Saints Left Reeling In Dumbarton

Saturday 19th August 2023

Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association

Premiership

St Patrick's FP 8 - 1 Oban Saints

Our Lady and St Patrick's High School

Howatshaws Road

Bellsmyre

Dumbarton

G82 3DR

Kick-off 2.00pm

Referee Mr Tom Hyland

Oban Saints difficult run of opening league fixtures continued last Saturday with a trip to Dumbarton to face old rivals St Patrick's FP. Having already faced last season's Central Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division runners-up Lesmahagow and third placed Bannockburn Saints completed the triumvirate against last season's champions who already have their sights set on the new Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association Premiership title.

Despite opening the scoring in the tenth minute Saints had no answer to a rampant St Pat's side led by Captain Ciaran McElroy whose five goals in a man-of -the-match performance inspired the hosts to an eight goal haul which left the visitors reeling.

Saints lined up with Craig Maitland in goal behind a back three of Cammy Clark, Paul McFatridge and Drew Murray. Across the five man midfield were Connor Moore, Martin Bonar, Aaron Moore, Rory Dowd and Captain Scott Maitland with James Ford and Cammy Hill up front. On the substitutes bench were David Beaton, Oran Bryce, Ben Forbes, Craig Livingstone and James Muir.

Saints skipper Scott Maitland won the toss of Referee Tom Hyland's coin and elected to play with the strong wind in the first half which was just ten minutes old when Saints opened the scoring. Drew Murray intercepted a Ciaran McElroy cross and, with the assistance of Rory Dowd and Scott Maitland, worked the ball out to James Ford on the Saints left. Ford made a terrific run all the way into the St Pat's box but saw his shot parried by Brian Gallacher. Fortune however didn't favour the St Pat's keeper and the ball fell kindly for Cammy Hill to knock home from close range for his first goal of the season.

Three minutes later Saints were denied a second when Brian Gallacher threw himself full length to his right to fingertip an Aaron Moore twenty-five yard piledriver behind. Gallacher was called upon again after the resulting corner-kick wasn't fully cleared securely holding James Ford's effort from the corner of the eighteen yard box.

The visitor's good start was undone in the sixteenth minute when they completely switched off at a quickly taken free-kick which was collected by Ciaran McElroy and dispatched across Craig Maitland into the bottom corner.

Rory Dowd sent a curling eighteenth minute shot from the left into the arms of Brian Gallacher before man-of-the-match McElroy notched his second lifting a delightful twenty first minute finish over Craig Maitland from twenty two yards.

Sixty seconds later Maitland made an excellent fingertip save to deny Scottish Amateur Select Captain Liam Rowan before getting down well to save Stephen Parfitt's effort from the resulting corner kick.

St Pat's skipper Ciaran McElroy was a constant threat and his cross from the left on the half hour evaded the outstretched leg of Martin Bonar and landed at the feet of Lewis Lobban who slotted home from fourteen yards.

Maitland saved again from Liam Rowan but was left hopelessly exposed in the thirty-third minute when Lobban was allowed to run unchallenged along the bye-line and pick out Brandon Carmouche for a simple tap-in to open his goalscoring account for St Pat's.

Chances were few and far between for Saints and Cammy Hill will feel he should have done better with his thirty-fifth minute effort which flew wide of Brian Gallacher's left hand post.

Lewis Lobban claimed his second assist of the afternoon with Ciaran McElroy the grateful recipient of another Lobban cutback from the left which was comfortably dispatched by McElroy for his hat-trick.

Saints Gaffer Ross Maitland made three personnel changes for the start of the second half replacing Cammy Clark, Martin Bonar and Connor Moore with Craig Livingstone, Ben Forbes and David Beaton. Maitland also elected to change his defensive formation to a back four with Aaron Moore dropping back to partner Ben Forbes in central defence flanked by Craig Livingstone and Drew Murray.

The formation change steadied the ship slightly for Saints however another concentration lapse was ruthlessly exploited after just five second half minutes when substitute Liam Cavan was left unmarked at the back post to cushion home a right wing cross.

Ten minutes later Craig Maitland made another good save to deny Dylan Brown however Brown reacted quickest getting to the loose ball before Maitland who sent Brown sprawling at the expense of a yellow card and penalty kick. Ciaran McElroy comfortably found the net from the penalty mark sending Maitland in the wrong direction in the process.

Despite the game long since being over as a contest Saints kept trying to get forward and Brian Gallacher had to be alert to smother a Scott Maitland cross from the left at the feet of David Beaton before a dangerous Cammy Hill cross from the right was well cut out by Jon Gray.

Star performer Ciaran McElroy saved the best for last with sensational curling finish into the postage stamp corner for his fifth and his team's eighth and final goal of the afternoon with seventeen minutes still left to play.

McElroy's former Scottish Amateur international colleague Scott Maitland was inches away from connecting with a David Beaton cross from the right before Brian Gallacher was forced into action again requiring two attempts to deal with Paul McFartidge's stinging effort from twenty four yards.

James Ford sent an eighty-first minute effort inches wide of target before making way for James Muir with Paul McFatridge also being withdrawn in Saints final change of the afternoon which saw Oran Bryce make his competitive debut for the club.

Things turned from bad to worse for Saints when Ben Forbes landed awkwardly trying to clear a ninety-fourth minute corner kick badly injuring knee ligaments in the process.

Saints will have to pick themselves quickly for this coming Saturday's Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association Premiership fixture which sees last season's Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division champions Arthurlie visit Glencruitten.