Saturday 26th March 2023
Central Scottish Amateur Football League
Premier Division
Bannockburn 5 - 0 Oban Saints
St. Modan's High School
Royal Stuart Way
Stirling
FK7 7WS
Kick-off 2.00pm
Referee Mr Douglas Gunning
For the third consecutive fixture a depleted Oban Saints faced Central Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division title chasing opposition with depressingly predictable results. Full credit to the less than full strength Saints who travelled to St Modan's High School in Stirling and battled manfully against a top class Bannockburn side however the all too familiar story of cheaply conceded goals saw the hosts run out comfortable winners and climb to the top of the league table.
A lack of available numbers saw Oban Saints Manager Ross Maitland hand a debut to new signing Drew Murray and call Stirling based Kenneth Black into the squad as defensive cover.
Saints lined up with Shaun Lockhart in goal behind a back four of Ruaridh Horne, Steven MacLeod, Ben Forbes and Drew Murray. Myles McAuley and Gavin Forgrieve occupied the holding midfield roles with Ross Campbell, Cammy Hill and David Beaton behind lone striker Kyle Cooper. Kenneth Black and Connor Howe joined Manager Ross Maitland on the substitutes bench.
Lone striker Kyle Cooper gave Saints an early opportunity to get bodies into the Bannockburn box winning a free-kick on the corner of the box in just the second minute however David Beaton couldn't direct his header from Gavin Forgrieve's delivery anywhere near the target.
Two minutes later Mark Fox slipped principal dangerman Kyle Imrie into the Saints box for a shot which young goalkeeper Shaun Lockhart manged to scramble behind for a corner kick. Stuart Henderson's delivery from the right was met with a powerful header from Alistair Brown which came crashing back off the crossbar to Imrie who could only cushion the ball into Lockhart's arms.
The Saints defence then proceeded to get themselves in a fankle playing out from the back gifting possession to Kyle Imrie who gleefully slotted the ball past the stranded Shaun Lockhart to open the scoring.
Imrie doubled his tally on the ten minute mark when Ryan Millar returned a Mark Fox cross from the left back across the face of goal and agonisingly out of reach for Shaun Lockhart leaving the Bannockburn number nine a tap-in from three yards.
Saints steadied the ship after the disastrous opening ten minutes but conceded cheaply again on the half hour mark when Kyle Imrie climbed high above Ben Forbes and Steven MacLeod to head a Stuart Henderson corner kick from the right into the net.
Kenneth McLellan was pulling the strings in the middle of the park for the hosts keeping Saints pinned back in their own half for the most part. Kyle Cooper was the out-ball for the under pressure Saints and, when Cammy Hill sent him through the inside left channel with a well weighted pass in the thirty seventh minute, the young striker cut inside giving Bannockburn keeper Mark Gordon his first taste of action with a comfortable save.
Cooper wriggled free on the edge of the Bannockburn box again in the forty fourth minute and was just about to pull the trigger when Kenneth Feaks got across with a timely interception at the expense of a corner kick. Ben Forbes met Gavin Forgrieve's delivery from the right with a powerful header which he placed inches wide of the foot of Mark Gordon's right hand post.
Saints made an encouraging start to the second half with Cammy Hill and David Beaton both testing Mark Gordon after good work on the left from Ross Campbell and Kyle Cooper.
The first half injury picked up when Ryan Millar accidently stood on his foot finally cut short Drew Murray's debut after fifty minutes. Connor Howe got the nod from Manager Ross Maitland with David Beaton being asked to slot in at left fullback.
The home side soon re-established their superiority with Ryan Millar drawing a good save from Shaun Lockhart and Matthew Cooper shaving the outside of Lockhart's left hand post on the rebound.
Millar then clattered the Saints crossbar with a twelve yard shot from a Stuart Henderson cutback from the right.
The home side made a triple substitution on the hour mark replacing Kenneth McLellan, Ryan Millar and Mark Fox with Declan Wood, Andrew Mochan and Dylan McGowan.
Wood placed a sixty fifth minute shot just wide of target from eighteen yards but it was that man Kyle Imrie who struck again four minutes later. Shaun Lockhart looked clear favourite to pluck a hopeful ball into the Saints box out of the air however a prodigious leap from Imrie saw him get there before the big keeper and send a looping header into the unguarded net to complete his four goal haul.
Kenneth Black replaced Ben Forbes for the closing ten minutes while the Gaffer made another appearance from the bench as a replacement for Ross Campbell.
The aerial route bore more fruit for Bannockburn in the eighty third minute after a sliced clearance from Gavin Forgrieve gave Stuart Henderson another opportunity to find a killer delivery from the corner flag. Henderson didn't disappoint and picked out Declan Wood who flicked on at the front post to unmarked Skipper Kenneth Feaks who found the gap between Shaun Lockhart and the post guarding David Beaton.
Connor Howe sent a twenty five yard free-kick high and wide of target before Saints were denied a consolation goal by an offside decision from Referee Douglas Gunning. Kyle Cooper looked to have timed his run well to get on the end of Gavin Forgrieve's ninetieth minute threaded through ball but his crisp finish into the bottom corner counted for nothing as Mr Gunning, who had a good game, gave the benefit of a tight decision to the hosts.
This coming Saturday Saints play their final home game of the season when they welcome Castlemilk Dynamo to Glencruitten. There is no fixture on Easter weekend thereafter visits to Castlemilk Dynamo, Gartcosh United and Lesmahagow will complete the fixture list for the battle weary Saints.
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