Opening Day Victory On The Road
- Winning In The Rain
- Aug 9
- 6 min read
Saturday 8th August 2026
Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association
Premiership
Bishopton 2 - 4 Oban Saints
Park Mains High School
Barrhill Road
Erskine
PA8 6EY
Kick-off 1.00pm
Referee Mr James Gallacher
Oban Saints kicked off their Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association Premiership season at Park Mains High School, Erskine last Saturday 8th August with a lively encounter against Bishopton.
A much-changed Saints travelling party, missing eight of the squad which had so dramatically clinched the league title on the final day of last season, had to find their feet quickly against a good Bishopton side who came into the match on the back of an encouraging preseason with four victories from five games.
The home side took the lead midway through the first half before a double from Connor Moore either side of the interval put Saints in front. The lead lasted barely five minutes before Bishopton drew level from a set piece however goals from returning long term injury absentees Lewis Campbell and Kyle Cooper ensured Saints would return home with all three points.
Saints lined up with Craig Maitland in goal behind a back three of Matty Pollock, Captain Scott Maitland and Craig Livingstone. The central midfield three of David Beaton, Matthew Kelly and Rhys Millar were flanked by wingbacks Ruari MacLeod and Lewis Campbell with Donald Campbell and Connor Moore forming the strike partnership up front. Joining Manager Steven MacLeod and Head Coach Archie MacLean on the substitutes were Connor Beattie, Kyle Cooper, Innes Fraser and Archie Lewis.
Prior to kick-off, highly regarded Referee James Gallacher very helpfully took the time to explain to both sets of players the rule changes to be implemented this season.
Bishopton kicked off with the strong wind at their backs which added more threat to the already dangerous long throw-ins delivered by Ben Dickson. Despite the lack of height in their ranks Saints stood up well to the test and looked to hit back on the counterattack.
After Craig Maitland had gathered safely from a fourteenth minute Dickson throw-in, Matty Kelly sent Connor Moore through on goal but a weak effort from their top marksman was to typify Saints' first-half finishing.
Returning following a twenty-three-week injury absence, Matty Kelly played-in Lewis Campbell sixty seconds later but another good chance was squandered when Campbell poked his finish wide of target.
Campbell was in again on the left in the twenty-second minute after good work by Donald Campbell, Rhys Millar and Connor Moore with Campbell this time grazing the top of the crossbar with his effort.
Deployed in midfield rather than his usual right wingback role, David Beaton was up in support of the strikers in the twenty-fourth minute but, when found by Connor Moore, sliced his left foot shot wide of Bishopton keeper Dean Blakey's right-hand post.
Handed a starting role at right wingback for his first competitive outing at this level, youngster Ruari MacLeod got an important touch to stop Bishopton striker Lamek Ogwal breaking into the Saints' eighteen-yard box at the expense of a twenty-seventh minute corner kick. The earlier missed opportunities proved costly for Saints when Craig Maitland parried Ben Dickson's delivery from the left into the back of Matty Pollock with Bishopton Skipper Stephen Donald first to react lifting the ball into the roof of the Saints' net from seven yards.
Bishopton keeper Dean Blakey was given his first test after thirty-one minutes getting down well to his right to hold a Donald Campbell effort.
Leading by example, Saints' Skipper Scott Maitland carried the ball a long way from the back before releasing David Beaton for a shot from just inside the Bishopton box which Ciaran Gilzean did well to block behind for a corner kick. David Beaton's delivery from the right was helped on by Donald Campbell and found its way to Matty Pollock whose left foot shot from twelve yards slipped wide of target.
Rhys Millar and David Beaton continued the frustratingly errant finishing theme before the barely tested Bishopton keeper, Dean Blakey, fell foul of one of the new anti-timewasting laws. Delaying his forty-third minute goal kick too long following David Beaton's latest off target effort, Blakely was penalised by Referee James Gallacher with the punishment being a corner kick to Saints. The Bishopton number one's blushes were however spared when David Beaton's delivery from the right was easily cleared.
Having survived that scare the home side finally succumbed in first half stoppage time when Connor Moore raced away from Christian Barcz and Ciaran Gilzean for a composed finish just inside Dean Blakey's left-hand post.
With the wind now in their favour Saints kicked off the second half looking to add to their late first half strike but it was the home side who carried most of the early threat again mostly from Ben Dickson's long throw-ins.
Connor Moore tested Dean Blakey again after cutting in from the right but this time the Bishopton keeper was equal to the task getting down well to his right at the expense of a corner kick before acrobatically punching away David Beaton's inswinger from the corner flag.
Referee Gallacher ignored the home team's appeals for an offside decision when Lewis Campbell pulled down Matty Kelly's fifty-fifth minute through ball allowing Campbell to get another off target shot away. Bishopton central defender Christian Barcz continued his protests too long for Mr Gallacher's liking and talked his way into a yellow card.
Ruari MacLeod came close to marking his debut with a goal shaving the outside of Dean Blakey's right-hand post after linking well with Rhys Millar.
Saints deservedly took the lead on the hour mark when Connor Moore ran onto an excellent sixty-yard pass from Matty Pollock and slotted low past Dean Blakey.
The hard-earned lead however lasted barely five minutes with Saints again conceding cheaply from a set piece. Stephen Donald's free kick from the left was not dealt with decisively enough and Christian Barcz seized his chance to direct the bouncing ball past Craig Maitland from close range. In the pushing and shoving that followed both Maitland and Barcz were cautioned by Referee Gallacher resulting in an early bath for the Bishopton central defender.
Before the restart, Saints' Gaffer Steven MacLeod made his first change of the afternoon replacing Ruari MacLeod with Connor Beattie in a straight swap at right wingback.
Beattie combined with Lewis Campbell on the right for Campbell to cross to Donald Campbell who steered the ball into the stride of the up in support Craig Livingstone for a seventieth minute shot which Dean Blakey held well. Donald Campbell then made way for Kyle Cooper to make his long-awaited return from injury.
Two minutes later Cooper and Beattie were both involved in finding Lewis Campbell in space on the right corner of the Bishopton eighteen-yard box from where Campbell curled a magnificent finish over the head of Dean Blakey and into the top corner to give Saints the advantage for the second time.
With thirteen minutes remaining Matty Pollock pulled up injured and was replaced by another young debutant, Archie Lewis, who slotted in on the right of the back three alongside Craig Livingstone and inspirational Skipper Scott Maitland.
Kyle Cooper marked his return with a trademark goal racing onto Lewis Campbell's eightieth minute through ball and holding off the challenge of defender Jamie O'Neill to lift the ball over Dean Blakey and into the net to round off the scoring.
Lewis Campbell's impressive return to the side was ended after eighty-four minutes when he made way for Innes Fraser in Saints' final change of the afternoon.
To their credit the ten men of Bishopton refused to give up and, with two minutes plus stoppage time remaining, were denied a third goal which would have made for a very nervy ending. Scott Maitland was penalised for a rare, mistimed challenge twenty-two yards out however younger brother Craig ensured there was to be no grandstand finish with an excellent flying save to fingertip Stephen Donald's free kick over his crossbar.
In time added on for stoppages Kyle Cooper and David Beaton both passed-up opportunities to add a fifth goal before Referee Gallacher, who handled proceedings very well, blew his final whistle.
The D&K Lafferty Contractors and MKM Oban Building Supplies sponsored Saints play their first home game of the season this coming Saturday 15th August when they host Clydeside Athletic in the Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association Premiership.
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