Understrength Saints No Match For Five Star 'Cosh

Updated: Mar 25

Saturday 23rd March 2024

Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association

Premiership

Gartcosh United 5 - 0 Oban Saints

Broadwood Stadium

1 Ardgoil Drive

Cumbernauld

Glasgow

G68 9NE

Kick-off 3.00pm

Referee Mr Peter Kerr

Oban Saints disappointing 2023-24 season was finally put out of it's misery at a windy Broadwood Stadium last Saturday afternoon with a heavy defeat to West of Scotland Amateur Cup semi-finalists Gartcosh United.

In keeping with the ever-changing line-ups which have scuppered any chance of continuity for the Saints Management team this season, five of the starting eleven from the home win against 'the Cosh' were unavailable giving the club an uphill struggle just to fulfil the fixture. Indeed, were it not for the recently signed Lochgilphead quintet of Craig Aitken, Gregor Brown, Keiran Caskie, Stuart McLean and Kyle Selfridge three of the last four fixtures would have been forfeited.

Saints lined up with Craig Maitland in goal behind a back three of Gregor Brown, Kyle Selfridge and Paul McFatridge. Across the five-man midfield were James Muir, Keiron Lopez, Captain David Beaton, Oran Bryce and Connor Moore with James Ford and Stuart McLean up front. All alone on the substitutes bench was Keiran Caskie.

Work commitments kept Manager Ross Maitland away therefore Assistant Manager Iain Jackson, ably assisted by Coach David Dunlop and Secretary David Buchanan, took charge of team affairs.

Saints' goalkeeper Craig Maitland had his first taste of the action in the eighth minute with a double save to deny 'Cosh striker PJ Dolan. At the other end Scottish Amateur International keeper Stuart Wilson did well to claw away a James Muir corner kick under pressure from Paul McFatridge after a strong run on the left from Connor Moore had won Saints a corner-kick.

Wilson's international colleague Jordan Murphy found the side netting with a rasping twelfth minute drive as the hosts continued to dominate. The woodwork came to Saints rescue after nineteen minutes when Gavin Mackie's glancing header from a Dylan Kerr left wing cross hit the inside of Craig Maitland's left-hand post with Saints number one clawing the ball off his goal-line ahead of Zak More.

Maitland saved well from Gavin Mackie at his near post and launched a twenty-fourth minute counter-attack up the left wing where James Ford and Connor Moore combined for Moore to fire a left foot shot just over the junction of post and crossbar.

Jordan Henderson's twenty-ninth minute low cross from the left was agonisingly too far in front of Zak More who, even at full stretch, couldn't make a solid enough connection to divert the ball on target.

The pressure from the home side finally told in the thirty-fourth minute when Gartcosh man of the match Zak More reached a Colin Galbraith through ball ahead of the advancing Craig Maitland to poke the ball home for a deserved opening goal.

A second goal followed just two minutes later when PJ Dolan cut in from the left and fired a right foot shot high into the net and well out of reach for Saints keeper Maitland.

Saints Skipper David Beaton, who led his troops by example with a battling performance in central midfield, had the chance to put the ball into the danger area when James Ford was upended on the Saints left midway inside the Gartcosh half. Beaton's thirty-ninth minute delivery looking for the head of Paul McFatridge was headed behind for a corner-kick by right fullback Jack Trainer. James Muir's inswinger from the left was headed away by Stewart Diamond who was a dominant presence at the heart of the 'Cosh defence.

With two minutes of the first half remaining the home side stretched their lead still further exploiting poor Saints' marking at a corner-kick. Gavin Mackie's in-swinging delivery from the left was easily knocked home from close range by the unmarked Jack Trainer.

Saints' Assistant Manager Iain Jackson withdrew Oran Bryce for the start of the second half replacing him with sole substitute Keiran Caskie. Jackson was almost left to rue that decision when Gregor Brown went down in a crumpled heap coming off worse in a challenge with PJ Dolan four minutes after the restart. With no replacement available a quick rub down with David Dunlop's magic sponge had to suffice and Brown resumed his place in the back three alongside Kyle Selfridge and Paul McFatridge.

With the wind now in their favour Saints posed a little more threat and Keiron Lopez and Connor Moore both managed efforts on goal albeit without troubling Gartcosh keeper Stuart Wilson.

Having managed to keep the hosts quiet for for twenty-three second half minutes Saints were again far too easily picked off from a set-piece. Second half substitute Callum Galloway swung over a free-kick from the corner of the Saints eighteen-yard box which towering centre-half Stewart Diamond was allowed to meet with an unchallenged header past Craig Maitland's left hand and into the net via the inside of the post.

Gartcosh completed a successful warm-up for their upcoming West of Scotland Amateur Cup semi-final against Drumchapel Amateurs with a fifth goal nine minutes before full-time. Yet again it was a self-inflicted injury from Saints whose tired minds and legs switched off as cheaply conceded possession just inside the Gartcosh half was ruthlessly exploited for Dylan Kerr to race through and slot the ball past Craig Maitland.

Two minutes later Kerr had a great chance to bag himself a second goal after beating Gregor Brown to a PJ Dolan cross however, fortunately for Saints, the 'Cosh left winger sent his back post header over the crossbar.

Referee Peter Kerr, who handled proceedings well, spared Saints any further agony and blew for full-time after three added minutes.

Saints now enter a long close season where a massive decision on the club's future awaits.