More Minutes In The Tank

Saturday 22nd July 2023

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Oban Saints 3 - 1 Westfield Colts

Glencruitten 1

Glencruitten Drive

Oban

Argyll

PA34 4EB

Kick-off 12.15pm

Referee Mr James Hesketh

Oban Saints continued their build-up to the new league season with a friendly match last Saturday afternoon at Glencruitten. Argyll & Bute Council groundsman Iain Hay is still carrying out some essential maintenance work to Saints usual home turf, Glencruitten 2, therefore the game was played on the rugby pitch where the hosts survived a late comeback from the visitors to record a 3 - 1 victory.

Already with his selection options hampered by injuries and holidays Manager Ross Maitland had two late call-offs to contend with before naming a fourteen man squad for the visit of Stirling and District Amateur Football Association Premier Division side Westfield Colts.

Saints lined up with Graham Douglas in goal behind a back three of Cammy Clark, James Conington and Drew Murray. Across the five man midfield were Ross Campbell, Captain Gavin Forgrieve, Martin Bonar, Daniel Beaton and David Beaton with Cammy Hill and James Muir up front. On the substitutes bench were Rory Dowd, Craig Livingstone and Craig Maitland.

Attacking the railway line end in the first half Saints made a bright start and there was only sixty seconds on the clock when Cammy Hill's eighteen yard effort brought Westfield keeper Mark Campbell into the action with a good save low to his right.

Saints continued to ask the early questions with a dipping left foot shot from Daniel Beaton just clearing the crossbar before the young midfielder was adjudged to be fractionally offside when sent through on goal by David Beaton.

The reward for Saints early endeavours came in the tenth minute with Ross Campbell, Gavin Forgrieve, David Beaton and Cammy Hill all involved in the build-up before Hill picked out James Muir in the Westfield box who turned away from his marker and fired a right foot shot across Mark Campbell and into the bottom corner.

Saints looked to extend their lead and Westfield keeper Mark Campbell was kept busy making saves to deny Cammy Hill and James Muir before Cammy Clark came a long way forward to send a shot from twenty two yards wide of Campbell's right hand post. At the other end Clark was back on his defensive beat to head a deep free-kick from the right out for a corner kick from where Graham Douglas passed his first test of the afternoon confidently claiming the delivery from the left.

Saints doubled their advantage after thirty minutes when young James Muir completed his brace. Muir once again controlled well in the box and turned skilfully away from his marker before beating Mark Campbell with a crisp finish low to his left.

Gaffer Ross Maitland made his first changes in the thirty-third minute sending on Rory Dowd and Craig Livingstone to replace Martin Bonar and Ross Campbell but with rolling substitutions permitted both would return to the action in the second half.

Saints made a further change at the interval with Graham Douglas making way between the posts for Craig Maitland.

The second half was just six minutes old when Saints stretched their advantage still further. Cammy Hill sent Craig Livingstone away on an overlapping run on the right from where Livingstone found David Beaton with his cutback. Beaton controlled and turned well in the box before slotting past Mark Campbell for Saints third goal.

With an assist under his belt Livingstone looked to go one better and bag a goal himself which he would have done after sixty five minutes but for an excellent goal-line clearance from Marc Gallagher.

Craig Maitland was called into action for the first time with eighteen minutes remaining when his outstretched left leg sent Ryan Duffy's low shot spinning behind for a corner kick.

Three minutes later however Maitland was left rooted to the spot when Duffy curled an excellent right foot effort into the postage stamp corner deservedly putting the visitors on the score sheet.

The goal gave Falkirk based Westfield a massive lift however, despite dominating the closing stages, they were unable to inflict further damage on the Saints back line where work colleagues James Conington and Drew Murray patrolled their defensive beat well.

Referee James Hesketh, who handled proceedings with the minimum of fuss, brought a good natured encounter to an end with valuable minutes in the tank for both sets of players being of far more importance than the result.

This coming Saturday Saints play their final warm-up game ahead of the new league season when they welcome Stenhousemuir Community of the Caledonian Amateur Football League to Glencruitten.