Saints Blown Away At Allandale
- Winning In The Rain
- Apr 6
- 4 min read
Saturday 5th April 2025
Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association
Premiership
Steins Thistle 4 - 1 Oban Saints
Allandale Park
Allandale
By Bonnybridge
FK4 2HG
Kick-off 2.0opm
Referee Mr Andrew Jaap
The steep learning curve for Ross Maitland's young Oban Saints side continued at a sun-kissed Allandale Park last Saturday afternoon. Hosts Steins Thistle have recently completed back-to-back East of Scotland Amateur Cup successes and now have their sights firmly fixed on adding the Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association Premiership title and the Scottish Amateur Cup to their trophy cabinet.
The Gaffer was indisposed therefore Assistant Manager Iain Jackson took charge of team affairs ably assisted by Coach David Dunlop and Secretary David Buchanan. Already short in available numbers, Jackson's task was made all the more difficult by the late withdrawal experienced campaigner James Ford and teenage striker Rhys Millar.
Saints lined up with Craig Maitland in goal behind a back four of Shaye Black, Aidan Jackson, Ben Forbes and Matthew Pollock. Captain Scott Maitland partnered David Beaton in central midfield flanked by Alec McInroy and Keiron Lopez. Up front Connor Moore lead the line with Donald Campbell tucked in behind. On the substitutes bench were Oran Bryce and Innes Fraser.
Despite the bright sunshine it was a bitterly cold day at Allandale with the biting east wind blowing from the pavilion end ensuring the winter layers remained firmly on.
Steins had the advantage of the strong wind in the first half, and it took them just inside three minutes to capitalise. Having already repelled one long throw-in from Stephen Donaghy Saints failed to deal with a second guided missile from Donaghy with Craig Maitland's clearing punch dropping tamely onto the six-yard line from where Declan Valentine stroked home.
Aidan Jackson found himself on the wrong side of Referee Andrew Jaap after a late challenge on Kyle Allison had Mr Jaap reaching for his yellow card after just six minutes.
The hosts continued to use the conditions to their advantage and Andrew McGown headed another Stephen Donaghy long throw wide of target before Declan Valentine scooped a Kyle Allison cutback into the arms of Craig Maitland from a wind assisted Michael Wallace goal-kick.
Saints got themselves back on level terms in the twelfth minute with leading goal-scorer Connor Moore applying the finishing touch after Keiron Lopez had gathered in a Scott Maitland free-kick from the half-way line and picked out the unmarked Moore at the back post.
Parity however failed to last sixty seconds with Saints again unable to defend a set-piece. From the restart Alec McInroy turned the ball behind for a corner-kick on the Steins' left under pressure from Kyle Allison. Stephen Donaghy showed that the danger wasn't just from his arms with an in-swinging delivery to the far post which, after a bought of head tennis, was headed back across the face of goal where Donaghy had joined the action to nod home unchallenged.
The overworked Saints back four of Shaye Black, Aidan Jackson, Ben Forbes and Matty Pollock found a degree of composure to deal with the constant threat posed by the hosts' direct approach with goalkeeper Craig Maitland chipping in with some assured punched clearances.
At the other end Saints' only threat was from free-kicks with Ben Forbes winning a good knock-down for Connor Moore from a David Beaton delivery only to be given offside by Referee Jaap. Trying his luck against the wind, David Beaton sent an effort from twenty-five yards over the crossbar after Louis McPherson had wrestled Donald Campbell to the ground.
With the half-time interval in sight Saints conceded cheaply again when Kyle Allison's low cross from the right was allowed to squeeze through to multi East of Scotland Amateur Cup Winning Skipper with Steins and Fallin Colin Brannan for a simple tap-in at the back post.
Shaye Black's injured left knee left him unable to resume for the second forty-five with Keiron Lopez dropping back into defence, Donald Campbell taking Lopez's place on the left of midfield and Oran Bryce coming on to join Connor Moore in attack.
The wind advantage gave the Saints defence some respite however, even with meteorological assistance, the visitors failed to put the hosts under any real pressure with the back four of Louis McPherson, Dean Manson, Andrew McGown and Colin Brannan keeping goalkeeper Michael Wallace well protected.
Innes Fraser replaced Alec McInroy for the final quarter of the match giving the youngster some valuable experience against accomplished opposition.
Craig Maitland got a vital touch to turn a seventy-third minute dipping effort from John Harrison round his left-hand post after a breakdown in communications between Keiron Lopez and David Beaton had allowed the second-half substitute to race through on the left.
Saints' set-piece woes struck again with eight minutes remaining when Declan Valentine's corner-kick from the right was headed against the Saints crossbar before John Harrison drilled the loose ball through a forest of legs to round-off the scoring.
This coming Saturday Saints make their penultimate away trip of the Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association Premiership season when they travel to Parklea to face Port Glasgow Amateurs.
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