Hit The Road Jack

Hit The Road Jack

Saturday 4th October 2014
The Scottish Amateur Football Association Challenge Cup Competition
2nd Round
Wallacetoun Sporting Club v Oban Saints AFC
King George V Playing Fields
Mosside Road
Ayr
KA8 9ET
Kick Off 2pm
Referee Mr Nathan McMullen

Last Time Out

Without a game last weekend, due to a September Weekend fixture holiday declared by the Scottish Amateur Foorball League, a good number of the Saints players and management took in the Oban Camanachd v Fort William Marine Harvest National Division league title decider shinty match at Mossfield. Everything was going well for the local team with a first half Daniel MacIntyre strike giving them a well deserved half time lead. At this point the "Camancheros" appeared to be well on their way to winning the league and with it a return to top flight shinty next season but the proceedings were soon to turn into a farce. In a bizarre incident the referee was hit in the "family jewels" by a thumping clearance from Camanachd's Captain Scott MacMillan. Much to the hilarity of the large crowd the referee went down like a tonne of bricks, however the hilarity soon turned to concern and despair when it became apparent that the referee was in no fit state to continue. Amazingly, despite there being several qualified referees and two high ranking Camanachd Association officials present, nobody seemed to know what to do. Amid scenes of utter confusion Fort William seized their opportunity to get out of jail by successfully calling for the match to be abandoned much to the ire of their opponents. The match is now to be replayed and is guaranteed to be a feisty affair. Oban Camanachd have already offered to play on any date chosen by the Camanachd Association and have decided on free admission for spectators waiving their normal £3 charge. The re-match is guaranteed to generate massive interest and attract a bumper crowd. I wonder if the SAFL would consider another fixture holiday??

Saints produced their best performance of the season so far to record a convincing 3 - 0 win over Busby at Glencruitten on Saturday 20th September. Saints had managed just one point from two previous home matches against Busby and were anticipating another tough afternoon against the East Renfrewshire side. A strong start to the match by Saints soon had Busby pinned back in their own half and Craig MacEwan, Lewis Cameron, Allan Mackay and Ross Maitland all came close to giving the home side the lead. Just as it appeared that Busby had managed to reach the interval without conceding Saints eventually made the breakthrough when Roy McLuckie finished off an excellent Saints move involving Craig MacEwan, Ross Maitland, Lewis Cameron and Paul Kerr. A one goal advantage at half time was the very least that Saints first half play merited and better was to follow in the second half. With only seven minutes of the second half played Saints doubled their lead through a clever Lewis Cameron lob over advancing Busby keeper Danny Moy. The veteran keeper was having another good game between the posts denying Saints on a number of occassions but with ten minutes remaining Allan Mackay finished off the scoring with a deft chip over the keeper following good approach play by David McArthur and Dean Smith. The Saints Management, delighted as they were with the passing and movement in midfield and attack will also be quietly satisfied with a third consecutive clean sheet which helps keep Saints in touch with early pace setters Thorn Athletic and St Joseph's FP.

Saints Captain Marc MacCallum tussles with Busby striker Billy McGhee

Saints defender Dougal Graham and Busby wide man Stuart Kinloch link arms

This Saturday Saints begin another Scottish Amateur Cup adventure with a tricky away tie against Wallacetoun Sporting Club of the Ayrshire Amateur Football Association Second Division. Following two successive promotions and a blistering start to the new season Wallacetoun currently sit proudly on top of the Truckpoint Ayrshire Second Division with maximum points from their opening seven games and are one of only two teams in the AAFA set-up with a 100% record so far. The Toun have also been prolific scorers with forty two league goals to date including a 17 - 0 demolition of Vale of Girvan. The Ayrshire Cup has also been a happy hunting ground for the Toun with the scalps of Premier Division sides Dirrans Athletic and Lochan seeing them safely through to the third round where they have been drawn away to Second Division Prestwick against whom they have already recorded a 5 - 4 league victory. The only blot on an otherwise perfect start to the season for the Toun was a narrow Thistle Bar Trophy first round exit at the hands of Third Division Auchinleck Boswell.

Saints come into this fixture on the back of three successive victories and look to be slowly getting back to the form which brought them a league and cup double last season. Saints enjoy a good recent record in the Scottish Amateur Cup reaching at least the fifth round stage in all but two of the last eight seasons. Saints also have a good recent record in Scottish Cup ties on Ayrshire soil having notched up victories over Knockentiber in the 2006 - 07 7th round and Caledonia in the 2011 - 12 2nd round. Saints will be desperate to make amends for last season's meek 7th round exit against eventual losing semi-finalists Eastfield of the Central Scottish League Premier Division when despite having home advantage Saints produced their worst performance of the season to go down 2 - 0 in disappointing style. Saturday's match looks to be a very difficult fixture for Saints so early in the competition with the free scoring Toun attack sure to give the frugal Saints defence a thorough examination. Saints will be without their long term injury victims Donald Campbell, Dene Cassells and Colin Tindall while Scott Maitland is also still suffering the effects of his knee injury suffered against Kings Park Rangers.

King George V Playing Fields

Wallacetoun Sporting Club

Two of Ayr's Famous Sons:-

Rambo

John Loudon McAdam 1756 - 1836 Pioneer of modern road construction

In Other News

The draw for the second round of the Colville Park Country Club West of Scotland Amateur Cup took place on Monday 22nd September. Saints were drawn away from home to Glenburn Athletic of the Paisley and District Amateur Football League Premier Division. The tie is scheduled to be played on Saturday 18th October.

Saints received a major boost with the news that long term injury victim Donald Campbell's broken metatarsal is at last beginning to heal. Early indications are that Donald could return to action before the end of the year which is fantastic news for the player and the club.

Donald Campbell

#monthesaints