Early West of Scotland Exit For Lacklustre Saints
- Winning In The Rain
- Oct 19
- 6 min read
Saturday 18th October 2025
West of Scotland Amateur Cup
2nd Round
Oban Saints 1 - 4 Vale of Leven AFC
Glencruitten 2
Mossfield Avenue
Oban
Argyll
PA34 4EH
Kick-off 2.00pm
Referee Mr Jimmy Litster
Oban Saints returned to action at Glencruitten last Saturday following a three week lay-off when they welcomed Vale of Leven AFC in the West of Scotland Amateur Cup. Saints' last outing was a convincing away win against Blantyre Soccer Academy in the same competition however the long period of inactivity appeared to do the home side no favours as they slumped to defeat against hard working opponents who thoroughly deserved to progress to the third round.
Despite taking the lead thanks to Matty Pollock's curling tenth minute effort into the postage stamp corner, Saints were unable to capitalise further on their first half superiority and conceded a sloppy equaliser just before the interval. Half-time changes from Manger Steven MacLeod failed to provide the spark needed to reignite the Saints' challenge and the visitors ran in three further goals without reply sending Saints to ignominious defeat.
Saints lined up with Graham Douglas in goal behind a back three of Matthew Pollock, Aaron Moore and Captain Scott Maitland. In the middle of the park were Matthew Kelly, Gavin Forgrieve and Connor Howe flanked by wingbacks Keiron Lopez and Connor Beattie. Up front were Rhys Millar and David Beaton. Warming the substitutes bench were Shaye Black, Donald Campbell, Innes Fraser, Keiran Griffin and Aidan Jackson.
Attacking the carpark end, the visitors made the better start but go no change out the Saints' back three of Matty Pollock, Aaron Moore and Captain Scott Maitland who kept Assistant Manager and goalkeeper in the absence of Craig Maitland, Graham Douglas well protected.
Saints' first meaningful foray into opposition territory resulted in a tenth minute corner kick on the right which Gavin Forgrieve sent to the Vale six yard line. Daniel Best's attempted clearance only made it as far as the eighteen yard line from where Connor Howe was able to pick out Matty Pollock. With Aaron McGrorry and James Rowe blocking his path to goal Pollock expertly curled the ball into the postage stamp corner well beyond the reach of Vale keeper Kyran Stewart to give Saints the lead.
Five minutes later Stewart made the first of a number of impressive saves which would have a major bearing on the final outcome. David Beaton did well on the left to pick out strike partner Rhys Millar on the six yard line. Millar needed a touch to get the ball under control and his stabbed effort looked set to ripple the net until a combination of Stewart's right boot and hand deflected the ball behind. Gavin Forgrieve produced another good delivery from the corner flag but James Rowe's presence at the back post was enough to deny Aaron Moore a clean header and his glanced effort bounced wide of target.
Similarly off target was Keiron Lopez whose run from right wingback was picked out by an excellent diagonal ball from Matty Kelly however Kyran Stewart narrowed the angle well and Lopez could only find the side netting.
Having had a quiet afternoon until that point, Graham Douglas dallied too long on the ball and was caught in possession on the edge of his eighteen yard box by Cieran Fisher whom he managed to wrestle to the ground at the expense of a twenty-seventh minute free-kick. Douglas however redeemed his error with a good save low to his right to deny Aaron McGrorry.
Matty Kelly and Keiron Lopez combined well again in the thirty-second minute and Rhys Millar was inches away from connecting with Lopez's cross on the run from the right.
Saints' wingbacks Keiron Lopez and Connor Beattie were getting a lot of joy on the flanks but again there was no end product as Lopez blazed high and wide from another promising opportunity.
Vale striker Cieryn Fisher's long throw-ins were a constant threat which the Saints' defence dealt with comfortably and Gavin Forgieve's clearing header from a thirty-eighth minute Fisher throw launched a counterattack which saw Michael Stewart get back with a vital block to deny Connor Howe from a Rhys Millar cutback from the right.
After successfully repelling another Fisher long throw Saints failed to properly clear their lines and allowed Aaron McGrorry to wriggle through too easily on the left edge of the eighteen yard box. The ball found it's way to the still up in support Josh Grace and the big central defender bundled the ball over the line at the second attempt for a forty-first minute equaliser.
Saints' Manager Steven MacLeod made two changes for the start of the second period replacing Connor Beattie and Connor Howe with Donald Campbell and Innes Fraser.
With the Management team's strong words still ringing in their ears the home side made a strong start to the second half and when Matty Kelly's jinking run from the right was illegally halted by James Rowe it was youngster Donald Campbell who was given the responsibility for the dead ball. Campbell's low fifty-second minute strike was parried by Kyran Stewart at full stretch with the young Vale keeper getting enough contact on the ball to send it spinning away from the onrushing David Beaton.
Good Vale pressing on the left overturned possession and saw Callum Smith racing to the edge of the Saints' eighteen yard box where he was hauled down by Matty Kelly for a fifty-fifth minute free-kick. Veteran Saints' keeper Graham Douglas however failed to match the heroics of young Kyran Stewart at the opposite end and couldn't keep out Lee McGeachy's right foot effort which found the far bottom corner.
Two minutes later Kyran Stewart denied Donald Campbell for second time making an excellent flying save to hold Campbell's half-volley from a Rhys Millar cross from the right.
The visitors stretched their advantage in the sixty-fourth minute with a wonder strike from defender Daniel Best who intercepted a Matty Kelly ball out from the back intended for David Beaton just inside the Saints' half. Striding forward unchallenged Best tried his luck from thirty-five yards with a lofted effort which sailed over the despairing hands of Graham Douglas and into the net.
Saints Gaffer Steven MacLeod replaced Keiron Lopez and Rhys Millar with Aidan Jackson and Keiran Griffin and pushed Aaron Moore up front in an attempt to improve his side's fortunes but the alterations did nothing to change the course of the game.
Donald Campbell was hauled to the ground by Callum Smith in the seventy-eighth minute but the loud Saints' appeals for a penalty kick were correctly dismissed by Referee Jimmy Litster who spotted that Campbell and Smith were both equally guilty of shirt pulling.
Scott Maitland and Keiran Griffin combined well on the left in the eighty-fourth minute but Griffin's cross looking for David Beaton was plucked out of the air by Kyran Stewart who, along with central defender Josh Grace, was a major factor in the away side's victory.
After saving an Arron Moore volley at close range, Kyran Stewart leapt well to clutch a ninetieth minute Aidan Jackson long throw-in form the left before launching the ball up field. Despite reaching the ball first, Matty Pollock appeared to be caught in two minds as to what to do with it and was robbed by Aaron McGrorry who, with Graham Douglas stranded well off his goal line, squared to substitute Jakob Macdonald for the simplest of tap-ins to round off the scoring.
This coming Saturday the D&K Lafferty Contractors and MKM Oban Building Supplies sponsored Saints resume their league campaign with a trip to Wishaw Sports Centre to face FC Pather in the Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association Premiership.
