Saturday 1st April 2023
Central Scottish Amateur Football League
Premier Division
Oban Saints 0 - 2 Castlemilk Dynamo
Glencruitten 2
Mossfield Avenue
Oban
Argyll
PA34 4EH
Kick-off 2.00pm
Referee Mr James Quinn
Oban Saints played their final home fixture of the season at Glencruitten last Saturday but failed to send the home faithful into the close season with smiles on their faces. The participants in the easter egg hunt taking place behind the railway line end goal appeared to be far more successful than Saints were in finding the net and another disappointing blank in front of target was compounded by defensive frailties resulting in a two goal defeat.
Manager Ross Maitland had a seventeen man squad at his disposal for the clash with Castlemilk Dynamo but the welcome increase in available numbers did little to change the recent fortunes on the pitch.
Saints lined up with Graham Douglas in goal behind a back four of Ruaridh Horne, Steven MacLeod, Ben Forbes and Captain Scott Maitland. Occupying the holding midfield roles were Gavin Forgrieve and Myles McAuley with Rory Dowd tucked in behind a front three of David Beaton, Kyle Cooper and Drew Murray. On the substitutes bench were Donald Campbell, Ross Campbell, Cammy Clark, James Conington, Cammy Hill and Connor Howe.
Attacking the railway line end in the first half Saints got in behind the Dynamo defence in the fourth minute when Ruaridh Horne found himself furthest forward but saw his effort loop up off the feet of keeper Stuart Collins only to be headed behind by Mark Blakey.
Young striker Kyle Cooper failed to mark his final appearance in a Saints shirt before departing to join the under twenty development squad at Dumbarton with a goal. Despite doing well to gather in an eleventh minute throw-in from Skipper Scott Maitland and turning away from towering central defender Wullie Hewitt the speedy striker couldn't direct his shot from eighteen yards anywhere near target.
In the thirteenth minute Saints had a taste of what was to come from the long throw of Wullie Hewitt. The big centre half was comfortably able to reach the six yard box from the touchline and find the head of the equally imposing figure of defensive colleague Dominic Larkin. Larkin's flick-on bounced around the box before eventually finding it's way to Connaire Dawson for a shot from the eighteen yard line which was deflected behind for a corner kick. Left fullback Mark Blakey found Hewitt's head with pinpoint accuracy from the corner flag but the big man's towering header came crashing back off the crossbar before being hooked clear by David Beaton.
The Hewitt and Larkin long throw routine bore fruit giving the visitors the lead in the nineteenth minute. Larkin's flick-on from Hewitt's throw looped across the six yard box to the back post where Greg Twaddle was quickest to react and tuck the ball beyond Graham Douglas.
Kyle Cooper's pace took him past Mark Blakey on the Saints right with David Beaton doing well to keep up and get in the box for Cooper's cutback however Beaton's touch let him down and the ball bounced harmlessly through to Stuart Collins.
Dynamo's tactic for throw-ins in the final third was as predictable as it was difficult to defend and it provided the second goal after twenty three minutes. Extremely disappointingly from a Saints perspective nobody tracked Daniel Seenan's run into the box and the midfielder had far too much time and space to chest down Larkin's flick-on and volley it into the net.
The giant Dynamo centre-halves decided on a variation to the theme in the twenty eighth minute with Larkin this time going for goal himself only to see his header from Hewitt's long throw fly over the crossbar.
Saints tried the aerial route themselves in the thirty fourth minute when Myles McAuley headed a Gavin Forgrieve free-kick back across the face of goal where Wullie Hewitt got a decisive touch to take the ball off the forehead of Ben Forbes.
Three corner kicks in quick succession had the visitors pinned back in their own eighteen yard box but Saints couldn't trouble the Dynamo keeper until the thirty seventh minute when Rory Dowd broke into the box to fire off a low shot which Collins somehow managed to get fingertips on to turn the ball inches wide of his left hand post.
Saints ended the first half on the front foot with Drew Murray sending over a deep cross from the left which Ruaridh Horne re-directed across the face of goal where Wullie Hewitt was again on hand with the vital touch ahead of Kyle Cooper.
Horne was involved again on the stroke of half-time when his throw-in from the right was flicked on by Rory Dowd to Kyle Cooper whose weak header dropped harmlessly into the arms of Stuart Collins.
Cooper and Horne combined well two minutes after the restart but Cooper's final ball into the box was just too heavy with the Dynamo keeper able to safely gather ahead of Horne.
The Saints right fullback then came off distinctly second best in a heavy challenge which brought his season to an abrupt end with what was later confirmed as a broken big toe. Horne's place was taken by Cammy Clark with Rory Dowd and Drew Murray also being withdrawn in favour of Donald Campbell and Cammy Hill.
Saints top goal scorer Hill will be disappointed not to have hit the target with his seventy first minute cushioned volley after Dominic Larkin had headed a Scott Maitland left wing cross out to the edge of the Dynamo box.
Before the Dynamo goal-kick Ben Forbes saw his involvement once again cut short by injury with James Conington coming on to join Steven MacLeod in central defence.
Mark Blakey bundled over David Beaton just outside the Dynamo box in the seventy third minute with Beaton getting to his feet to take the free-kick quickly to Cooper on the right. Cooper raced forward and tried to catch out Stuart Collins with a delicate lob which drifted agonisingly wide of the far post.
The introduction of Donald Campbell gave Saints a little more guile but still not enough to seriously trouble the visiting defence where Dominic Larkin's solid performance, coupled with his two assists, earned him the Dynamo man of the match award narrowly pipping partner Wullie Hewitt.
Donald Campbell and Cammy Hill linked well on the edge of the Dynamo box in the seventy fourth minute sending Kyle Cooper wide on the right before flashing a dangerous ball across the face of the six yard box and just out of reach for Myles McAuley.
David Beaton held the ball up well on the D in the seventy eighth minute before again behind pushed over by Mark Blakey, Referee James Quinn played a good advantage as the ball broke to Donald Campbell for a low shot which Stuart Collins held well low to his left.
Saints Gaffer Ross Maitland made his final change with seven minutes remaining sending on Connor Howe to replace David Beaton. Howe has proved to be a useful addition to the squad since his recent return to the club and currently holds the distinction of being the last player to score with his sensational late consolation goal against Lesmahow at the beginning of March.
There was however to be no late rally from Saints and the game fizzled out with both defences on top and no hint of any further scoring before Referee Quinn brought proceedings to an end.
Saints have no fixture this coming weekend and are currently awaiting dates for their three remaining away fixtures against Castlemilk Dynamo, Gartcosh United and Lesmahagow. Off the park there is however an important date on the calendar on Friday 7th April when the recently sadly deceased former Saint Davy Laird will be laid to rest. Widely regarded as Oban's greatest ever footballer Davy's talents took him to Greenock Morton via the highly respected Cowal Boys Club before returning to Oban to represent Saints with distinction. Davy's funeral service will be held at twelve noon at Oban Parish Church thereafter to Pennyfuir Cemetery. The thoughts of everyone at the Club are with Davy's family at this sad time.
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