Saints youngsters outgun the Warriors

Saints kicked off on the immaculate Ochilview 4G surface attacking the Donald Smillie Enclosure end where they opened the scoring after 11 minutes. Rhys Millar started the move on the halfway line after picking up a clearing header from Ben Forbes. Millar laid the ball off to Scott Maitland on the left of the back three who, in turn, sent Keiran Griffin away on the left. Griffin cut inside and picked out Fraser MacFarlane for a neat turn and shot which flew high into the net beyond the left hand of Stenhousemuir keeper Mark Angus.

Ben Forbes continued his search for that elusive first Saints’ goal running onto an indirect free kick from Gavin Forgrieve after Mark Angus had been penalised for picking up a back pass. Forbes, however, could not beat the Stenhousemuir defensive wall with Tushar Patil eventually slicing the ball behind for a corner kick.

Front pairing Rhys Millar and Fraser MacFarlane both had efforts blocked by Stenny central defender Jordan Piercy before Ruaridh Horne tested the handling of Mark Angus with an effort from the edge of the 18-yard box.

Having safely gathered Horne’s shot, Angus launched a 23rd minute counter-attack where the hosts passed up a decent opportunity when Adam Cunningham sliced high and wide from a Tushar Patil cross from the right.

Ruaridh Horne’s sights were now in, and he was on hand to fire high past Mark Angus’ right hand from 25 yards doubling Saints’ advantage in the 24th minute when tee’d up by Fraser MacFarlane.

The D&K Lafferty Contractors and MKM Building Supplies sponsored Oban side stretched their advantage still further two minutes later when Rhys Millar raced onto an Aidan Jackson ball up the right and held off the challenge of Jimmy Chamberlain before picking out Keiran Griffin’s near post run. Griffin got across Ricki Sharp to side-foot past the cruelly exposed Mark Angus from six yards.

Young Rhys Millar continued to find gaps in the Stenny defence and was denied on the half hour mark by an excellent recovery challenge from Jordan Piercy.

At the other end Hayden Orange sliced a left foot volley well off target after Ben Forbes had headed out a deep free kick to the edge of the Saints’ 18-yard box.

With 10 minutes of the first half remaining Saints made it four when Gavin Forgrieve played Rhys Millar into the left of the Stenny box after a long and patient build-up. Millar was dispossessed by Jordan Piercy but the ball broke back to Forgrieve who found the bottom corner with unerring accuracy past the outstretched left glove of Mark Angus.

Ruaridh Horne and Scott Maitland were both narrowly off target before Stenny striker Adam Cunningham repaid the compliment on the stroke of half-time by slicing another Tushar Patil cross from the right high and wide.

Saints’ gaffer Ross Maitland looked to his extremely youthful substitutes bench after ten second half minutes handing a debut to Donald Campbell on the left with Alec McInroy making way. Further debuts followed nine minutes later when Connor Beattie and Innes Fraser replaced Fraser MacFarlane and Rhys Millar respectively.

Kieron Lopez fired over in the 68th minute before young substitutes Donald Campbell and Connor Beattie twice combined to test Mark Angus. Campbell’s 69th minute cross from the left was met first time by Beattie who found the gloves of the Stenny keeper. Sixty seconds later the two young substitutes produced almost a carbon copy with Angus this time making an excellent save low to his right to deny Beattie.

It was a case of third time lucky for young Beattie in the 74th minute when he found the gap between Mark Angus’ left-hand post and his outstretched fingers with a beautiful finish from 18 yards after good work on the right by Aidan Jackson.

Having kept the hosts at arm’s length for almost the entire second half, Saints would have been disappointed to concede six minutes before the final whistle. There was however little that could have been done to prevent Martyn O’Neill’s perfectly executed 28-yard free kick from finding the top corner.

By contrast Stenhousemuir’s second goal was easily preventable as Saints’ corner-kick Achilles heel was once again exposed. Adam Cunningham’s delivery from the left was clipped to the front post with no Saints’ player attacking the ball which eventually found its way into the net off the unfortunate Gavin Forgrieve who had been Saints’ standout performer on the day.

There was still time for Saints to test Mark Angus again with the Stenhousemuir number one equal to the task saving well with his legs from Kieron Lopez before referee Stephen Rae, who handled proceedings well, blew for full-time.

Due to scheduled opponents Drumchapel Amateurs Colts having folded, Saints have no fixture this coming Saturday but will resume their Scottish Premier Amateur Football Association Premiership campaign with a home match against Harestanes on Saturday March 1.