Reds Pip Greys In Practice Match
- Winning In The Rain
- Dec 29, 2024
- 3 min read
Saturday 28th December 2024
Practice Match
Oban Saints Reds 4 - 3 Oban Saints Greys
The Old Blaes Pitch
Glencruitten Road
Oban
Argyll
PA34
Kick-off 10.00am
Referee Mr Iain Jackson
Left facing three weeks without a competitive fixture, Oban Saints arranged an in-house practice match last Saturday morning to give the squad a run-out ahead of the club's return to competitive action on the eleventh of January. Groundsman Iain Hay declared Glencruitten 2 unplayable therefore a return visit to the tight grass surface of the former blaes pitch behind the Mossfield grandstand was required.
With injuries and holiday commitments affecting the selection options, Manager Ross Maitland and Assistant Iain Jackson called upon the services of some of the clubs promising youth players as well as some stars of the past in assembling two closely matched teams.
The Gaffer was one of those taking a festive holiday therefore Jackson was left in charge assisted on the sidelines by Coach Peter MacCallum and Secretary David Buchanan.
Late call-offs resulted in a numbers imbalance of eleven versus ten with the numerical advantage to be changed at the half-time interval although injury would see that plan also changed.
Saints Reds lined up with Craig Maitland in goal behind a back three of Craig Livingstone, Ben Forbes and Ruaridh Horne. In midfield were Kuba Ryszka, Keiron Lopez, Matty Kelly, Gavin Forgrieve and Innes Fraser with Rhys Millar and Connor Moore up front.
The numerically disadvantaged Greys had Graham Douglas in goal behind a back three of Jamie Graham, Ryan Barclay and Louie MacFarlane. Across the five-man midfield were David Beaton, Fraser MacFarlane, Matty Pollock, Aaron McKay and Donald Campbell with Shaun Maciver ploughing a lone furrow up front.
The numbers were soon evened-up when the under-the-weather Fraser MacFarlane took an extended breather on the touchline with Keiron Lopez swapping his red shirt for a grey one.
In addition to managing both teams, Iain Jackson was also the man in the middle and, from his vantage point inside the centre-circle, allowed the suspiciously offside looking Aaron McKay to continue his thirty-second minute run on the left and bury a low shot past Craig Maitland for the opening goal.
The Greys held the lead for just four minutes when youngsters Kuba Ryszka and Rhys Millar combined for Millar to bullet a header from Ryszka's well measured right-wing cross beyond Graham Douglas and restore parity.
Millar came close to completing the turnaround in the thirty-eighth minute but was denied by the fingertips of Graham Douglas resplendent in his luminous green kit.
Louie MacFarlane, Aaron McKay and Shaun Maciver were heavily involved in the Greys' second goal which was slotted home by David Beaton whose run from right wingback had the Red's defence once again appealing in vain for an offside decision.
Fraser MacFarlane was able to re-join the action for the second-half which saw Keiron Lopez return to the Red ranks and restore their numerical advantage.
Youth team players Donald Campbell, Innes Fraser and Kuba Ryszka didn't look at all out of place in more experienced company and Ryszka was instrumental in the Red's second equaliser after fifty-four minutes. After dispossessing Fraser MacFarlane wide on the right, Ryszka held off the challenge of Aaron McKay before picking out Gavin Forgrieve who sent a right foot shot from twenty-eight yards flying into the postage stamp corner.
The ten-man Greys however were soon back in front when David Beaton netted for a second time with another well-timed run from the right.
The Greys' back three of Jamie Graham, Ryan Barclay and Louie MacFarlane managed to keep top marksman Connor Moore quiet and deserved their slice of good fortune when Moore somehow managed to miss the target with a free header from point-blank range.
The Reds equalised for a third time when Keiron Lopez curled a delightful finish past Graham Douglas from the right corner of the Greys' eighteen-yard box.
Young Donald Campbell's sweet left foot was close to putting the Greys back in front after Matty Kelly had headed away a David Beaton corner-kick from the left. The extra man, however, eventually told for the Reds when Kuba Ryszka fired the pick of the seven goals past Graham Douglas in the eighty-eighth minute.
Iain Jackson appeared content to keep playing until the Greys could conjure an equalising goal however, with the slippery conditions contributing to some poorly timed challenges, he wisely decided to call time after eight added minutes bringing to a close a good workout for all involved.
Saints return to competitive action on Saturday 11th January with a trip to Barlia to face Castlemilk Community in the Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association Premiership.
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