Saints and Arthurlie Share The Points

Saturday 26th August 2023

Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association

Premiership

Oban Saints 2 - 2 Arthurlie

Glencruitten 2

Mossfield Avenue

Oban

Argyll

PA34 4EH

Kick-off 2.00pm

Referee Mr Peter Laing

The Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association Premiership campaign continued for Oban Saints at Glencruitten last Saturday afternoon where a much improved performance earned the home side a share of the points against last season's Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division Champions Arthurlie. The previous week's humbling at the hands of St Patrick's FP was the catalyst for a pride restoring showing which Manager Ross Maitland will hope to build upon in the weeks ahead.

Despite falling behind after just ninety seconds to a Joshua Healy strike Saints fought back to take a half-time lead thanks to goals from Connor Moore and James Ford. Saints, resplendent in their new strips, once again kindly sponsored by D&K Lafferty Contractors and MKM Oban Building Supplies, however couldn't increase their advantage and had to settle for a point when Arthurlie Skipper Michael Connelly found the top corner with an excellent strike with twelve minutes remaining.

Saints lined up with Craig Maitland in goal behind a back three of Steven MacLeod, Captain Marc Maccallum and James Conington. Across the five man midfield were David Beaton, Aaron Moore, Paul McFatridge, Daniel Beaton and Connor Moore with James Ford and James Muir up front. On the heavily populated substitutes bench were Martin Bonar, Oran Bryce, Ross Campbell, Rory Dowd, Gavin Forgrieve, Cammy Hill, Craig Livingstone and Aaron Mckay.

Conditions were wet underfoot and there was only ninety seconds on the clock when Joshua Healy took full advantage of a slip by Steven MacLeod to cut inside from the left and fire a low shot across Craig Maitland into the bottom corner to give the visitors the perfect start.

It took a while for Saints to get going and when they eventually did Paul McFatridge was frustrated to have his well timed run through the inside left channel to meet a James Conington pass judged offside.

Saints were back on level terms in the twenty-first minute when Arthurlie couldn't fully clear the danger from a driving James Ford run. Ford's cross from the left was knocked out of the box but only as far as Marc Maccallum who climbed well to send a looping header over the advancing defence and into the path of Connor Moore who deftly lifted the ball into the net beyond the reach of Arthurlie keeper Iain Hainey.

James Ford came close to adding a second coming off the right touchline to meet a diagonal ball from James Conington but firing just wide of the junction of post and crossbar.

The ball was in the Arthurlie net again in the twenty-fifth minute when Connor Moore appeared to beat Iain Hainey to a James Ford cutback from the right and knock the ball in at the front post. Referee Peter Laing however ruled that 'Lie' keeper Hainey had got there first and had the ball under control before Moore could reach it and therefore disallowed the goal.

Saints took the lead on the half-hour mark after successfully breaking up an Arthurlie counter-attack. This time it was Saints turn to profit from a defensive slip which allowed James Ford to race through unchallenged on a Paul McFatridge ball over the top before comfortably rounding Iain Hainey to roll the ball into the unguarded net.

Moore and Ford both had shots narrowly off target as Saints pushed for a third goal before the interval. On the stroke of half-time Connor Moore managed to wriggle away from Andrew Stewart despite Stewart's attempt to claw the ball back with his hand. Referee Laing played a good advantage allowing Moore to get his shot away however the outstretched leg of Michael Connelly took the sting out of Moore's effort giving Iain Hainey a comfortable save.

Saints made a positive start to the second half with Connor Moore inches away from connecting with a dangerous David Beaton cross from the left after just two minutes. Daniel Beaton sent a shot from the edge of the Arthurlie box well over before Joshua Healy made an excellent sliding interception to deny David Beaton a shooting opportunity.

After eleven second half minutes Saints Manager Ross Maitland made a double change in central midfield replacing Daniel Beaton and Paul McFatridge with Rory Dowd and Gavin Forgrieve.

James Ford continued to ask questions of the 'Lie' defence and Iain Hainey did well in the sixty-first minute to save with his feet at his near post when Ford cut in from the left for a low right foot shot.

The Saints back three of Steven MacLeod, Marc Maccallum and James Conington were protecting keeper Craig Maitland well restricting the visitors to shots from distance which failed to find the target. When Peter Haggarty eventually got his sights set in the sixty-fourth minute Marc Maccallum got back with a partial block to deflect the ball safely into Maitland's gloves.

Connor Moore won a sixty-seventh minute corner kick on the left which Rory Dowd directed on target but straight at Iain Hainey before making a timely intervention at the other end. Sean Ross sent an in-swinging delivery from the corner flag on the 'Lie' left towards the postage stamp corner where Moore was perfectly placed to head the ball off the goal-line.

James Muir made way for Cammy Hill with twenty minutes still to play and the young striker will have learned a lot from a tough shift against the experienced Arthurlie defence on what was his first competitive start for the club. Iain Hainey made another save from James Ford before Hill announced his arrival with a low shot narrowly wide of Hainey's right hand post.

The visitors survived a loud seventy-sixth minute Saints appeal for a penalty kick when Connor Moore was pulled back in the box however Referee Peter Laing saw nothing amiss a let-off which Arthurlie would capitalise on just sixty seconds later. Aaron Moore made a good block on the right to turn a Sean Ross cross behind for a corner-kick. The delivery from the corner flag travelled all the way to Michael Connelly on the left corner of the eighteen yard box from where he shifted the ball to his right for a curling effort into the top corner which left Craig Maitland rooted to the spot.

Maitland however wasn't deceived by Connelly's eighty fourth minute free-kick from an identical position getting down well with a strong left hand to deny the Arthurlie skipper.

Saints sent on Aaron Mckay to replace David Beaton for the closing minutes which saw Cammy Hill head tamely in Iain Hainey's arms before the Arthurlie keeper made yet another save from James Ford with Rory Dowd meeting the rebound but sending the loose ball over the crossbar.

Mr Laing added three minutes for stoppages but neither side could find a winner and the match ended honours even.

Saints are at home again this coming Saturday when they welcome Neilston to Glencruitten in the Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association Premiership.