and was instantly involved in the action drawing a solid stop from Graham Douglas at his near post. Douglas was called upon again on the hour mark throwing himself to his right to push away a Christopher Hendry shot.

Having earlier been denied by the woodwork Dominic McGrandles found the net in the sixty-sixth minute with a sensational strike from thirty-five yards which gave Graham Douglas no chance.

Youngster Daniel Beaton replaced Aaron Moore in central midfield and made an instant impact winning a penalty kick just sixty seconds after Steins third goal. Beaton had his shirt tugged in the box by Jamie McGrandles and this time Referee Pat O'Donnell, who handled the tie well, pointed to the spot. Top goal-scorer James Ford made no mistake from twelve yards to give Saints a lifeline.

Beaton had a glorious chance to further cut the deficit with twenty minutes remaining but lifted his finish over the crossbar. The youngster's miss proved to be a pivotal moment as three minutes later Declan Valentine's perfect cross from the right was met by Christopher Hendry for an unchallenged header past Graham Douglas to re-establish the visitor's three goal advantage.

In Saints second and final change Oran Bryce replaced James Muir in attack while Steins used all of their four remaining substitutes.

Saints huffed and puffed their way through the closing stages but could make no impression on the Steins defence. Despite the game long being over as a contest separate head injuries for Paul McFatridge and Graeme Armstrong ensured a substantial amount of stoppage time for the home crowd to endure.

Four minutes into the time added on by Mr O'Donnell Steins struck again when a long-range effort from Kyle Allison found the bottom corner to round off the scoring and complete a miserable afternoon for Saints.

This coming Saturday Saints return to league duty for the visit of last season's Central Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division Champions St Patrick's F.P. Referee Michael Kerr takes charge of the 2 p.m. kick-off at Glencruitten.