Saints No Match For Title Chasing Castlemilk OBC

Saturday 24th February 2024

Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association

Premiership

Oban Saints 0 - 4 Castlemilk OBC

Glencruitten 2

Mossfield Avenue

Oban

Argyll

PA34 4EH

Kick-off 2.00pm

Referee Mr Tom Cavanagh

Oban Saints returned to Glencruitten last Saturday after a four-week absence with the home faithful looking forward to a repeat of the thrilling performance which saw Saints take three points from Bannockburn on their last home outing.

The home crowd were treated to some exciting attacking football unfortunately all of which came from the visitors Castlemilk OBC. Just three points separated the two sides at the top end of the Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association Premiership table at the start of play but by full time that gap had doubled with the rampant Castlemilk increasing the momentum of their title charge and Saints facing an uphill struggle to remain in the top half of the table.

Symptomatic of the lack of continuity which has plagued Manager Ross Maitland's team selections all season was the seven enforced changes to the starting eleven which had beaten Bannockburn four weeks earlier. Only Fredrick Marthinsen, who was making his final appearance for the Club before returning to Norway, Aaron McKay, Connor Moore and James Muir were available from that line-up and the Gaffer had to work incredibly hard just to get a team together.

Saints lined up with Craig Maitland in goal behind a back four of Fraser MacFarlane, Captain Marc Maccallum, Ben Forbes and Drew Murray. Fredrik Marthinsen, Kyle Selfridge and Aaron McKay formed the midfield engine room with Connor Moore, James Muir and Stuart McLean up front. On the substitutes bench were Craig Aitken, Gregor Brown and Oran Bryce.

The visitors kicked off attacking the carpark end and took the game to Saints right from the first whistle. The Saints back four of Fraser MacFarlane, Marc Maccallum, Ben Forbes and Drew Murray were battling hard and initially succeeded in keeping the Castlemilk attack at bay.

The constant pressure on the previously untried home defence eventually bore fruit for the visitors from a nineteenth-minute Christopher O'Brien corner-kick on the right. O'Brien's deep delivery was helped goalward by Andrew Gilmartin to towering striker Mark Taylor who, despite facing away from goal, managed to guide a header high into the Saints net to open the scoring.

Never one to shirk a challenge Marc Maccallum made a perfectly timed sliding interception to deny Matthew McGibbon before Saints made a brief foray up field with Connor Moore winning a corner-kick on the right. James Muir's deep delivery was easily dealt with by the Castlemilk defence with the action quickly returning to the other end.

With twenty-six minutes on the clock Castlemilk took the aerial route to goal again this time from the head of inspirational Skipper Andrew Gilmartin. The Scottish Amateur International Select striker's run to the back post was picked out by Castlemilk man of the match Christopher O'Brien where he stooped bravely amidst flying boots to head past Craig Maitland in the Saints goal.

The pressure on the Saints goal was intensifying and, after twice missing the target from promising positions, Matthew McGibbon produced a sensational finish for a third Castlemilk goal in the thirty-sixth minute. Mark Taylor and Andrew Gilmartin combined with a double flick-on from a Kenny Duffy throw-in from the left which was controlled by McGibbon who turned to hook a half-volley from fifteen yards into the postage stamp corner beyond the despairing dive of Craig Maitland.

Saints forced a second corner-kick of the afternoon but the respite for the over-worked defence was brief with James Brown rising unchallenged at the front post to head away James Muir's delivery from the left.

Craig Maitland watched on anxiously as Mark Taylor lifted an effort on to the top of his crossbar before the big keeper produced an excellent save high to his right to claw away Taylor's forty-second minute header from a Matthew McGibbon cross.

Ben Forbes' return to action following his knee injury sustained against St Patrick's F.P. back in August lasted just forty-five minutes and the big defender was replaced for the start of the second half by another of Saints Lochgilphead based new signings Craig Aitken. The personnel change saw Kyle Selfridge drop back to partner Marc Maccallum in central defence, Connor Moore drop back into midfield and Aitken take up position on the left of the front three.

Despite there being no realistic chance of mounting a comeback Saints battled hard throughout the second half to avoid what could have been an even heavier defeat. Instrumental in keeping the score down was Saints man of the match Craig Maitland with a string of second half saves to deny Mark Taylor, Andrew Gilmartin and Reiss Moran.

Also chipping in with vital defensive contributions was striker Stuart McLean with three headed goal-line clearances the pick of which, in the fifty-first minute, was from directly underneath the crossbar from a wickedly in-swinging corner-kick from the left.

Fraser MacFarlane also got in on the last-ditch clearances act as the creaking Saints rear-guard held out manfully.

Drew Murray's troublesome groin, which had ended his participation in the reverse fixture four weeks earlier, once again forced him to leave the proceedings early with Gregor Brown coming on for his home debut in a straight swap at left fullback.

Saints occasionally threatened and Joseph Ridge had to remain alert to make a vital interception to cut out a Craig Aitken pass looking for the run of Stuart McLean. What looked to be another well-timed run, this time from James Muir, was pulled back for offside by Referee Tom Cavanagh who gave the benefit of what must have been an extremely tight call to the visitors.

The Saints' task became even more difficult after seventy-eight minutes when Aaron McKay received a second yellow for a late challenge with Mr Cavanagh, who handled the match well, having no option but to produce his red card and reduce the home side to ten men.

Castlemilk capitalised on their numerical advantage with six minutes of the ninety remaining. James Brown threaded an excellent pass through the inside right channel for Mark Taylor who arrowed an unerring low shot across Craig Maitland and into the bottom corner for the fourth and final goal.

Saints' Gaffer Ross Maitland made his final change before the restart sending on Oran Bryce to replace Stuart McLean.

There was still time for Craig Maitland to add more saves to what had been a busy afternoon for the Saints keeper denying substitute Greg Twaddle and Andrew Gilmartin at close range before Referee Cavanagh finally decided he had seen enough and blew for full-time.

Saints are on the road this coming Saturday when they travel to Milton of Campsie to face Campsie Minerva in their penultimate away fixture of the Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association Premiership season.