Indecision Is Final
- Winning In The Rain
- Aug 17
- 5 min read
Saturday 16th August 2025
Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association
Premiership
Oban Saints 2 - 4 Steins Thistle
Glencruitten 2
Mossfield Avenue
Oban
Argyll
PA34 4EH
Kick-off 2.00pm
Referee Mr Pat O'Donnell
Oban Saints welcomed reigning Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association Premiership Champions Stein Thistle to a sun drenched Glencruitten last Saturday afternoon and ran their multiple trophies winning guests close in an entertaining encounter.
Despite falling behind after just two and a half minutes, Saints recovered well and deservedly led the Scottish and East of Scotland Cup holders at the interval courtesy of strikes from Rhys Millar and Aaron McKay. Steins however were a different proposition in the second half and ruthlessly exploited moments of indecision in the Saints' defence scoring three times in a devastating eleven-minute spell to secure victory.
Saints lined up with Craig Maitland in goal behind a back three of Matthew Pollock, Aidan Jackson and Ryan Barclay. In the middle of the park were Captain Matthew Kelly, Gavin Forgrieve and Rhys Millar flanked by wingbacks Aaron McKay and Donald Campbell. Up front were Connor Moore and David Beaton. Warming the substitutes bench were Connor Beattie, Shaye Black, Innes Fraser, Jakub Ryska, Keiron Lopez and goalkeeper Graham Douglas.
The visitors kicked 0ff attacking the carpark end and took the lead after just two and a half minutes. Michael Watson's delivery from a corner kick on the left was helped on at the near post by Louis MacPherson with Dean Manson quickest to react coming in behind MacPherson to bullet a header past Craig Maitland in the Saints goal.
Saints settled into the game and got themselves back on level terms with nine minutes on the clock. Matthew Kelly, Captain once again the absence of Scott Maitland, sent Rhys Millar through the inside right channel with a measured pass which Millar latched onto to fire a low shot across Steins' keeper Thomas Elvin and into the bottom corner.
From the restart Craig Maitland had to come quickly off his line gather at the feet of Kyle Allison before an identical corner kick routine to the opening goal saw big central defender Dean Manson head six inches over the Saints' crossbar.
In the eighteenth minute Craig Maitland was again on his toes to collect a deep free-kick on the edge of his box under pressure from Stewart Henderson who returns to Steins this season after spells with Bannockburn and Pather.
Also clearing the crossbar, but this time at the other end of the park, were David Beaton and Donald Campbell. Beaton gathered in an Aaron McKay throw-in from the right and lifted over from eighteen yards before Campbell met a Connor Moore cutback from the right but with his less favoured right foot couldn't direct his shot on target.
David Beaton won a corner kick on the Saints' left after twenty-four minutes with Gavin Forgrieve's in-swinging delivery being clawed away from under his crossbar by Thomas Elvin before Referee Pat O'Donnell stopped play for a water break.
When play resumed Saints were on the attack again when David Beaton and Connor Moore combined well on the left with Beaton picking out the up in support Rhys Millar who unfortunately couldn't repeat his earlier goalscoring heroics and blazed high over the bar.
Connor Moore did well to flick-on Gavin Forgrieve's thirty-ninth minute free-kick after Donald Campbell had been hauled down by Stewart Henderson, but Moore's header was fractionally out of reach for Ryan Barclay on the stretch at the back post.
Saints got their noses in front in the forty-first minute when David Beaton raced away from Colin Brannan on the Saints' left. Beaton's low cross evaded both Connor Moore and Steins' Skipper Christopher Crawford in the middle but not Aaron McKay who gambled at the back post and slid in to poke the ball home.
The visitors emerged from the half-time interval a much different proposition and immediately began the hunt for an equaliser. Dean Manson was again the set-piece dangerman stooping to head a Michael Wallace corner kick on target only to see his effort cleared off the goal line by Aaron McKay.
Steins were knocking hard on the Saints' door which the home side duly left just far enough ajar for the visitors to push open in the fifty-ninth minute. Aidan Jackson did well to get his head to a Michael Wallace cross from the Steins' right but, as the ball fell, a moment's hesitation from Jackson and Ryan Barclay allowed second-half substitute Jamie Lapsley time and space to drill a low shot into the bottom corner past a static Craig Maitland.
From the restart Rhys Millar did well to pick out David Beaton with a cutback from the left from which Beaton drew a good save from Thomas Elvin. Gavin Forgrieve took the resulting corner kick short to Beaton whose effort this time flew high and wide of the postage stamp corner.
The visitors completed the turnaround in the sixty-second minute when the Saints' defence were again slow to react to the loose ball with Jamie Lapsley putting Matty Pollock under pressure and poking the ball wide for Michael Wallace to fire home from ten yards range.
There was a loud Saints' appeal for a penalty kick in the sixty-fourth minute when Rhys Millar went down in the Steins' box however Referee O'Donnell, who handled proceedings well, saw no infringement.
Saints made the first of three changes in the sixty-fifth minute sending on Connor Beattie to replace Donald Campbell.
With twenty minutes remining Saints gave themselves a mountain to climb with another self-inflicted setback. What should have been a routine pass from Craig Maitland was delayed too long and then hurriedly telegraphed to Jamie Lapsley who gratefully accepted the gift and side footed into the net.
Two minutes later Stewart Henderson struck the foot of Craig Maitland's right-hand post with a fierce shot while Saints' best chance of getting back into the game was a free-kick from twenty-two yards which David Beaton sent into the carpark behind Thomas Elvin's goal.
Keiron Lopez replaced cramp victim Matthew Pollock with Innes Fraser coming on for last season's Young Player of the Year Rhys Millar who acquitted himself well against very experienced opposition.
Despite the reverse the Saints' Management team of Steven MacLeod, Graham Douglas and Coach Archie MacLean can be pleased with how well their charges competed against such highly decorated opposition who will most definitely be in the hunt for more trophies this season.
This coming Saturday the D&K Lafferty Contractors and MKM Oban Building Supplies sponsored Saints travel to Larbert High School to face Stenhousemuir Foundation in the Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association Premiership.
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