Missed Chances Prove Costly In Wishaw
- Winning In The Rain
- Oct 26
- 6 min read
Saturday 25th October 2025
Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association
Premiership
FC Pather 3 - 1 Oban Saints
Wishaw Sports Centre
Alexander Street
Wishaw
ML2 0HQ
Kick-off 2.00pm
Referee Mr John Cairney
Oban Saints looked to bounce back from the previous week's disappointing West of Scotland Cup exit when they returned to Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association Premiership business last Saturday afternoon. However, despite a marked improvement in performance against league title hopefuls FC Pather, an all too familiar story of missed chances and cheaply conceded goals saw Saints return from Wishaw empty handed on the wrong end of a 3 - 1 score line.
Central defender Matty Pollock found the net for the third time this season but that was all the visitors had to show for their endeavours while hosts Pather ruthlessly exploited the few mistakes made in the otherwise solid Saints' defence.
Injury and work commitments deprived Management team Steven MacLeod and Graham Douglas of the services of a number of key players however their selection woes were eased slightly by the return of Daniel MacCuish who has made himself available during the shinty closed season.
Saints lined up with Graham Douglas in goal behind a back three of Matty Pollock, Captain Scott Maitland and Aidan Jackson. In the middle of the park David Beaton, Gavin Forgrieve and Daniel MacCuish were flanked by wingbacks Aaron McKay and Rhys Millar with Donald Campbell and Connor Moore up front. Warming the substitutes bench were Connor Beattie, Innes Fraser, Keiran Griffin, Connor Howe and Keiron Lopez.
Saints kicked off on the 3G surface at Wishaw Sports Centre, but it was hosts FC Pather who were first to threaten with Lee Dixon providing the crosses from the right for two off-target efforts from Jason Thomson.
Wingbacks Aaron McKay and Rhys Millar combined well in the fourth minute to create Saints' first opening. Millar's diagonal ball from the left picked out McKay whose low cross on the run was safely gathered by Pather keeper Thomas Elvin with Connor Moore ready to pounce on any spillage.
The hosts quickly swept to the other end where Nicholas McLaughlin won the first corner kick of the afternoon. Jason Thomson's delivery from the left was cleared by Daniel MacCuish who produced a solid performance on his return to the Saints' ranks.
Aidan Jackson was allowed time and space to carry the ball out from his defensive beat and picked out Connor Moore in the box whose turn and shot drew another save from Thomas Elvin this time at the expense of a corner kick. Gavin Forgrieve's delivery from the left flew behind off a Pather head giving Forgrieve a second chance to pick out a teammate however he could only find the midriff of goalkeeper Elvin.
Skipper Scott Maitland, who once again led by example throughout, initiated another Saints' attack in the twentieth minute playing the ball up to Donald Campbell who did well to turn away from experienced Pather defender Garry Fleming. Campbell worked a one-two with David Beaton before firing off a shot from eighteen yards which struck the foot of Thomas Elvin's right-hand post. The ball bounced back to Connor Moore who would have had time to take a touch but Saints' top goalscorer decided on a first-time strike which flew high and wide of target.
The hosts moved the ball quickly forward from Thomas Elvin's goal kick where Matty Pollock's challenge on Jason Thomson resulted in a free-kick twenty-five yards from goal and left of centre. Dead ball specialist Thomson took aim and beat the Saints' defensive wall but not keeper Graham Douglas whose flying punch at his right-hand post sent the ball out for a throw-in.
Scott Maitland came to his side's rescue on the half-hour mark with a goal-line clearance. Lee Dixon and Jason Thomson swapped wings, and, from the left, Dixon's cross found Thomson who cushioned the ball back over Graham Douglas for Pather Skipper Brian Ross who was denied on the goal-line by opposite number Maitland.
Ross had another opportunity two minutes later but couldn't climb high enough to get over Thomson's corner-kick from the left and sent his header over the Saints' crossbar.
Deployed at left wingback Rhys Millar found striker Donald Campbell with a thirty-fifth minute pass up the left where Campbell's attempted turn away from Ricky Orr drew a foul from the Pather central defender. Youngster Campbell got his head to Gavin Forgrieve's free kick with the spin on the bouncing ball forcing Thomas Elvin to parry rather than catch. Matty Pollock took the ball away from the big keeper at his right-hand post but, despite getting the better of Douglas Bell, couldn't get the ball under enough control to get a shot away. However, with the ball bouncing once again towards the goalkeeper, Pollock stretched to poke the ball away from the grasp of Elvin and into the net for a scruffy but nonetheless welcome opening goal.
Graham Douglas came flying off his goal line to punch a thirty-ninth minute Lee Dixon cross from the right off the forehead of Jason Thomson. Saints worked the loose ball forward on the right from where Aaron McKay's cross was cut out at the near post by Douglas Bell.
With five first-half minutes remaining Connor Moore found himself in acres of space but frustratingly could only steer his finish straight into the gloves of Thomas Elvin.
The spurned opportunity proved to be extremely costly for Saints as the hosts equalised just sixty seconds later. Jason Thomson cut in from the left and tumbled theatrically looking for a free kick on the edge of the Saint's box. Lee Dixon however didn't wait about to debate the decision and steered the ball left footed across Graham Douglas and into the bottom corner.
Three minutes into time added on at the end of the first-half Saints were hit with a sucker punch. Aaron McKay's free kick into the Pather box was thumped away by Garry Fleming and out for a throw-in the Saints' half. Saints were too casual with the throw-in and Gavin Forgrieve's attempted clearance was charged down into the stride of Darren Smith who stroked the ball past the hopelessly exposed Graham Douglas.
Saints made a bright start to the second half with Connor Moore immediately winning back possession and feeding David Beaton on the right whose low cross was fractionally out of reach for Donald Campbell arriving at the back post.
From Thomas Elvin's goal kick the hosts forced a corner kick on the right. Jason Thomson once again conjured an excellent delivery from the corner flag with Ricky Orr climbing highest to bullet a header beyond Graham Douglas to leave Saints with a mountain to climb.
Saints still had time on their side but when Connor Moore's sixtieth minute shot was too hot for Thomas Elvin to hold a much-needed slice of luck deserted them when the loose ball spun away from the on-rushing David Beaton.
Moore tried his luck again five minutes later with his shot this time being deflected wide of target for a Gavin Forgrieve corner kick which the home defence dealt with comfortably.
Saints Manager Steven MacLeod made his first change of the afternoon sending on Connor Howe to replace Donald Campbell. Howe joined Gavin Forgrieve and Daniel MacCuish in midfield with David Beaton being pushed forward to partner Connor Moore.
Rhys Millar gathered in a seventieth minute throw-in from Aaron McKay and forced another save from Thomas Elvin with a shot from twenty-two yards which again the keeper couldn't hold. With the ball threatening to bounce away from him the keeper recovered well to smother at the second attempt at the feet of David Beaton.
Tempers briefly threated to boil over in the seventieth-eighth minute however order was quickly restored by experienced Referee John Cairney who ensured that proceedings returned to competitive but fair.
Saints struck the woodwork for a second time when David Beaton cushioned a volley off Thomas Elvin's left-hand post from a seventy-ninth minute Gavin Forgrieve corner kick.
With seven minutes remaining Connor Moore did well to get the batter of Garry Fleming and race forward towards the Pather goal. Saints' lack of composure in front of target was typified by a wild slice from Moore which flew well off target.
Connor Beattie replaced Aaron McKay in Saints' second and final change and the youngster was quickly involved feeding Connor Moore for another driving run which was brutally halted by a lunging challenge from Ricky Orr. David Beaton guided the resulting free-kick inches wide of Thomas Elvin's left-hand post in Saints' final attempt before Mr Cairney blew his final whistle.
The D&K Lafferty Contractors and MKM Oban Building Supplies sponsored Saints return to Glencruitten this coming Saturday where they will face Tollcross of the Greater Glasgow Premier Amateur Football League in the third round of the Scottish Amateur Cup.
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