Saturday 6th August 2022
Preseason Friendly
Lochgilphead Red Star 1 - 6 Oban Saints
Lochgilphead Joint Campus 3G
Lochgilphead
Argyll
PA31 8AA
Kick-off 1pm
Referee Mr Jimmy Litster
Oban Saints Manager Ross Maitland experienced the joy of six at Lochgilphead Joint Campus last Saturday afternoon as his charges rounded off their preseason schedule with a convincing victory over old rivals Lochgilphead Red Star.
A first goal for the club from Aron Harris gave the hosts a late consolation but only after strikes from Ruaridh Horne, Kyle Cooper and Gavin Forgrieve and a hat-trick from Rory Dowd had earned Saints the local bragging rights in a good work-out for both sides.
Saints lined up with Graham Douglas in goal behind a back four of Ruaridh Horne, Thomas McCrindle, Alex Craik and Captain Scott Maitland. In midfield were James Conington, Gavin Forgrieve and Rory Dowd with a front three of Zander Craik, James Muir and Kyle Cooper. On the substitutes bench were Nathan Allan and Cammy Hill.
Red Star Manager Colin Weir also favoured a 4-3-3 formation with Kyle Danson, Coll McCallum, Keir Whitefield and Craig Aitken in front of goalkeeper Leon Murphy. In midfield were Angus Lewis, Lee MacLean and Captain Aaron Moore. Spearheading the attack was Ciaran McPhie flanked by Stuart MacLean and Joseph Harper. On a very youthful substitutes bench were Ryan Harding, Aron Harris, Woody Hoad, Ewan Litster and Ian Munro.
In a lively start both sides were knocking the ball about well in the middle of the park without putting the defences under too much pressure until Zander Craik carved out an opening for Kyle Cooper in the fifth minute with Coll McCallum making a timely interception to take the ball off Cooper's toes.
At the other end Graham Douglas made the first of a number of important interventions sticking out his left foot to stop a fourteenth minute net bound Ciaran McPhie effort. The rebound was picked up on the edge of the box by Star Skipper Aaron Moore who saw his shot partially blocked by Thomas McCrindle allowing Douglas to make a comfortable save.
Star keeper was brought into the action after eighteen minutes dealing well with a curling James Muir shot from the corner of the eighteen yard box.
Referee Jimmy Litster dismissed loud Saints appeals for a penalty kick when a twenty third minute Zander Craik deflect behind off Coll McCallum. Mr Litster was content to point to the corner flag from where Gavin Forgrieve's delivery to the back post was knocked out for a throw-in on the right. Kyle Cooper returned Ruaridh Horne's throw to the Saints right fullback whose wind assisted cross drifted over Red Star keeper Leon Murphy and into the top corner to give Saints the lead.
Saints were still in celebratory mood when Ciaran McPhie was allowed to race into the box straight from the restart. McPhie, who had bagged a hat-trick when the two sides met in Oban four weeks previously, cleverly checked his run just in time for James Conington to bundle into him and have Referee Litster point to the penalty spot. McPhie dusted himself down to take the spot kick however Graham Douglas read his intentions well and dropped to his left to save McPhie's effort.
Thomas McCrindle's ball over the top sent James Muir chasing forward on the right. Muir's cutback found Kyle Cooper for a curling left foot shot just over Leon Murphy's crossbar.
Muir made way for Cammy Hill on the half hour mark which ushered in a quieter spell for Saints where the hosts would gain the upper hand in the midfield battle. Angus Lewis saw a thumping effort from twenty eight yards come crashing back off the Saints crossbar before Joseph Harper tested Graham Douglas' handling with a fortieth minute free-kick.
As the first half drew to a close Saints awoke from their brief slumber and Scott Maitland, Zander Craik and Kyle Cooper combined well on the left to force a corner kick. Gavin Forgrieve's delivery landed perfectly on the forehead of Rory Dowd who placed inside Leon Murphy's right hand post to give Saints a slightly flattering two goal half-time lead.
Saints kicked on in the second half and took just four minutes to increase their lead moving the ball quickly from back to front. Thomas McCrindle played the ball up to Cammy Hill who held off a number of challenges to reach the bye-line and send a cutback to Kyle Cooper who thumped the ball past Leon Murphy from fifteen yards.
Young Red Star keeper Murphy made a good save from Cammy Hill when the big Saints striker got his head to a fifty third minute Gavin Forgrieve corner kick.
Coach Alex Craik, who had produced a typically assured performance in central defence, made way for Nathan Allan giving Manager Ross Maitland an opportunity to assess the previously untried partnership of McCrindle and Allan.
A scything fifty sixth minute Angus Lewis challenge felled Rory Dowd twenty eight yards from goal with Dowd exacting the perfect revenge with a perfectly placed free-kick which beat Leon Murphy inside his left hand post.
Red Star survived a second penalty appeal of the afternoon for what appeared to be a trip on Zander Craik. Referee Litster, who handled a keenly contested encounter well, however dismissed the loud Saints appeals waving play on.
Gavin Forgieve netted a fifth for Saints just after the sixty minute mark capitalising on a misplaced pass from the Red Star defence following good closing down by Kyle Cooper. After picking up the loose ball Forgrieve strode forward and calmly slotted the ball low past the advancing Star keeper.
With only two substitutes at his disposal Saints Gaffer Ross Maitland sent James Muir back on to replace Kyle Cooper. Muir collected a sixty fourth minute Thomas McCrindle pass in the centre circle and sent Zander Craik away on the right wing. Craik's cutback found Gavin Forgrieve up in support but the midfielder couldn't repeat his earlier scoring feat and sent his finish over the crossbar.
Muir was involved again two minutes later with a turn and shot from a Ruaridh Horne free-kick which Leon Murphy saved comfortably.
What had been a quiet second half for Graham Douglas was interrupted with twenty minutes remaining. Douglas got down well to his left to push a Ciaran McPhie free-kick out for a throw-in on the right from where Red Star worked the ball back into the box with Aaron Moore laying the ball off to Stuart MacLean for a shot from nine yards which Douglas saved again.
James Muir and Cammy Hill both had decent efforts which narrowly failed to test Leon Murphy before Rory Dowd completed his hat-trick in the eighty fifth minute. Nathan Allan sent James Muir away on the left from where the young striker found Rory Dowd on the edge of the Red Star box. Dowd turned away from Ciaran McPhie and Keir Whitefield and fired a left foot shot past Murphy's left hand and into the bottom corner.
Nathan Allan headed a ninetieth minute Gavin Forgrieve delivery from the corner flag just over at the back post before the hosts landed a deserved last gasp consolation. A breakdown in communication between Graham Douglas and his defence allowed young Red Star substitute Aron Harris to nip in and roll the ball into the unguarded net to notch his first senior goal for the club.
Saints Manager Ross Maitland will be pleased with the confidence boosting performance ahead of a massive opening day Central Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division visit to Scottish Amateur Cup holders Tower Hearts.
Despite the defeat Red Star Gaffer Colin Weir can take heart with the number of promising youngsters he was able to field and also the return of central defender Keir Whitefield who completed his first ninety minutes since recovering from a lengthy spell out injured.
In other news Saints have been drawn away from home to St Peter's of the Strathclyde Saturday Morning Amateur Football League in the first round of the Scottish Amateur Cup. The tie is scheduled for Saturday 3rd September.
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