Determined Saints Make Cup Progress
- Winning In The Rain
- 5 hours ago
- 5 min read
Saturday 16th November 2025
Scottish Amateur Football Association
Challenge Cup Competition
3rd Round Replay
Tollcross 0 - 1 Oban Saints
Glasgow Club Crownpoint
183 Crownpoint Road
Glasgow
G40 2AL
Kick-off 2.00pm
Referee Mr John Campbell
Oban Saints progressed to the fourth round of the Scottish Amateur Cup after a solitary Connor Moore strike finally saw off the challenge of dogged opponents Tollcross. Following a goalless draw in Oban two weeks earlier, the third-round replay at Crownpoint, Glasgow was another extremely tight affair with very little between the two teams until a moment of inspiration from Saints' leading goal scorer Moore settled the tie.
The grass pitches at Greenfield, Shettleston remained unplayable therefore Tollcross took the tie slightly further west to the all-weather surface at Crownpoint to ensure the replay would go ahead at the second time of asking.
The home side welcomed back four regulars to the squad which travelled to Oban whereas Saints' availability issues edged closer to crisis point which required Secretary David Buchanan to register three new signings on the eve of the match. Former players Kenneth Black and Louie MacFarlane returned while former youth player Daniel MacVicar joined the senior setup for the first time.
The D&K Lafferty Contractors and MKM Oban Building Supplies sponsored Saints lined up with Graham Douglas in goal behind a back three of Louie MacFarlane, Captain Scott Maitland and Aidan Jackson. The central midfield trio of David Beaton, Gavin Forgrieve and Aaron McKay were flanked by wingbacks Craig Livingstone and Donald Campbell while, up front, Rhys Millar partnered Connor Moore. Manager Steven MacLeod was joined on the substitutes bench by Innes Fraser, Keiran Griffin and new signings Kenneth Black and Daniel MacVicar.
Saints had the advantage of playing down the Crownpoint slope in the first half however this was countered by the strong low sun which had goalkeeper Graham Douglas searching his kit bag for a cap.
In keeping with the tie thus far, the early exchanges were even with a Liam Reid effort over the Saints' crossbar the first attempt on goal after six minutes. Saints followed this up with Connor Moore and David Beaton combining for a Beaton shot from eighteen yards which was deflected behind for a corner kick. Beaton played the ball short from the quadrant finding Gavin Forgrieve whose shot from the corner of the eighteen-yard box lacked the power to seriously test Kevin Rutherford in the Tollcross goal.
A tenth minute David Manners' free kick from the left was punched away by Graham Douglas who came a long way off his line to make the clearance which only made it as far as the lurking Christopher Eadie who volleyed well wide of target.
The home defence continued to provide a shield for goalkeeper Kevin Rutherford blocking efforts from Rhys Millar and Craig Livingstone before Connor Moore's run on the left took him behind the Tollcross back line for a low cutback which slipped agonisingly between Rhys Millar and David Beaton.
Tollcross Skipper Christopher Eadie got a vital touch to send Donald Campbell's twenty-second minute shot from the left behind for a corner kick which eventually found its way to Aaron McKay on the edge of the box for a volley which cleared the crossbar by some distance.
At the other end Liam Reid's twist and turn away from Aidan Jackson was snuffed out by Gavin Forgrieve at the expense of a thirtieth minute free kick which signalled the start of spell of Tollcross pressure.
Liam Hagan's free kick had Graham Douglas scrambling along his goal line to push the ball behind low down at this right-hand post. The corner kick was cleared but not for long as the ball was quickly returned to the Saints' box where Scott Maitland made an excellent interception to deny Nico Petrucci at the expense of another corner kick. Old adversary Petrucci was left unattended to head the delivery from the left down and wide of Graham Douglas' right hand post.
As the momentum began to swing towards the home side and it was the turn of the Saints back three of Louie MacFarlane, Skipper Scott Maitland and Aidan Jackson to put their bodies on the line with Jackson making a crucial block on David McGeechan.
Saints looked to hit on the counterattack but were thwarted by an extremely tight offside call from Referee John Campbell against Connor Moore which was hotly disputed by the Saints' touchline.
Craig Livingstone's run at right wingback lasted just thirty-five minutes before an ankle injury forced his replacement with new signing Daniel MacVicar. Shinty - Hurling international MacVicar didn't look at all out of place without his caman and formed a solid partnership on the right with Oban Camanachd teammate Louie MacFarlane.
Tollcross wide man David McGeechan was asking a few questions on the left and, in first half stoppage time, cut inside and sent a low shot fizzing past Graham Douglas' right hand post. Saints pressed forward from the goal kick with Louie MacFarlane earning a free-kick twenty-seven yards from goal. With the last kick of the first half Scott Maitland blazed the dead ball high and wide of target.
The second half was just three minutes old when a controversially awarded penalty kick gave the home side a perfect opportunity to open the scoring. However, just as Saints had squandered a similar opportunity in the first match, Liam Hagan's well struck spot kick glanced behind off Graham Douglas' right hand upright.
Daniel MacVicar linked well on the right with Connor Moore and Rhys Millar to force his way into the Tollcross eighteen-yard box for a sixtieth minute shot which flew wide of Kevin Rutherford's left-hand post.
MacVicar continued to impress on his debut and was involved in the build up to the game's decisive moment. After some skilful footwork to get away from David McGeechan on the halfway line, MacVicar sent Connor Moore away on the right in the sixty-seventh minute. Moore's pace and trickery took him inside and along the eighteen-yard line for a low shot past the despairing left hand of Kevin Rutherford and into the bottom corner.
Donald Campbell, who had looked to be struggling slightly since a first minute collision with Barry McIntee, made way for Innes Fraser with twenty minutes remaining.
Connor Moore tried again to find the same bottom corner after seventy-four minutes, this time after cutting in from the left, but his right foot shot lacked the pace to beat Rutherford who got down well to his left to hold Moore's effort.
As the clock ticked down hosts Tollcross were gambling more in search of an equaliser, but the Saints' defence remained resolute and stuck doggedly to the task in hand determined not to let their slender advantage slip away.
At the other end an excellent block by Ethan Copeland to deny David Beaton and a flying save from Kevin Rutherford to fingertip behind a Rhys Millar effort, which looked to be curling into the postage stamp corner, ensured there was no further scoring before Referee John Campbell, who once again handled proceedings well, brought the tie to an end.
The D&K Lafferty Contractors and MKM Oban Building Supplies sponsored Saints have no fixture this coming Saturday but will return to action on Saturday 29th November with a Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association Cinema Cup second round tie away at Ochilview against Stenhousemuir Foundation.
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