The Oban Saints preseason tournament sponsored by D&K Lafferty Contractors took place on Saturday 6th July. The 28th playing of Oban Saints flagship event took place at Mossfield Stadium and Oban Lorne Rugby Club where once again a large crowd of locals and visitors were treated to some excellent football in favourable weather conditions.
The hosts were joined on this occasion by tournament regulars Alloa Athletic, Hamilton Academical and St Johnstone with last year's debutants Kilmarnock making their second appearance. The unfortunate late withdrawal of Stirling Albion necessitated a minor change to the familiar tournament format which saw the teams play each other once but with the matches lasting forty minutes instead of the usual thirty.
Tournament organiser and Oban Saints Secretary David Buchanan was delighted to confirm that shirt sponsor D&K Lafferty Contractors had agreed to continue their sponsorship of the club's flagship event. D&K Lafferty are fantastic supporters of local sport, and everybody connected with Oban Saints was pleased to see them rewarded with the wide exposure that sponsorship of this prestigious tournament offers.
In addition to the generosity of D&K Lafferty Saints were also grateful to Oban Memorials, kit sponsors MKM Building Supplies Oban and hospitality sponsor Aulay's Bar for their renewed support for the forthcoming season.
As has been the case for a long number of years Saints received a kind donation of match balls from a local business which has once again ticked the no publicity box and wishes to remain anonymous.
The tournament was well handled by Referees Ross Stirling, Jimmy Litster, Tony McCann and Pat O'Donnell who oversaw ten excellent matches before reigning champions Hamilton Academical once again emerged victorious to take the trophy back to New Douglas Park for a seventh time.
Hamilton Academical D&K Cup Winners 2024
Oban Saints squad for the 2024 D&K Lafferty Cup Tournament
Oban Saints Squad
Ryan Barclay
Daniel Beaton
David Beaton
Oran Bryce
Cammy Clark
James Conington
Graham Douglas
Sean Drummond
Ben Forbes
James Ford
Gavin Forgrieve
Keiran Griffin
Keiron Lopez
Craig Maitland
Scott Maitland
Rhys Millar
Connor Moore
Drew Murray
Innes MacDonald
Fraser MacFarlane
Aaron Mckay
Matthew Pollock
Kick off 11.00am
Mossfield - Hamilton Academical 2 - 0 Alloa Athletic
Cup holders Hamilton Academical put down an early marker with a two goal victory over three time tournament winners Alloa Athletic. Alex Eguagie and Finlay Cameron were on target for Accies in the Mossfield curtain raiser.
Team Captains Lewis Hodgkiss and Kian Morris with Referee Ross Stirling. Photograph used with kind permission from Scott Struthers of Hamilton Academical
Kick off 11.00am
Glencruitten - Oban Saints 0 - 2 St Johnstone
The hosts got the Glencruitten action underway during one of just two spells of rain which interrupted an otherwise bright sunny day. Opponents St Johnstone narrowly missed out on a first ever tournament win last year when Hamilton Academical pipped them on goal difference and, once again, they would be at the front of the race for the coveted trophy.
The Oban Saints started well and James Ford and Gavin Forgrieve combined well on the left for Forgrieve to loft a cross to the back post where Connor Moore's header was safely held by the St Johnstone keeper.
Referee Jimmy Litster turned down what looked to be a decent Saints appeal for a penalty kick when Connor Moore was flattened chasing a well weighted Gavin Forgrieve through ball. The Perth Saints didn't wait about to debate the decision and broke immediately on the left wing where Brodie Dair drew an excellent save from Craig Maitland to keep the scores level.
The hosts continued to impress in the early stages with Aaron Mckay again bringing the St Johnstone keeper into the action to clutch a right foot shot from twenty-two yards.
Mr Litster turned down a second Saints penalty appeal in the eleventh minute ruling that Saints Skipper Scott Maitland had been fouled just short of the eighteen yard line. David Beaton failed to find the target with his free-kick however his fortunes in that department would improve later in the day.
Connor Moore had a decent effort deflected wide for a corner-kick however the good start was undone in the fifteenth minute when St Johnstone struck clinically on the counter-attack with Brodie Dair knocking home Adam McMillan's cross from the right.
Four minutes later the Perth side, featuring Oban Saints Youth product James Muir, doubled their lead taking advantage of indecision in the Saints defence for Jackson Mylecrees to slot easily past the hopelessly exposed Craig Maitland.
The hosts were denied a second-half consolation when Ryan Barclay's header from a Gavin Forgrieve corner-kick was hooked spectacularly away with Referee Litster dismissing Saints appeals that the ball had crossed the goal-line ensuring an ultimately comfortable two-goal victory for the Perth side.
Scott Maitland holds off James Muir
Ryan Barclay
Craig Maitland
Kick off 12.00 noon
Mossfield - St Johnstone 3 - 0 Hamilton Academical
Tournament regulars St Johnstone and Hamilton Academical went head-to-head in the noon kick-off at Mossfield where the Perth Saints gave their chances of a first tournament win a significant boost. Goals from Jamie Cord, Brodie Dair and Murray Binnie eased the Perth Saints past the holders and installed them as early favourites for the Cup.
Action from St Johnstone v Hamilton Academical. Photograph used with kind permission from Scott Struthers of Hamilton Academical
Kick off 12.00 noon
Glencruitten - Alloa Athletic 1 - 3 Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock opened their account at Glencruitten with a win over three-time tournament winners Alloa Athletic. Adam Law opened the scoring for Killie before Brandon Muir levelled with a fantastic effort into the top corner.
Grant Marchant regained the lead for Killie from the penalty spot before Ruben Cooper made the points safe in the dying stages
Kick off 1.00pm
Mossfield - Kilmarnock 0 - 0 St Johnstone
The Mossfield stalemate between Kilmarnock and St. Johnstone saw both sides fail to score for the first time and did little to improve their chances of a first tournament success.
Kick off 1.00pm
Glencruitten - Hamilton Academical 3 - 0 Oban Saints
In the 1pm kick-off at Glencruitten Hamilton bounced back from their defeat to St Johnstone by putting three goals without reply past the hosts.
Lennon Lyons opened the scoring with a first-half free-kick into the postage stamp corner which gave Graham Douglas no chance. The cup holders continued to dominate proceedings in the second-half giving the Saints defence a torrid time.
Jack Bell and Dylan Baldwin added to the scoring before a tight off-side decision denied Saints a late consolation. Cammy Clark climbed well to head home a David Beaton free-kick however Referee Ross Stirling, who was very well positioned, gave the benefit of the decision to Accies.
Keiron Lopez puts Accies keeper under pressure
Fraser MacFarlane and Lewis Hodgkiss
Cammy Clark's header is ruled out for offside
Kick off 2.00pm
Mossfield - Oban Saints 1 - 0 Kilmarnock
Saints crossed to Mossfield where they finally broke their goal scoring duck and helped themselves to three points with a hard earned victory over Kilmarnock.
The hosts had the better of the first-half with Connor Moore shooting narrowly wide and Ben Forbes heading a David Beaton free-kick just over before Aaron Mckay had a powerful effort from eighteen yards well blocked.
Saints good start was rewarded early in the second period when James Ford picked out Connor Moore and last season's top goal-scorer kept his composure to race through and slot past the Killie keeper.
Moore's goal prompted a spirited response from Kilmarnock but Saints dug in well to protect their lead. An acrobatic goal-line clearance by Drew Murray preserved the narrow Saints advantage before the combative defender found the net with a last minute twenty-eight yard free-kick. Unfortunately for Saints it was the net in the shinty goals some thirty yards behind the intended target and the tie ended without further scoring.
Connor Moore effort just wide of target
Gavin Forgrieve
Ben Forbes heads over
Craig Maitland keeps Kilmarnock at bay
Drew Murray
Kick off 2.00pm
Glencruitten - St Johnstone 0 - 0 Alloa Athletic
St Johnstone completed their fixtures in the 2pm kick-off at Glencruitten where a second stalemate of the day confirmed their status as "leader in the club house" on eight points with five goals scored and none conceded.
Kick off 3.00pm
Mossfield - Alloa Athletic 2 - 1 Oban Saints
The Mossfield fixtures concluded with a thrilling encounter between Oban Saints and Alloa Athletic which the Clackmannanshire men edged by the odd goal in three.
Still looking for a first victory of the day, Alloa started in determined fashion and, after hitting the crossbar in the fifth minute, opened the scoring after nine minutes. The Alloa pressure eventually told with Skipper Kian Morris turning well in the Saints eighteen yard box and smashed a low drive under Ryan Barclay's attempted block and into the bottom corner beyond Graham Douglas' right hand.
The Saints keeper made an excellent save from a thirteenth minute corner-kick to keep the deficit to one as Alloa continued to pile on the pressure.
Saints carried more of an attacking threat in the second-half and levelled the scoring with six minutes remaining. Connor Moore turned well wide on the right and raced towards the Alloa goal where he was brought down just short of the eighteen yard line. David Beaton placed with ball with intent and produced a finish reminiscent of Willie Gemmell's 2010 free-kick against Dundee United to set up a grandstand finish.
Both teams looked for a winning goal to go out on a high and it was Alloa who found it deep into the time added on by Referee Pat O'Donnell when Graham Douglas could only parry a Brandon Muir shot into the path of Callum Graham who made no mistake from close range.
Kian Morris opens the scoring for Alloa Athletic
David Beaton brings Saints level with a sensational free-kick
Kick off 3.00pm
Glencruitten - Kilmarnock 0 - 3 Hamilton Academical
Over at Glencruitten nothing less than a win was required for cup holders Hamilton Academical to hang on to the trophy and prevent St. Johnstone from claiming the silverware for the first time.
The South Lanarkshire Men were in no mood to relinquish their title and made it three D&K Cup wins in a row seeing off Kilmarnock by three goals to nil. A double from Jack Bell and one from Player of the Tournament Finlay Cameron gave Accies an ultimately comfortable win and secured the D&K Lafferty Cup for the seventh time.
Referee Tony McCann prepares to get the tournament deciding fixture underway
Player of the Tournament Finlay Cameron
A delighted Marcus Syme was first up to collect his winners trophy
Far travelled supporters Andy English from Ipswich and Mark Sutherland from Lincoln
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