Saturday 19th November 2022
West of Scotland Amateur Cup
Third Round
Tannochside United 2 - 3 Oban Saints
Stepford Football Centre
1459 Edinburgh Road
Glasgow
G33 4EG
Kick-off 2pm
Referee Mr Ross Holms
A dramatic ninety third minute winner from the head of Rory Dowd sent Oban Saints into the fourth round of the West of Scotland Amateur Cup at Stepford Football Centre last Saturday afternoon. A first ever goal for the club from Ryan Barclay and a successfully converted Rory Dowd penalty kick gave Saints the perfect start inside the first ten minutes however impressive hosts Tannochside United came roaring back to level the scoring before the half hour.
Both sides gave it their all in the second half with goalkeepers Shaun Lockhart and Russell Stewart making vital saves en-route to what seemed an inevitable penalty shoot-out before Dowd headed Gavin Forgrieve's free-kick beyond Russell Stewart and into the top corner.
Saints Manager Ross Maitland was forced to make a number of changes to the previous week's squad with Lewis Cameron, James Conington, Graham Douglas, Scott Maitland and Fraser MacFarlane all unavailable. Shaun Lockhart, Ryan Barclay and Cammy Clark all came into the starting line-up while Jack Wright joined Donald Campbell, Ross Campbell and Ruaridh Horne on the bench.
Saints lined up with Shaun Lockhart in goal behind a back four of Ryan Barclay, Captain Myles McAuley, Ben Forbes and Cammy Clark. Across the four man midfield were Connor Moore, Gavin Forgrieve, Matty Kelly and Cammy Hill with Rory Dowd tucked in behind central striker Kyle Cooper. On the substitutes bench were Donald Campbell, Ross Campbell, Ruaridh Horne and Jack Wright.
Hosts Tannochside United of the Strathclyde Saturday Morning Amateur Football League Premier Division kicked off on the 3G surface at Stepford and created an early opportunity for striker Scott McCallum in the third minute. Greig McEwan, Aaron Neil and Darren Shirley picked their way through the busy midfield area setting up McCallum for a shot from twenty yards which flew over Shaun Lockhart's crossbar.
Cammy Hill followed suit two minutes later cutting in from the left for a twenty-five yard right foot shot wide of Russell Stewart's right hand post.
Saints opened the scoring in the fifth minute when Matty Kelly's diagonal ball from the left picked out Ryan Barclay's run into the Tunny box. Barclay controlled well and stepped away from Danny McCloughy before drilling the ball low across Russell Stewart and into the bottom corner for his first goal for the club.
The dream start continued for Saints when Connor Moore battled his way to the touchline inside the Tunny box and rolled a cut-back to Rory Dowd who was sent sprawling giving Referee Ross Holms an easy decision to point to the penalty spot. With regular penalty taker Lewis Cameron serving the first of a four match suspension Dowd accepted the responsibility and confidently dispatched the ball past Russell Stewart to double Saints advantage.
Saints failed to capitalise on their early advantage and Tannochside came roaring back into the game in the twelfth minute. Stephen Higgins beat Ryan Barclay on the Tunny left and cut into the box for a powerful shot which Shaun Lockhart couldn't hold. Jonathan Reynolds reacted quickest and slotted past Lockhart to half the deficit.
Connor Moore flashed a header from a Gavin Forgrieve free-kick over the crossbar after Cammy Hill and been brought down on the Saints left level with the eighteen yard line.
Shaun Lockhart's handling was tested again in the nineteenth minute when Stephen Higgins once again got the better of Ryan Barclay on the Tunny left. Higgins picked out Jonathan Reynolds for a downward header which Lockhart, on his return from the hamstring injury sustained against Drumchapel Amateurs, held well to his right.
A promising opening for Kyle Cooper was snuffed out by the combined efforts of Kevin Logan and Danny McCloughy before Connor Moore came within the width of the post of stretching Saints advantage. Cammy Hill and Rory Dowd linked well on the left in the twenty third minute and found Matty Kelly in space who in turn picked out Moore for a driving run into the box and a low shot which struck the outside of Russell Stewart's left hand post.
The Tunny danger was coming from Stephen Higgins and Jonathan Reynolds in the wide areas and when Ryan Barclay failed to deal with a thirty first minute Reynolds cross from the right Higgins was on hand to bury the ball past Shaun Lockhart and level the scoring.
An excellent flying save from Lockhart prevented Higgins from completing the turnaround in the thirty sixth minute throwing himself to his left to push a free-kick from Higgins around the post.
As the half-time interval approached Rory Dowd headed a Ryan Barclay cross wide of target before Shaun Lockhart's outstretched right boot sent a close range Jonathan Reynolds effort behind for a corner kick. Aaron Neil's delivery from the left was headed away by Cammy Clark sending Cammy Hill away on a run which was halted unceremoniously by Greig McEwan at the expense of a free-kick and a yellow card for the former Tower Hearts man.
The second half began with Lockhart saving again from Reynolds before Aaron Neil fired into the side netting from a tight angle.
A fiftieth minute foul on Kyle Cooper gave Gavin Forgrieve the chance to put the ball in the danger area which he duly did with Cooper just short of connecting as ball bounced into the grateful arms of Russell Stewart.
Connor Ferguson's late challenge on Myles McAuley on the edge of the centre circle earned the Tannochside fullback a yellow card which would later prove costly. McAuley's central defensive partner Ben Forbes lifted the ball into the Tunny box but the home side repelled the danger and broke swiftly to the other end where, after a long run. Aaron Neil picked out Scott McCallum for a shot which he lifted harmlessly into the arms of Shaun Lockhart.
Thomas Houston found his way into Referee Holms' notebook for hauling back Connor Moore as the speedy youngster looked set to burst through on goal.
Matty Kelly won a good header to clear a Tannochside corner kick before an ankle injury ended his involvement on the hour mark. Kelly's place was taken by Ruaridh Horne who went to left fullback with Cammy Clark moving into the middle of the park.
Gavin Forgrieve tested Russell Stewart twice in as many minutes, both from twenty eight yards. The first in the sixty fifth minute was a comfortable take for the Tannochside number one but Forgrieve's second effort brought an excellent save from Stewart flying high to his right to push Forgrieve's drive over his crossbar. From the resulting corner kick Rory Dowd headed Forgrieve's delivery from the left over the bar.
In Saints second change of the afternoon Jack Wright replaced Ryan Barclay at right fullback in the sixty eighth minute before a late challenge on Tannochside Skipper Darren Shirley cost Cammy Clark a seventieth minute caution.
Shaun Lockhart threw out a strong right hand to push away a Jack Murphy header from a seventy sixth minute Aaron Neil corner kick from the right as the young keeper continued to impress in just his third start for the club.
Donald Campbell's experience was called on from the bench for the closing stages with Cammy Clark making way for the veteran striker.
Saints Cammy Hill and Stephen Higgins for the hosts both sent efforts well off target before Connor Ferguson's late challenge on Cammy Hill ended the Tunny fullback's involvement with a second yellow card from experienced Referee Holms.
Saints had the ball in the net with five of the regulation ninety minutes remaining when Kyle Cooper poked home from close range. Connor Moore's shot was pushed behind for a corner kick by Russell Stewart but when Cooper helped Cammy Hill's header from Gavin Forgrieve's delivery over the goal line Mr Holms correctly ruled that Cooper had strayed offside.
Saints had to see out the closing stages without Ben Forbes who, along with Skipper for the day Myles McAuley, had been excellent in central defence. Forbes was replaced by Ross Campbell who took the right fullback berth with Jack Wright moving inside.
A penalty shootout looked inevitable as the match moved deep into stoppage time however a foul on Connor Moore wide on the left gave Saints another opportunity to create something from the dead ball. Gavin Forgrieve's delivery was on the mark and Rory Dowd's powerful header flew into the top corner well out of reach for Russell Stewart.
Ten-man Tannochside were in no mood to give up and Stephen Higgins forced Ross Campbell to concede a ninety fifth minute corner kick. Shaun Lockhart came off his line with a decisive punch just as Referee Holms, who handled proceedings well, sounded the final whistle sending Saints into the hat for the fourth round draw.
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