The Colville Park Country Club West of Scotland Amateur Cup
Saturday 1st February 2014
Colville Park Country Club West of Scotland Amateur Cup 4th Round
Giffnock North AAC AFC v Oban Saints AFC
Northolm Sports Complex, Braidbar Farm Road, Giffnock, Glasgow G46 6HU
Kick Off 1.30pm
Referee Mr Iain Hamilton
Last Time Out
On Saturday 18th January Saints endured another fruitless journey south when for the second time this season their match was called off at the eleventh hour due to an unplayable pitch. This time the cancellation was at John Brown's, Clydebank where Saints were due to play Kilbowie Union in a SAFL Premier Division match. The pitch having been played on in the morning was unable to withstand a torrential downpour just before Saints arrived and the referee Mr Matt Stanley correctly called the match off. Despite there being no blame attributable to their hosts in either cancellation it is still deeply frustrating for the players and officials to travel such a distance for no game. The Saints management and players were therefore very appreciative of the early decision by Giffnock North to postpone last Saturday's scheduled match. Heavy rain throughout the week and more of the same forecast for Saturday gave the hosts an easy decision to make and the match was called off on Friday afternoon.
Both clubs will be hoping that the recent improvement in the weather continues and that the heavy rain and snow currently forecast for Friday and Saturday fails to materialise.
This Saturday Saints are on the road again when they travel to the Northolm Sports Complex to face Giffnock North of the Caledonian Premier League in the West of Scotland Cup 4th round. Saints reached the 4th round courtesy of a narrow 2-1 win over Glasgow Harp also of the Caledonian Premier League and can expect a similarly tight match against the North. Giffnock North qualified for the 4th round last Saturday with a 3-1 win away at Jordanhill Campus.
Giffnock North's progress in the West of Scotland Cup this season:-
Round 2 7th December 2013 Giffnock North 6 - 1 Glentyan
Round 3 18th January 2014 Jordanhill Campus 1 - 3 Giffnock North
Unfortunately for the North they exited the Scottish Cup on the previous Saturday with an away defeat at Bank Street Athletic of the Midlands Amateur Football Association Premier League.
Giffnock North's Scottish Cup exploits this season:-
Round 2 26th October 2013 Hillside 1 - 3 Giffnock North
Round 3 9th November 2013 Giffnock North 5 - 1 Queensferry Athletic
Round 4 30th November 2013 Giffnock North 3 - 1 Beith Amateurs
Round 5 11th January 2014 Bank Street Athletic 3 - 2 Giffnock North
Giffnock North Caledonian Premier League Winners 2012 - 13
Fever Pitch Moment for Giffnock North
Giffnock North are the defending Caledonian Premier League champions having narrowly pipped Westerlands and Glasgow Harp to the league title last season. The league was won in dramatic fashion with virtually the last kick of the last game of the season. An injury time penalty from Nani (no, not that Nani but he is very good by all accounts) won the match 2-1 for the North lifting them above Westerlands and Glasgow Harp by just one point and consigning their opponents on the night Dalziel High School Former Pupils to relegation. This gave the North a league and cup double the William Turner Challenge Cup having been secured earlier in the season.
Giffnock North have stuttered slightly in defence of their title having already lost more league games this season than in the entire title winning campaign. The North are currently eighth in the Caledonian Premier League with 12 points from 10 games, 10 points behind league leaders Milton.
Giffnock North's title defence so far:-
10th August 2013 St Mungo's 3 - 2 Giffnock North
13th August 2013 Giffnock North 1 - 2 East Kilbride Whitehills
21st August 2013 Giffnock North 2 - 1 Glasgow Harp
24th August 2013 Giffnock North 3 - 1 Gartcosh United
28th August 2013 Westerlands 1 - 0 Giffnock North
31st August 2013 Cambria 3 - 4 Giffnock North
7th September 2013 Doune Castle 2 - 1 Giffnock North
21st September 2013 Gartcosh United 1 - 2 Giffnock North
5th October 2013 Giffnock North 1 - 2 Dumbarton Academy Former Pupils
16th November 2013 Giffnock North 0 - 1 Westerlands
Double Winners 2012 - 13
Giffnock North are a long established and highly respected club now in their 71st year. They can boast may trophies from spells in the East Renfrewshire Amateur League, Scottish Amateur Football League, Greater Glasgow Premier league and Caledonian League. Their most notable success is undoubtedly the Scottish Amateur Cup win in 1957.
Allan MacKay's penalty makes it Oban Saints 2 - 1 Glasgow Harp in round 3
Saints go into this match on an unbeaten run in all competitions this season and desperate to make up for the three trophies which slipped agonisingly from their grasp last season. With the heat building in the battle for glory in the national cup competitions these two evenly matched sides should serve up a cracker of a cup tie. The match will be played to a finish with extra time and penalties if required. The winners will face double Scottish Amateur Cup winners Eddlewood in round 5 with another home tie against either St Mungo's. South Camlachie, Broomhouse or Arthurlie United awaiting the winners in round 6.
It's Up For Grabs Now
Saints enjoyed their own Fever Pitch moment at Northolm in 2002 in a last game of the season winner takes all match similar to Arsenal's 1989 title winning triumph against Liverpool at Anfield. In an amazing Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division One season Saints and Shamrock from Greenock finished level on points, goal difference and goals scored. The 18 game season saw both teams amass 39 points, score 51 goals and concede 27 therefore the SAFL ruled that a play-off match at a neutral venue should decide the league winners. The match was played at Northolm on Friday 7th June 2002 with a 7.00pm kick off in front of a good number of supporters from both sides as well as some interested neutrals.
Saints started strongly and were soon in front thanks to a wonderful 25 yard shot from veteran midfielder Donald MacLennan which flew past the despairing dive of the Shamrock keeper into the top left hand corner of the net. This was Donald's last game for Saints and a fitting way to bow out after a long and illustrious career. Shamrock recovered from this early set back and as the half wore on came more and more into the game. Two quick goals on the brink of half time gave Shamrock a 2-1 lead at the interval. Saints began the second half in a similar fashion to the first and were soon on level terms courtesy of a neat finish from inside the box by young midfielder and future Saints captain Keith Millar. The game then developed into an end to end battle with both sets of players giving their all in an attempt to avoid a penalty shoot-out. Chances came and went but nobody was able to find the net and with time rapidly running out and the light beginning to fade penalties looked inevitable.
In the 90th minute Shamrock launched one final attack down the right wing, the Shamrock winger skipped past Saints full back Colin Campbell but his cross was easily collected by Saints keeper David Dunlop. With every outfield player now in the Saints half David kicked from hand high into the night sky. The ball feel kindly at the feet of Saints centre forward Kenny "Tanno" MacDonald whose neat turn left his marker sprawling on the turf and left him a clear path to the Shamrock goal. With the Shamrock defence in hot pursuit Tanno bore down on the Shamrock goal. The keeper advanced but committed himself too soon allowing Tanno to take the ball round him and roll it into the empty net. Cue pandemonium amongst the Saints players, officials and fans. There was barely any time left and the referee blew for full time almost immediately after the re-start. A most dramatic end to an unbelievably close league season.
After enjoying the excellent facilities of the Northolm Sports Pavilion and stopping off at the local Victoria Wine shop for some essential supplies, it was a deliriously happy Saints bus that headed back to Oban where the party continued well into the next
The most dramatic finish in the history of the Football League
Scottish Amateur Football Association UEFA Regions Preparatory Match
Saints players Donald Campbell, Myles McAuley and Marc MacCallum were in a SAFA South West Select team who took on the SAFA international team in a UEFA Regions preparatory match at Ravenscraig Sports Centre on Sunday 19th January. Despite having never played before as a team the select acquitted themselves well in a 4 - 1 defeat against their well drilled opponents. The select players can be pleased with their efforts but now face an anxious wait before discovering whether their exploits were enough earn them a call up to the international squad.
Nick Hornby's debut novel inspired by Arsenal's league title win at Anfield
#monthesaints
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