Millar Brace Helps Saints To Three More League Points
- Winning In The Rain
- Feb 1
- 6 min read
Saturday 31st January 2026
Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association
Premiership
Oban Saints 3 - 1 Dunblane SC
Oban Community Sports Field 3G
Soroba Road
Oban
Argyll
PA34 4JB
Kick-off 2.00pm
Referee Mr Kevin McIntyre
Oban Saints secured back-to-back league victories for the first time this season at Oban High School last Saturday 31st January. The victory avenged the previous heavy reverse at the hands of Dunblane SC back in September and kept alive Saints' hopes of challenging for the Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association Premiership title.
Saints' Gaffer Steven MacLeod was given a major headache when top goal scorer Connor Moore failed fitness test on a tight hamstring necessitating a last-minute squad reshuffle. Daniel MacVicar was promoted from the substitutes bench to start at left wingback with Donald Campbell joining Rhys Millar in attack. Millar ably filled the void created by Moore's absence grabbing a brace which sandwiched an excellent curling free kick from Gavin Forgrieve.
Aaron McKay (suspension) and Ryan Barclay (family commitments) also missed out with Aaron Moore and Matty Pollock returning to the starting eleven.
Saints lined up with Craig Maitland in goal behind a back three of Matty Pollock, Captain Scott Maitland and Louie MacFarlane. The central midfield three of Matty Kelly, Aaron Moore and Gavin Forgrieve were flanked by wingbacks David Beaton and Daniel MacVicar with Donald Campbell partnering Rhys Millar up front. On the substitutes bench were Connor Beattie, Innes Fraser, Daniel MacCuish, Kuba Ryska and goalkeeper Graham Douglas.
The home side started brightly and Matty Pollock gave Fraser Barrell an early test with a shot from twenty-five yards which the Dunblane keeper held comfortably. Barrell was called into action again in the fifth minute springing to his left to push a way a Gavin Forgrieve free kick after Donald Campbell had been chopped down twenty-five yards from goal.
Saints continued to make the early running but when David Beaton's hanging cross from the right was headed down by Daniel MacVicar Matty Kelly couldn't keep his shot from eighteen yards below the Dunblane crossbar.
Dunblane's first excursion into Saints' territory produced a set-piece opportunity when Rhys Millar conceded a free kick on the Dunblane right after Scott Maitland had made a good interception as striker Lewis Collie threatened to burst into the Saints' box. Dunblane Skipper Byron McGuigan floated an inviting delivery to the back post where Joseph Nwokoye climbed highest to glance a header wide of Saints' keeper Craig Maitland's right-hand post.
Louie MacFarlane made an important interception to rob the impressive Nwokoye and launched a tenth-minute Saints' counterattack up the left which saw Daniel MacVicar send Donald Campbell into the Dunblane box where Fraser Barrell saved bravely at the youngster's feet.
Craig Maitland comfortably held a Byron McGuigan shot from distance before opposite number Barrell denied Donald Campbell again this time saving with his right foot after Campbell had been expertly picked out by Gavin Forgrieve.
In the fifteenth minute Rhys Millar tricked his way past Ryan Dempsey to tee up Daniel MacVicar whose sclaffed effort was controlled by Matty Kelly and laid back into the stride of Aaron Moore blazed a good opportunity high over the crossbar.
At the other end Joseph Nwokoye beat Louie MacFarlane to send Lewis Collie in behind Scott Maitland who was able to push the Dunblane striker wide for a well struck shot which Craig Maitland saved well at his near post.
Rhys Millar's seventeenth minute knock down from a Daniel MacVicar cross was blazed over by Matty Kelly before, sixty seconds later, Gavin Forgrieve sent a more controlled low effort wide of Fraser Barrell's right-hand post.
Lewis Collie and Joseph Nwokoye combined again for Dunblane in the twenty-seventh minute when Collie flicked-on Callum MacDougall's long ball sending Nwokoye bearing down on goal where Craig Maitland produced an excellent save at his near post to keep the score-line blank.
Despite Dunblane looking dangerous on the counter-attack Saints continued create openings without being able to seriously test Fraser Barrell in the Dunblane goal. Gavin Forgrieve and Donald Campbell both snatched efforts off target before a good Aaron Moore knockdown from a Scott Maitland free kick went begging.
A short stoppage for treatment to Fraser Barrell's right ankle signalled the start of a frantic closing five first half minutes where the injured keeper performed heroics to deny Aaron Moore and David Beaton and Rhys Millar twice each to send the combatants into the interval goalless.
The half-time break appeared to benefit the visitors more than the hosts as Saints struggled to regain their first-half momentum.
Having already made one change for the restart which saw David Little replace Callum MacDougall in defence, Dunblane Manager Thomas Dudgeon looked to his bench again after fifty-seven minutes sending on Christopher MacDonald to replace Lewis Collie.
The action had only just restarted when David Beaton won a free kick on the right which Gavin Forgrieve lifted into the danger area. Daniel MacVcar helped the ball on towards the back post where Rhys Millar was on hand to bundle the ball over the line for the opening goal.
Saints quickly regained possession and David Beaton was again upended driving at the heart of the Dunblane defence. Referee Kevin McIntyre, who handled proceedings well, was taking the name of miscreant Callum Paterson when Dunblane Skipper Byron McGuigan foolishly talked his way into a red card. Gavin Forgrieve took full advantage of the set-piece opportunity to curl a delightful finish over the defensive wall and high into the net beyond the despairing right hand of Fraser Barrell.
The home side had their tails up again and only another fine stop from Barrell prevented a third goal after an excellent turn and shot from Rhys Millar. The save from Barrell however came at a high cost as, despite more treatment from the Dunblane physio, he was unable to continue and was replaced between the sticks by defender David Little. This sparked a triple substitution by the visitors with James Ronald and Gregor Dawson also making way and Jonathan Chalk, Charles Harold and Gavin Morrison joining the action.
Saints Gaffer Steven MacLeod got in on the changes act sending on young Connor Beattie to replace David Beaton in a straight swap at right wingback.
MacLeod should have been able to take the credit for an instant impact substitution however, with almost his first touch of the ball, Beattie shot tamely at stand-in keeper David Little.
Reinvigorated by their triple substitution the ten men hauled themselves back into contention with twenty minutes remaining. A low cross from the left from Joseph Nwokoye travelled all the way across the box to substitute Christopher MacDonald who cut inside onto his left foot and slammed the ball into the top corner of the net beyond Craig Maitland's right hand.
Good closing down on the right by Gavin Forgrieve gave Connor Beattie another opportunity to test David Little but again the youngster's effort lacked power.
Steven MacLeod made his final change with sixteen minutes remaining replacing Donald Campbell, who had a good game alongside Rhys Millar in attack, with Daniel MacCuish.
As the visitors pushed hard for an equaliser the game became more stretched and chances to kill the game kept coming Saints' way. Rhys Millar saw a decent effort deflected wide for a corner kick before Daniels MacVicar and MacCuish both squandered good openings with tame efforts lifted into the grateful arms of David Little.
At the other end Declan McQuillan and Ryan Dempsey were launching long throw-ins into the Saints' box at every opportunity however the home defence, again expertly marshalled by Skipper Scott Maitland, stood firm.
Dunblane goalscorer Christopher MacDonald and provider Joseph Nwokoye almost swapped roles in the eighty-second minute with only an excellent interception from Matty Pollock preventing Nwokoye from levelling the scores.
Sixty seconds later it was the visitors turn to survive a scare when Daniel MacVicar's shot took a massive deflection of Declan McQuillan which sent it looping onto the top of David Little's crossbar.
More wasteful Saints' finishing kept the home crowd's nerves jangling with Matty Pollock and Rhys Millar both unable to beat stand-in keeper David Little before Millar eventually applied the killer touch with a perfectly executed lob in the ninety-fourth minute.
The D&K Lafferty Contractors and MKM Oban Building Supplies sponsored Saints are on the road this coming Saturday 7th February when they travel to the University of Stirling Sports Centre to face Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association Premiership league leaders Stirling University.
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