Torrential Rain Can't Dampen Saints' Spirits
- Winning In The Rain
- Sep 14
- 6 min read
Saturday 13th September 2025
Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association
Premiership
Oban Saints 3 - 1 AFC Chryston
Oban Community Sports Field 3G
Soroba Road
Oban
Argyll
PA34 4JB
Kick-off 2.00pm
Referee Mr Kevin McIntyre
Oban Saints welcomed AFC Chryston to Oban High School last Saturday afternoon where the home side bounced back from the previous week's disappointing reverse in Dunblane. A battling Saints performance in difficult conditions notched a first ever Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association Premiership victory against a very good Chryston side who were a constant threat to the hard-working home defence excellently marshalled by Skipper Scott Maitland.
A Friday morning decision by Saints' Secretary David Buchanan to switch the match from Glencruitten to the all-weather surface at Oban High School proved to be a good call as by the time kick-off arrived the grass surface at Glencruitten was flooded. Rain fell incessantly throughout the match however, despite the conditions, the teams produced an entertaining spectacle for the hardy band of spectators who had braved the elements.
The lack of available numbers continues to hamper Manager Steven MacLeod and Assistant Graham Douglas in their team selections. The latest set of enforced changes saw the Gaffer once again take a place on the bench while the Assistant Manager pulled on his gloves to start in goal. Craig Livingstone returned from injury to make his first start of the season and the recently returned to the club Connor Howe was also given a starting role. Also making a welcome return after an extended close season break was Coach David Dunlop who joined stalwarts David Buchanan and Peter MacCallum on the touchline.
Saints lined up with Graham Douglas in goal behind a back three of Matty Pollock, Captain Scott Maitland and Ryan Barclay. The central midfield three of Aaron McKay, Gavin Forgrieve and Connor Howe were flanked by wingbacks Craig Livingstone and Donald Campbell while James Conington and Rhys Millar formed the strike partnership up front. Manager Steven MacLeod was joined on the substitutes bench by Shaye Black and Kuba Ryska.
Chryston kicked off attacking the school end and were quickly on the attack winning a third minute corner kick off a Ryan Barclay interception. Scott Maitland got his head to James O'Connor's in-swinging delivery from the right, but Andrew Beveridge was first to the ball for the visitors and squeezed a shot wide of Graham Douglas' left-hand post.
Saints' first foray up field came sixty seconds later when youngsters Donald Campbell and Rhys Millar linked well on the left with Campbell sending Millar through only to be pulled back for a very tight offside call from experienced Referee Kevin McIntyre.
Campbell was involved again in the tenth minute, this time on the edge of the Saints' eighteen-yard box, where he was caught trying to play his way out of trouble by Chryston striker Darren McGhee who fired off a powerful shot which Graham Douglas did well to save low to his left.
Douglas' opposite number Aedan Houston had to be on his toes in the twelfth minute to pluck the ball off the toes of Rhys Millar after Matty Pollock had robbed Darren McGhee on the half-way line to send Millar racing through the inside right channel.
On the quarter hour Scott Maitland, Donald Campbell and Rhys Millar combined well on the left to win a corner kick. Gavin Forgrieve's deep delivery from the corner flag was recycled creating a shooting opportunity for Connor Howe who saw his effort comfortably dealt with by Aedan Houston.
Graham Douglas had to back pedal and catch under his crossbar a twenty-third minute miss-hit cross from the left from Brendan Johnson.
Saints opened the scoring in the twenty-fifth minute when Aaron McKay exploited hesitation in the Chryston defence. The visitors were appealing for an offside decision which Mr McIntyre correctly declined to award when McKay swung over a cross from the right which James Conington stretched his neck muscles to glance well beyond the reach of Aedan Houston and into the top corner of the net.
Mr McIntyre, who handled proceedings well, did however rule in favour of the visitors five minutes later calling Craig Livingstone offside when played through for a shot on goal by Conington.
Connor Howe was penalised for a foul on Andrew Beveridge giving Darren McGhee the chance to test Graham Douglas from twenty-eight yards. Douglas got his angles spot-on leaping to his left to save the Chryston striker's net bound effort.
The Saints' strike partnership of James Conington and Rhys Millar combined five minutes before the interval to test Aedan Houston with the Chryston saving well to his left to deny Millar from a Conington flick-on.
The visitors continued their search for an equaliser into the second half but very nearly conceded a second when Graham Douglas clawed a corner-kick into the path of Gavin Forgrieve who sent Rhys Millar racing into the Chryston half on the Saints' right. Millar tried to beat Aedan Houston from the corner of the eighteen-yard box, but the advancing keeper threw out a strong right hand taking enough of the sting out of Millar's effort to allow the covering Brendan Johnson to clear the danger.
Chryston drew level in the fifty-seventh minute profiting from a solitary mistake in an otherwise exemplary performance from Saints' Skipper Scott Maitland. Darren McGhee escaped the attentions of Craig Livingstone on the Chryston left to send a cross bouncing dangerously towards the near post. Maitland's mistimed attempted clearance on the slippery surface spun behind him and the stranded Graham Douglas before nestling in the bottom corner to level the scoring.
Parity however lasted only two minutes when the hard-working Aaron McKay was allowed time and space inside the Chryston half to carry the ball forward and arrow a low shot from thirty yards just inside Aedan Houston's right-hand post.
With their lead now restored Saints returned to defensive solidity and counterattack which was inches away from bearing fruit in the sixty-fourth minute. Rhys Millar held the ball up well on the halfway line before turning and laying the ball into the stride of the overlapping Craig Livingstone. The flying wingback raced up the right wing before sending over a low cross which fell just behind the up in support Connor Howe denying the midfielder a scoring return.
Saints looked to profit again on the right in the seventieth minute, but Aedan Houston read the danger well coming the corner of his eighteen-yard box to gather ahead of James Conington. The keeper however almost came unstuck when his throw out to the Chryston right was beautifully anticipated by Donald Campbell who chested the ball down and shot from distance but without the necessary power to beat the relieved Houston who scrambled across to gather the ball on his six-yard line.
Conington was sent through again by Gavin Forgrieve five minutes later this time beating Houston to the ball and shooting across the keeper but wide of the far post.
Saints Manager Steven MacLeod made his only change of the afternoon with seven minutes remaining sending on young Kuba Ryska to replace Connor Howe.
Despite Chryston's best endeavours the home side looked to be holding on for a hard-fought victory which was placed beyond any doubt sixty seconds before the end of the regulation ninety minutes. Aedan Houston once again came a long way out of his box to intercept a long Gavin Forgrieve ball up to Rhys Millar. The young Saints striker immediately put Houston under pressure and robbed the keeper twenty-five yards from goal maintaining his composure to roll the ball into the unguarded net and seal victory for Saints.
This coming Saturday the D&K Lafferty Contractors and MKM Oban Building Supplies sponsored Saints travel to Blantyre to face Blantyre Soccer Academy 21's in the first round of the West of Scotland Amateur Cup. The tie must be settled on the day with a penalty shoot-out to decide the winners if the two sides cannot be separated after ninety minutes.
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