Saints Slump To Defeat At Title Chasing Castlemilk

Updated: Jan 22

Saturday 20th January 2024

Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association

Premiership

Castlemilk OBC 6 - 0 Oban Saints

Barlia Football Centre

Glenwood Business Centre

Castlemilk Drive

Glasgow

G45 9UH

Kick-off 2.00pm

Referee Mr Kevin O'Neill

After beginning the new year with a Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association Premiership win over Harestanes Oban Saints were brought crashing back to earth last Saturday afternoon with a heavy defeat at the hands of Castlemilk OBC. The Barlia based title chasers netted six times without reply against a Saints side yet again severely depleted due to player non-availability. The lack of numbers so far this season has tested the patience of Saints Gaffer Ross Maitland to breaking point and if the club has any ambition to continue to compete at the highest level in Scottish amateur football then a massive improvement in player commitment is required.

Saints lined up for their first ever encounter with Castlemilk OBC with Graham Douglas in goal behind a back four of Craig Livingstone, Aaron Moore, James Conington and Drew Murray. Gavin Forgrieve, Paul McFatridge and David Beaton formed the midfield engine room with James Muir, Keiron Lopez and Connor Moore up front. On the substitutes bench were Oran Bryce, Fraser MacFarlane and Ross Maitland.

Aaron Moore continued to skipper the side in the absence of Scott Maitland who was joined on the injured list by Steven MacLeod and Marc Maccallum.

The home side had the benefit of the strong biting wind at their backs in the first half which was just two and a half minutes old when OBC's main goal threat Mark Taylor struck the base of Graham Douglas' right hand post. Prolific goal threat Taylor, who had bagged thirteen goals in his previous five appearances, enjoyed an entertaining battle with Aaron Moore and, on a day of few positives, Saints can take some satisfaction in keeping the big centre forward's name off the score sheet.

Having survived that early scare Saints successfully kept the wind advantaged Castlemilk side at bay until the twenty-first minute when defender Joseph Ridge was left unmarked to power home a header from a Greg Twaddle corner kick.

Ridge almost repeated the feat three minutes later from another Twaddle corner-kick from the right but was denied by a goal-line clearance from Aaron Moore.

Leaving bodies unattended on the edge of the box again proved costly for Saints ten minutes before the interval when Gavin Forgrieve glanced yet another Greg Twaddle delivery from the right across the Saints eighteen yard box where is was met perfectly by Christopher O'Brien with an unerring volley which arced into the bottom corner for Castlemilk's second goal.

Castlemilk central defender Danny McBeth began a busy four minute spell by picking up a forty-first minute yellow card for going through the back of Connor Moore wide on the Saints right just inside the Castlemilk half. From the resulting free-kick McBeth redeemed himself immediately with a sensational flying block to deny young Keiron Lopez a first ever Saints goal.

McBeth turned sinner again on the stroke of half-time bringing down Connor Moore inside the Castlemilk eighteen-yard box. Referee Kevin O'Neil, who handled the good natured encounter well, resisted the temptation to reach for his cards again deciding that a penalty kick was punishment enough for McBeth's misdemeanour. Saints however failed to capitalise on this lifeline and this season's joint top goal scorer Moore dragged his effort from the penalty spot wide of Joshua Goldfarb's left-hand post.

The second-half was just ten minutes old when Saints were forced into a personnel change. Aaron Moore emulated Danny McBeth's earlier flying block with an excellent intervention to deny Mark Taylor. This, however, proved to be a stretch too far for Moore's hamstring and brought his involvement in proceedings to a premature end. Moore's replacement was Oran Bryce who joined Connor Moore and James Muir in attack with Keiron Moore dropping into midfield and Paul McFatridge slotting in alongside James Conington in central defence.

Things turned from bad to worse for Saints with the loss five minutes later of Drew Murray whose strained groin looks set to see him remain out of action for some time. A further shuffle ensued with Saints adopting a 3-5-2 formation with substitute Fraser MacFarlane at left wing-back.

Saints were still adjusting to the positional changes when Matthew McGibbon ghosted in unchallenged at the back post to knock home Greg Twaddle's cross from the left wing and stretch the home side's advantage to three.

Saints continued to look to establish an unlikely foothold in the game and were unlucky to see goal-bound efforts from Paul McFatridge and David Beaton blocked by more courageous home defending.

Castlemilk Skipper Andrew Gilmartin has attracted the attention of Scottish Amateur Select Manager Colin MacLeod who has the free-scoring striker firmly in his plans this season. Gilmartin showed just why he has been called into the national set-up inspiring his team to a devastating three goal haul in the closing five minutes.

After linking with Joseph Ridge and Mark Taylor to cut his way through the busy midfield, Gilmartin volleyed into the bottom corner from the edge of the Saints eighteen yard box for an eighty-fifth minute fourth goal. Two minutes later Gilmartin expertly lifted a twenty-five yard free-kick over the Saints wall and into the roof of the net to complete his brace.

In the last of the ninety minutes James Brown rounded off the scoring knocking home second-half substitute Tyler McGuigan's left wing cross to cement Castlemilk's position as the main threat to St Patrick's Former Pupil's pursuit of the inaugural Scottish Amateur Football Association Premiership title.

This coming Saturday Saints face another massive league test when they welcome three-time Scottish Amateur Cup and five-time West of Scotland Cup winners Bannockburn to Glencruitten.