Good Things Come In Threes (Eventually)

Saturday 30th November 2024

Scottish Amateur Football Association

West of Scotland Amateur Cup

3rd Round

Oban Saints 3 (8) - 3 (7) Third Lanark

Glencruitten 2

Mossfield Avenue

Oban

Argyll

PA34 4EH

Kick-off 1.30pm

Referee Mr Steven Craven

Having had their second-round defeat to Strathclyde University overturned on appeal due to the University team fielding an ineligible player, Oban Saints maintained their interest in this season's West of Scotland Amateur Cup by the slenderest of margins with a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Third Lanark at Glencruitten last Saturday afternoon. After squandering a three-goal lead, and having two of their first three penalty kicks saved by Third's keeper Declan Jones, another cup exit looked inevitable. However, for the second time this season, Craig Maitland came to the rescue with three saves to send Saints into round four.

The well-maintained grass surface at Glencruitten was in good condition despite the recent heavy rain. The Argyll & Bute Council grounds staff however could do little about the copious amounts of dog excrement on the pitch which had to be removed by the Saints coaching staff prior to kick-off. It is highly unlikely that any of the irresponsible dog owners will read this match report as they clearly have no interest in local sport, however if anybody knows who they are please report them to Argyll & Bute Council.

Prior to kick-off Referee Steven Craven and visitors Third Lanark joined Saints in observing a silence of remembrance for former player Hamish Matheson who had recently lost his brave battle with cancer. In his playing days Hamish was a stylish midfielder and was a member of the Saints 1978-79 Scottish Amateur Football League Division Six winning team.

Work commitments on the Isle of Colonsay kept Manager Ross Maitland away, so Assistant Manager Iain Jackson remained in charge ably assisted by coaches Peter MacCallum, David Dunlop and Archie MacLean and Club Secretary David Buchanan.

Saints lined up with Craig Maitland in goal behind a back three of Aidan Jackson, Ruaridh Horne and Drew Murray. Accross the five-man midfield were David Beaton, Matty Pollock, Gavin Forgrieve, Keiran Griffin and Captain Scott Maitland. Up front were James Conington and Connor Moore. On the substitutes bench were Shaye Black, James Ford, Keiron Lopez, Rhys Millar and Fraser MacFarlane.

The early exchanges were fairly even but produced a moment of controversy when Connor Moore appeared to be clean through on goal when he was brough crashing to the ground by a late tackle from Robbie Sinclair. With only eleven minutes on the clock this could have been a pivotal moment however Referee Steven Craven, who had a good game, was content just to caution Sinclair and spare him the long walk back to the Mossfield changing rooms.

Gavin Forgrieve lifted the resulting free-kick into the Thirds' penalty area where Ruaridh Horne climbed well but couldn't direct his header on target.

Three minutes later at the other end Aidan Jackson joined Sinclair in Referee Craven's notebook for a late challenge on Isaa Ali twenty-eight yards from goal. Thirds' midfielder Billy Young beat the Saints' wall with his free-kick but not keeper Craig Maitland who held the bouncing ball well.

Saints opened the scoring in the twenty-seventh minute from a good move on the left. Skipper Scott Maitland sent Connor Moore away and his cutback from just short of the goal line was gathered in by strike partner James Conington. Conington held the ball up well and picked out Keiran Griffin's run from midfield with the youngster keeping his composure to steer the ball into the net for his first goal for the senior Saints side.

Griffin was involved again ten minutes before the interval lifting the ball to the corner of the six-yard box where Thirds' keeper Declan Jones could only palm the ball into path of Connor Moore whose attempted lob cleared the frame of the unguarded net.

Saints continued to threaten and were rewarded for their efforts on the stroke of half-time. Scott Maitland and James Conington, two of Saints' best performers on the day, combined well again on the left wing from where Conington tee'd up Connor Moore for another strike. Moore's attempt was blocked as was David Beaton's on the rebound however it was a case of third time lucky when Beaton volleyed home the loose ball to give Saints a two-goal lead at the interval.

Saints started the second-half in positive style with Connor Moore grazing the outside of Declan Jones' left hand post just two minutes after the restart.

Aidan Jackson's long throw-in from the right was instrumental in Saint's third goal as was Keiran Griffin's challenge on Ryan Clark which ensured the defender's attempted clearing header only only made it as far as Connor Moore on the corner of the six-yard box. Moore's left-foot volley arrowed back across Declan Jones and into the far corner for what should have been the decisive strike.

With Saints seemingly cruising a defensive mix-up was pounced upon by Isaa Ali giving the visitors all the encouragement they needed to mount a final thirty-minute comeback.

Assistant Manager Iain Jackson shuffled his pack sending on James Ford, Keiron Lopez and Rhys Millar with James Conington, Keiran Griffin and Matty Pollock making way.

Thirds', driven on by the influential Billy Young, were battling hard against the increasingly nervy Saints who had Craig Maitland to thank for an eightieth minute save at his left-hand post to deny substitute David Meechan.

James Ford's trickery on the left won an eighty-sixth minute corner-kick off Haadi Bajwa which he took quickly to David Beaton. Beaton's shot from the corner of the eighteen-yard box looked bound for the bottom corner until Declan Jones, at full stretch, pulled off a sensational save to keep his side in the match.

The visitors pushed forward again, and Billy Young's driving run was halted by Aidan Jackson at the expense of an eighty-seventh minute free-kick. Marc Corlett's free-kick was headed home unchallenged to set up a grandstand finish.

The Glencruitten faithful gasped as Andrew Marley's dipping ninety-third minute volley came back off Craig Maitland's right-hand post but the visitors were not to be denied. As the clock ticked into the sixth added minute Thirds forced a corner-kick on the left which the Saints defence failed to deal with and Marley forced the ball over the line from close range.

The resurgent visitors thoroughly deserved their equaliser, and it was the punch drunk Saints who were happiest to hear Referee Craven's final whistle.

Third Lanark carried their high spirits into the penalty shoot-out with only David Beaton preventing Declan Jones from making it a hat-trick of saves as the visitors took a firm grip on proceedings. After Jones' saves to deny Gavin Forgrieve and Scott Maitland Saints regained their composure and successfully converted efforts from James Ford and Connor Moore punctuated two Craig Maitland saves to take the shoot-out to sudden death.

Six further successful penalties were traded with Drew Murray, Ruaridh Horne and Rhys Millar on target before Aidan Jackson put Saints 8 - 7 ahead and returned the pressure to the visitors. Craig Maitland then emerged the hero winning the third-round tie with a third save low to his right with Grant Black the unlucky Thirds' man not to convert.

This coming Saturday Saints return to Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association Premiership duties when they travel to Toryglen to face old rivals Kings Park Rangers.