Reds and Greys

Saturday 9th December 2023

Practice Match

Oban Saints Reds 4 - 3 Oban Saints Greys

The Old Blaes Pitch

Glencruitten Road

Oban

Argyll

PA34

Kick-off 11.00am

Referee Mr David Dunlop

Left without a competitive fixture in the lead-up to their West of Scotland Amateur Cup fourth round tie against UB United, Oban Saints arranged an in-house practice match last Saturday morning. With the assistance of a handful of special guest stars Manager Ross Maitland and Assistant Iain Jackson assembled two evenly matched teams to give the squad a run-out ahead of the club's most important match of the season so far.

Groundsman Iain Hay declared Glencruitten unplayable therefore a first ever visit to the tight grass surface of the former blaes pitch behind the Mossfield grandstand was required.

The Gaffer took charge of Saints Reds who lined up with Craig Maitland in goal behind a back four of Craig Livingstone, Steven MacLeod, Fredrik Marthinsen and Captain Scott Maitland. Aaron Mckay, Paul McFatridge and David Beaton formed the midfield engine room with James Muir, Connor Moore and Ross Maitland up front.

The Silver Fox, Iain Jackson, was handed the reins of Saints Greys who lined up with Graham Douglas in goal behind a back four of Jamie Graham, Captain Myles McAuley, Daniel MacCuish and James Conington. Owen Lloyd, Martin Bonar and Lewis Cameron were the midfield triumvirate with Rhys Millar, Oran Bryce and Shaun Maciver in attack.

Jackson's Greys were looking the most likely in the opening exchanges with Myles McAuley heading a Lewis Cameron corner-kick just over and Oran Bryce squandering a decent chance with a wayward shot before the deadlock was broken in the fourteenth minute. Lewis Cameron cut in from the left and arrowed a right foot shot across Craig Maitland and into the bottom corner to give the Greys a deserved lead.

For the Reds Connor Moore tested Graham Douglas with a fierce left foot effort from twenty-five yards which the keeper did well to claw behind for a corner-kick.

Route one lead to a second goal for the Greys when Douglas' twenty-first minute clearance was headed-on by Shaun Maciver and sprayed out the right by Oran Bryce. Rhys Millar raced to the bye-line and picked out Maciver with a cross which the big striker headed home from close range.

It was a thumping header from Fredrik Marthinsen which halved the deficit. The big Norwegian defender timed his run perfectly to meet James Muir's twenty-third minute corner-kick from the right and give Graham Douglas no chance from six yards.

Connor Moore for the Reds and Lewis Cameron for the Greys both flashed efforts inches wide of target before Shaun Maciver doubled his tally cutting in from the left and beating Craig Maitland from a tight angle to re-establish the Greys' two goal advantage.

Scott Maitland's fortieth minute driving run through the inside-left channel was crowded out on the Greys' eighteen-yard line. The danger, however, didn't end there and Ross Maitland at full stretch was inches away from connecting with David Beaton's cross with the outside of his right foot.

The Reds reduced the deficit once again on the stroke of half-time when James Muir escaped the close attentions of Jamie Graham and Myles McAuley in the Greys' eighteen-yard box to squeeze the ball past Graham Douglas.

Both goalkeepers were tested early in the second half with Graham Douglas getting down low to his left to deny Connor Moore and Craig Maitland springing high to his left to push away a dipping half-volley from Jamie Graham.

Connor Moore and Graham Douglas continued their personal battle with the keeper once again coming out on top to turn Moore's fifty-seventh minute behind at his near post. Paul McFatridge climbed well above Martin Bonar to meet James Muir's corner-kick from the right however the big midfielder's header flew wide of target.

The Reds drew level with twenty minutes remaining when Skipper Scott Maitland sent over a deep cross from the left which eluded Ross Maitland in the middle but was retrieved by Craig Livingstone who fired a low ball into the six-yard box. Keeping up his impressive recent goal-scoring run James Muir was on-hand to tap home at the back post and double his own tally.

Having enjoyed the better of the first half the Greys struggled to get going in the second forty-five and, with ten minutes remaining, fell behind for the first time in the match when Craig Livingstone was afforded time and space to arrow a low shot from twenty-five yards into the bottom corner beyond a static Graham Douglas.

Changes were required before Referee David Dunlop, who handled the good-natured encounter well, could restart the action. Brothers Scott and Craig Maitland had work commitments leaving the Red team two men short. To even things up slightly Jamie Graham took the gloves for the Reds giving the Greys a one-man advantage for the closing ten minutes.

The Greys however failed to capitalise on their numerical advantage and stand-in goalkeeper Jamie Graham remained untested. The same could not be said of Graham Douglas who won the final instalment of his battle with Connor Moore standing up well to deny this season's leading goal scorer from open play with virtually the last kick of the game.

Although delighted that his Red team had come out on top Manager Ross Maitland took more pleasure from so many of his squad getting a good run-out with such an important match next of the agenda.

Saints final outing of 2023 is a trip to Stepford Football Centre on Saturday 16th December to face UB United of the Strathclyde Saturday Morning Amateur Football Association Premier Division in the West of Scotland Amateur Cup. Referee Gary Kirkwood takes charge of the fourth-round tie which must be decided on the day with penalty kicks to decide the winner if the sides cannot be separated after ninety minutes.