Saints Complete League Double Over Neilston

Saturday 21st October 2023

Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association

Premiership

Neilston 0 - 6 Oban Saints

Kingston Playing Fields

Double Hedges Road

Neilston

G78 3JN

Kick-off 2.00pm

Referee Mr James Quinn

Oban Saints returned to action last Saturday following an enforced two week lay-off with a trip to Kingston Playing Fields to face Neilston. Saints had won the reverse Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association Premiership fixture seven weeks earlier and completed the double over their old Scottish Amateur Football League rivals netting six goals without reply.

Despite the convincing score-line Saints had to withstand a first half onslaught from the hosts where goalkeeper Craig Maitland produced a string of excellent saves to keep his team-mates in the game paving the way for a second away victory of the season.

Goals either side of the interval from Daniel Beaton were added to by James Ford before Martin Bonar's red card left Saints facing a difficult thirty three minutes with just ten men. Neilston however couldn't capitalise on their numerical advantage against the resolute Saints who added further goals from Paul McFatridge and Rory Dowd and an unfortunate own-goal from Neilston keeper Chris Lamb.

Suspensions for Steven MacLeod and Gavin Forgrieve added to Gaffer Ross Maitland's selection headaches which were already hampered by injuries and work commitments however he was still able to name a fifteen man squad which included returning injury victim David Beaton and new signing Fredrick Marthinsen.

Saints lined up with Craig Maitland in goal behind a back four of Craig Livingstone, Aaron Moore, Drew Murray and Captain Scott Maitland. Martin Bonar, Paul McFatridge and Daniel Beaton formed a midfield triumvirate with Connor Moore, James Ford and Rory Dowd up front. On the substitutes bench were David Beaton, Oran Bryce, Fredrick Marthinsen and James Muir.

The hosts kicked off with the low sun at their backs and made a blistering start with David Murdoch and Ryan Anderson drawing saves from Craig Maitland inside the first two minutes.

Saints first foray forward resulted in a seventh minute corner kick which Steven Cunningham rose well to head away launching a counter-attack which saw Craig Maitland in action again diving to his right to claw away another Ryan Anderson effort.

Standing in for regular number one John Lessells, Chris Lamb advanced to the edge of his box in the thirteenth-minute and stood up well to block Daniel Beaton's attempted lob.

Neilston kept up the early pressure with Ryan Anderson finally getting the better of Craig Maitland only to see his sixteenth-minute shot clatter off Maitland's left hand post. Three minutes later the Saints keeper produced the save of the match flying high to his left to push over Steven Neely's net-bound effort from twenty-two yards.

Having weathered the early storm from the hosts Saints began to look more of a threat and Chris Lamb was called into action again after thirty-six minutes saving from James Ford with Connor Moore blasting the loose ball over the crossbar.

James Ford's driving run at the heart of the Neilston defence was ended unceremoniously twenty-five yards from goal by Stewart Brodie with Ford sending the resulting free-kick inches over Chris Lamb's crossbar.

Saints made the breakthrough three minutes before the interval after good work on the left from Rory Dowd who picked out Daniel Beaton on the penalty spot for a shot which deflected off Ross McQuilter on it's way into the Neilston net.

On the stroke of half-time Chris Lamb showed great anticipation and came racing off his line to reach Scott Maitland's ball over the top fractionally ahead of Connor Moore winning a throw-in off the speedy Saints youngster.

The hosts thought they had made the perfect start to the second half when Skipper Kieran McDade slotted home from close range after Craig Maitland could only parry Paul McLean's forty-eighth minute shot. Referee James Quinn, who handled proceedings well, however ruled McDade to be in an offside position much to the home side's frustration.

Neilston central defender Matthew Gribben found his way into Referee Quinn's notebook taking one for the team with a cynical foul on Rory Dowd who looked set to race clean through on goal. Martin Bonar was inches away from getting his head on the resulting free-kick which bounced into Chris Lamb's gloves.

Saints doubled their lead in the fifty-third minute when Daniel Beaton kept his composure to steer the ball into the net from eighteen yards as all around the Neilston defence screamed for an offside decision with Mr Quinn declined to give.

Two minutes later Connor Moore and James Ford combined well as Saints added a third goal. Moore showed good strength on the right to hold off Ross McQuilter's challenge and pick out James Ford's supporting run through the inside left channel. Ford tricked his way past Matthew Gribben before threading the ball through McQuilter's legs beyond the despairing left hand of Chris Lamb.

The hosts received a welcome boost when Saints were reduced to ten men in the fifty-seventh minute. A tussle between Scott Maitland and Paul McLean on the Neilston right was joined by players from both sides with Martin Bonar's late contribution being deemed particularly unwelcome by Mr Quinn who issued the big Saints midfielder with his marching orders.

Despite having the numerical disadvantage it was Saints who threated again when Daniel Beaton passed up an excellent opportunity finding the side netting with just the goalkeeper to beat.

Saints Gaffer Ross Maitland made his first change in the sixty-second minute sending on new recruit Fredrick Marthinsen to replace Craig Livingstone who has acquitted himself well alongside Aaron Moore, Drew Murray and Scott Maitland in a previously untried back four.

Particularly impressive in defence was Aaron Moore whose well timed challenge on Ryan Anderson denied the Neilston dangerman a sixty-third minute strike on goal.

Neilston keeper Chris Lamb saved well from Rory Dowd in the sixty-fifth minute but was well beaten two minutes later by Paul McFatridge. Fredrick Marthinsen and Connor Moore combined from a throw-in on the right to find McFatridge in the eighteen-yard box where the combative midfielder turned smartly and drilled a powerful low shot past Lamb for Saints fourth goal.

Craig Maitland's heroics for the day weren't quite over and the big keeper did well under pressure from Kieran McDade to claw Owen Gray's seventieth minute corner kick away from under his crossbar.

Saints withdrew goalscoring duo James Ford and Daniel Beaton sending on James Muir and David Beaton as seventy-fifth minute replacements. A final change followed ten minutes later with Connor Moore making way for Oran Bryce.

The substitutes made a quick impact with David Beaton winning a free-kick from which James Muir tested Chris Lamb's handling before Oran Bryce set Lamb another test which the Neilston keeper unfortunately came up short on. Bryce was sent away on the left by Rory Dowd. The substitutes cross on the run was too heavy for Dowd's run into the box however Chris Lamb's attempt to push the ball behind for a corner-kick fell well short of clearing his crossbar and landed in the net.

The ten men kept coming forward and were rewarded with a sixth goal in the ninetieth minute. Rory Dowd's shot from twelve yards was parried by Chris Lamb whose luck was out when the ball broke kindly for Dowd who stroked home the loose ball from six yards to complete the scoring.