Saturday 13th May 2023
Central Scottish Amateur Football League
Premier Division
Castlemilk Dynamo 5 - 4 Oban Saints
Barlia Football Centre 3G
Glenwood Path
Castlemilk
Glasgow
G45 9HU
Kick-off 2.30pm
Referee Mr Kevin O'Neil
Oban Saints returned to action last Saturday after a five week lay-off with a trip to Barlia to face Castlemilk Dynamo in their penultimate match of the Central Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division season.
The lack of available numbers which has plagued Saints season continued once again forcing Manager Ross Maitland and Coach David Dunlop to join Cammy Clark on the sparsely populated substitutes bench.
On a more positive note Martin Bonar, James Ford and Connor Moore made welcome returns while Craig Maitland on his first team debut incredibly became Saints seventh goalkeeper of the season. Despite Saints losing out by the odd goal in nine Maitland had a solid debut and will be a good addition to the first team squad.
Saints lined up with Craig Maitland in goal behind a back four of Ross Campbell, Myles McAuley, Ben Forbes and Captain Scott Maitland. Martin Bonar and Gavin Forgrieve occupied the holding midfield roles with Rory Dowd tucked in behind a front three of David Beaton, Connor Moore and James Ford. Cammy Clark joined Manager Ross Maitland and Coach David Dunlop on the substitutes bench.
Saints kicked off in bright sunshine attacking the Barlia Street end and were quickly on the attack. James Ford made good progress on the left wing and picked out Gavin Forgrieve with a cutback to the edge of the eighteen yard box. Forgrieve's low shot looked to be heading towards the bottom corner until big Dynamo centre-half Wullie Hewitt stuck out his right boot to make a vital interception and deny Saints a perfect start.
At the other end it was Ben Forbes with the important interception to dispossess Gregg Twaddle as the Dynamo left winger was bearing down on goal.
The home side opened the scoring in just the third minute when Twaddle ran off Ross Campbell to meet Thomas McCluskey's right wing cross and slam the ball past Craig Maitland.
Martin Bonar tried his luck with a tenth minute thirty yard effort which Stuart Collins held comfortably before, three minutes later, David Beaton, James Ford and Scott Maitland combined well on the left for the Skipper to fizz a low cross which Collins did well to reach ahead of Connor Moore.
Dynamo were given the chance to extend their lead from the penalty spot when Ben Forbes was adjudged to have controlled a bouncing ball with his arm. Craig Maitland however correctly read the intentions of Mark Blakey and dropped to his right to stop the left fullback's fifteenth minute spot kick.
Maitland saved again in the nineteenth minute standing up well to beat away a thumping left foot effort from Gregg Twaddle.
Saints drew level in the twenty first minute from a throw-in won by Connor Moore on the right. Gavin Forgrieve gathered in Ross Campbell's throw and picked out Scott Maitland cutting in from the left. Maitland let fly from twenty five yards with his blocked shot breaking kindly for Rory Dowd who steered the loose ball across Stuart Colins and into the bottom corner.
Referee Kevin O'Neil allowed the players a water break before the action restarted with Craig Maitland making another save from Gregg Twaddle.
David Beaton fired a twenty sixth minute effort over the Dynamo crossbar after Wullie Hewitt had headed a Gavin Forgrieve corner kick from the left to the edge of the box.
Saints conceded a second penalty kick for a hand-ball offence with Myles McAuley this time the miscreant. Dean McGinnity assumed the responsibility for the kick but rattled the crossbar with his attempt from twelve yards.
Craig Maitland once again denied Gregg Twaddle before Saints moved to the other end winning a corner kick on the left. Gavin Forgrieve's delivery was headed away by Dominic Larkin however Saints kept the ball in Dynamo territory and David Beaton's lofted ball to the six yard line was helped on by Connor Moore but only into the arms of Stuart Collins.
Martin Bonar found his way into Referee O'Neil's notebook for bringing down Alan Semple just one yard short of the Saints box. Having previously seen his effort from the penalty spot saved by Craig Maitland Mark Blakey made no mistake from nineteen yards leaving the Saints keeper rooted to the spot with a perfectly executed left foot free-kick.
With two minutes of the first half remaining David Beaton pounced on a misplaced pass from Stuart Collins looking for Mark Blakey but, when forced wide by Wullie Hewitt, Beaton saw his ball across the face of goal diverted away from Connor Moore by the outstretched right boot of keeper Stuart Collins.
Eight minutes into the second half Mr O'Neil pointed to the penalty spot for the third time when Ben Forbes' mistimed challenge sent Alan Semple sprawling in the box. It was a case of third time lucky for the hosts with Thomas McCluskey sending Craig Maitland in the wrong direction.
Stuart Collins was called into action for the hosts saving first from James Ford before throwing himself to his right to push a sixty second minute Rory Dowd shot from a Scott Maitland left wing cutback behind for a corner kick. Gavin Forgrieve placed his inswinger from the left under the crossbar where the combined efforts of Dominic Larkin and Wullie Hewitt couldn't prevent it from crossing the line to bring Saints back into contention.
In Saints only change of the afternoon Cammy Clark replaced the injured Ben Forbes in central defence for the closing twenty five minutes.
James Ford sent Connor Moore through on goal in the sixty eighth minute but he took the ball too close to Stuart Collins allowing the Dynamo keeper to make the interception. Saints were left to rue this missed opportunity when a simple through ball from the hosts caught out the Saints defence and was smashed past Craig Maitland by Dean McGinnity.
Dynamo, who are enjoying a good end to the season and are chasing silverware on two fronts, had chances to add to their tally however Saints refused to give up and a delightful curling effort from James Ford brought them right back into contention with ten minutes remaining.
Ford repeated the feat with an even better effort two minutes later. After an excellent turn on the corner of the eighteen yard box Ford deftly lifted the ball over the head of the Dynamo keeper to level the scores.
David Beaton shot wide of the postage stamp corner in the eighty second minute before the hosts struck again sixty seconds later. Second half substitute Samuel Edun was afforded too much time to measure a cross from the right which was cushioned back across Craig Maitland and into the net by fellow substitute Gavin MacLeod.
The action raged deep into stoppage time and, after Martin Bonar had headed a Gavin Forgrieve corner kick into the side netting, Connor Moore had a gilt-edged chance to snatch a dramatic late equaliser. Gavin Forgrieve's through ball from throw-in on the left sent Moore one-on-one with the goalkeeper but the young Saints striker snatched his left foot finish just wide of target.
The drama didn't end there and in the fourth minute of added time Referee O'Neil denied Saints what appeared to be a stone wall penalty kick when Dynamo goalkeeper Stuart Collins impeded Scott Maitland in the box instead pointing to the corner flag. Gavin Forgrieve was inches away from replicating his earlier trick with his inswinging corner kick this time landing squarley on top of the crossbar before Mr O'Neil blew the full time whistle.
Saints have no fixture this coming Saturday and will complete their season on Saturday 27th May with a trip to Eastgate to face Gartcosh United.
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