Winning In The Rain: Wandering Free

Saturday 16th November 2013
Foster's Scottish Amateur Cup Third Round
Oban Saints AFC -v- Rosyth FC
Glencruitten 2, Oban
Kick off 2pm
Referee Mr Derek Park

Last Saturday's scheduled Scottish Amateur Cup tie against Rosyth was postponed due to the Rosyth manager being involved in a road traffic accident. Happily he wasn't too badly injured and the match has been rescheduled for this Saturday. The winners of this match have been drawn at home in the fourth round to the winners of the Jimmy Johnstone Academy AFC versus Ellon AFC third round tie which is also due to be played this Saturday having been postponed last week.

As if two weekends without a match wasn't bad enough, Saints were dealt a further blow when SAFL Select squad member Willie Gemmell announced his immediate departure from the Club to sign for Highland League perennial strugglers Fort William. Willie's talents in midfield and defence will be sorely missed, as will his long throw and dead ball prowess.

Another deadly free kick from the recently departed Willie Gemmell

The disappointing news that Willie Gemmell has joined former Club Captain Keith Millar in succumbing to the lure of the Highland League has been tempered by the return of veteran Jamie Graham. A Saints man through and through, Jamie has had no hesitation in swapping his carpet slippers for football boots to bolster the squad for this season and his looking forward to resuming his defensive partnership with young Alex Craik.

Jamie Graham gets the boots back on

On their most recent league excursion Saints endured a 200 mile round trip for nothing more than a pitch inspection at a waterlogged Peter Brownlie Park in Cambuslang where they were due to play Castlemilk in the SAFL Premier Division. Despite the players having packed their scuba diving gear the referee deemed the pitch unplayable and the Saints contingent returned home somewhat earlier than originally anticipated.

Heavy going

Saints resume their Scottish Amateur Cup campaign this weekend with a home tie against Fife Amateur Football Association Premier Division side Rosyth. Saints entered this season's competition at the second round stage where they were drawn at home against Stirling and District League Division One outfit Independent. With the match at Glencruitten ending in a 3 - 3 draw a replay was required to separate the sides which Saints won comfortably by eight goals to two.

No more wandering for Rosyth

Saturday's opponents were founded in 1998 as Rosyth Wanderers but have been re-branded this season as Rosyth F.C. The Wanderers started their football existence in the Dunfermline and District Sunday Welfare League where they remained until 2003 before leaving to join the Fife Amateur Football Association in League Division Two. Promotion to Division One came by virtue of a second place finish in season 2009 - 10. Wanderers narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier Division in season 2011 - 12 and again last season. However a slight league re-organisation has allowed them to kick off their new existence in the Premier Division.

Rosyth have found life difficult in the top flight and currently sit third from bottom of the league with three points from four games.

Rosyth's league season so far:-

17th August Dysart 1 - 3 Rosyth

21st September Rosyth 0 - 3 St Andrews Amateurs

5th October Pittenweem Rovers 3 - 0 Rosyth

26th October Rosyth 0 - 2 Burntisland United

Rosyth's Scottish Cup campaign so far:-

1st Round 28th September Rosyth 5 - 2 Riverside

2nd Round 12th October Carronshore Athletic 1 - 2 Rosyth

Saints recent Scottish Cup pedigree should make them favourites to progress to the fourth round. Hopefully the memory of the mad thirteen second half minutes against Independent where Saints threw away a three goal lead will be fresh enough in the players' mind's to guard against any complacency.