Saturday 10th December 2022
The Scottish Amateur Football Association Challenge Cup Competition
Fourth Round Replay
Oban Saints 6 - 0 Meadowbank
Oban Community Sports Field 3G
Soroba Road
Oban
Argyll
PA34 4JB
Kick-off 1pm
Referee Mr Joseph Todd
Oban Saints secured their place in the fifth round of the Scottish Amateur Cup with an emphatic six-nil victory over Meadowbank at Oban High School last Saturday. A ninety third minute equaliser seven days earlier had earned the Lothian and Edinburgh Amateur Football Association Premier Division men a trip to Oban however there was no such drama in the replay with Saints running out convincing winners.
The recent cold snap rendered the grass at Glencruitten unplayable however the artificial surface at Oban High School survived the weather to provide a welcome escape from Christmas shopping for the Saints faithful.
Saints Manager Ross Maitland welcomed back Graham Douglas, James Ford, Andrew Malia, Myles McAuley and Rory Dowd to the squad with Ryan Barclay, James Conington, Shaun Lockhart and Connor Moore all dropping out.
Saints lined up with Graham Douglas in goal behind a back four of Cammy Clark, Myles McAuley, Ben Forbes and Captain Scott Maitland. Across the four man midfield were Ruaridh Horne, Matty Kelly, Gavin Forgrieve and Cammy Hill with Rory Dowd tucked in behind central striker Kyle Cooper. On the substitutes bench were Ross Campbell, James Ford, Andrew Malia, Fraser MacFarlane and Jack Wright.
Already missing the unavailable Paul Martin and David Gallacher Meadowbank were dealt another major blow when Scottish amateur internationalist Aaron Gosman sustained a hamstring injury in the warm-up leaving the visitors without three of their most influential performers.
A large crowd had braved the freezing temperatures at Oban High School and they didn't have long to wait for a reason to warm the palms of their hands. Just two minutes and thirty seconds were on the clock when Cammy Hill opened the scoring. Myles McAuley dispossessed Anas Taher on the corner of the Saints box and strode forward purposefully. McAuley played the ball up to Kyle Cooper for a lay off to Cammy Hill cutting in from the left. Hill left Brad Hainey and James Russell trailing in his wake before slotting the ball low past Peter Jarvie.
The early strike may have settled any nerves but hearts were soon in mouths for the home faithful when Alexander Brown beat Cammy Clark on the Meadowbank left before shooting right footed across Graham Douglas and inches wide of the far post.
Cammy Hill smashed an eleventh minute free-kick into the four man Meadowbank wall before winning a corner kick on the left which Gavin Forgrieve uncharacteristically curled into the side netting.
Ben Forbes climbed well against Meadowbank Skipper James Russell to head away a 19th minute Martin Cairney free-kick after Cammy Hill had clipped Ross Stenhouse midway inside the Saints half.
Hill continued to be heavily involved in the action and won a free-kick on the left for a late challenge from Christopher Taylor. Scott Maitland's delivery into the Meadowbank box was met by the backpedalling Rory Dowd whose back header was well saved by young keeper Peter Jarvie.
Gavin Forgrieve found a better delivery from the corner flag in the twenty third minute which Cammy Clark headed over from six yards range.
A perfectly executed sliding challenge from Meadowbank central defender Lewis Knox cut short a driving run into the box from Matty Kelly. The Saints players appealed loudly for a penalty kick but Referee Joseph Todd, who had a good game making correct calls on all the big decisions, pointed instead to the corner flag. Peter Jarvie got two fists to Gavin Forgrieve's in-swinger from the left but Ruaridh Horne kept the pressure on picking out Cammy Clark who in turn sprayed the ball out to Scott Maitland on the left. Maitland's lofted ball into the box was anticipated by Cammy Hill whose well timed run beat the offside trap and left him one-on-one with Peter Jarvie. Hill skilfully rounded Jarvie and rolled the ball into the unguarded net from seven yards to double Saints advantage.
Saints continued to look dangerous every time they came forward and Ruaridh Horne's header from Cammy Hill's thirty first minute left wing cross only cleared the crossbar by a matter of inches.
Horne won possession back straight from Peter Jarvie's goal kick and sent Kyle Cooper away on the right wing. Cooper's cutback landed perfectly into the stride of Cammy Hill who drilled the ball low past Jarvie to complete a fractionally less than thirty minute hat-trick.
Graham Douglas was happy to watch Brad Hainey's speculative thirty fifth minute effort dip over his crossbar before six minutes later Ben Forbes put James Russell under enough pressure to force the Meadowbank Skipper to skew his header from Martin Cairney's corner kick off target.
On the stroke of half-time Cammy Hill was denied a fourth goal by a sensational save from Peter Jarvie whose fingertips made enough contact with Hill's net bound effort to send the ball glancing off his left hand upright.
The visitors, who had yet to taste defeat this season, started the second half in determined fashion and brought Graham Douglas into serious action for the first time in the match with a good save at his right hand post at the expense of a corner kick. Alexander Brown's deep delivery was headed out for a corner kick by Scott Maitland but the visitors kept the pressure on with a long throw-in from Lewis Knox which the Saints defence struggled to deal with. Anas Taher got a touch to the ball just before Cammy Clark's attempted clearance with Clark's follow through sending the Meadowbank striker sprawling inside the Saints box. There were no complaints when Referee Todd pointed to the penalty spot giving the visitors an excellent opportunity to bring themselves back into contention. Regular penalty taker Paul Martin was back at home anticipating the imminent arrival of the pitter patter of tiny feet so Brad Hainey accepted the responsibility from twelve yards. Graham Douglas read Hainey's intentions well and threw himself to his left to stop Hainey's effort and gather safely at the second attempt.
Cammy Clark came off considerably worse in the challenge with Anas Taher and was replaced by Fraser MacFarlane.
Saints took full advantage of the penalty let-off and extended their lead five minutes later. Kyle Cooper made good progress on the left wing and found Ruaridh Horne up in support inside the box. Horne saw his left foot shot blocked by Alexander Brown but Horne controlled the rebound and rolled the ball into space for Matty Kelly to race onto and slam an emphatic finish low past Peter Jarvie's right hand.
Straight from the restart Saints regained possession with Cammy Hill sending Kyle Cooper spinning in behind Alexander Brown on the Saints right. Cooper left Brown for dead and raced past James Russell before beating Jarvie at his near post for Saints fifth goal.
Saints Manager Ross Maitland looked to his bench again on the hour mark and sent James Ford on to replace Ruaridh Horne on the right of midfield.
Anas Taher upended Fraser MacFarlane on the corner of the Meadowbank box at the expense of a free-kick. Rory Dowd found space in the box to meet Gavin Forgrieve's measured delivery but his powerful header was too close to Peter Jarvie who held well.
Saints added a sixth in the sixty fourth minute when Gavin Forgrieve won possession in the centre circle and laid the ball off to Ben Forbes. The big centre half arrowed a pass through the inside right channel for Kyle Cooper who once again left the Meadowbank defence for dead before slamming high past Peter Jarvie to complete the scoring.
Substitutes Ross Campbell, Andrew Malia and Jack Wright were all given game time in the closing stages with Rory Dowd, Cammy Hill and Ben Forbes all making way.
With Aaron Gosman already ruled out the visitors were down to just two replacements and both Fraser Andrews and Lewis Walton made late appearances as the Edinburgh men, who have a crunch East of Scotland Amateur Cup tie against local rivals Edinburgh Harp to look forward to, refused to bow their heads and kept plugging away right to the end.
There was still time for keepers Graham Douglas and Peter Jarvie to make saves from Brad Hainey and Kyle Cooper respectively before Referee Joe Todd decided he had seen enough and blew for full time.
Saints are at home again this coming Saturday where they face a massive test of their West of Scotland Amateur Cup credentials in a fourth round tie against top Ayrshire outfit and current cup holders Shortlees.
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