Saturday 17th January 2015
Colville Park Country Club West of Scotland Cup 4th Round
Harestanes Amateurs FC v Oban Saints AFC
Waterside Park
Gray Street
Kirkintilloch
G66 3LL
Kick Off 1.30pm
Referee Mr Kevin Nolan
Saints last outing remains the 4 - 1 league defeat away at Finnart on 30th November last year. Last Saturday's home match against Alba Thistle fell foul of the weather with Glencruitten waterlogged and the 3G at Oban High School unplayable due to the extremely high winds. The wind not only wiped out the Saints game but also the mobile phone network in Oban which is only now starting to recover. Whilst this service interruption brought some welcome relief from constantly ringing mobile phones at work it has certainly proved a considerable obstacle to the Saints Club Secretary in going about his duties. If only everyone went to Aulay's for a pint on Thursday afternoons it would make things so much easier!
This Saturday Saints face their biggest test of the season so far with a trip to Kirkintilloch to face Harestanes Amateurs in the West of Scotland Cup fourth round. The four time winners of the Central Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division currently sit in second place in the top flight of the Central Scottish league set-up, level on points with leaders Colville Park with a game in hand but with a slightly inferior goal difference. Saints come into this fixture smarting from back-to-back league defeats against St Joseph's F.P. and Finnart which has dealt a serious blow to their hopes of a successful title defence. However with their last fixture a very distant seven weeks ago Saints will be looking on this fixture as a fresh start and an opportunity to re-ignite their season. In sharp contrast to Saints indifferent form the Hares are on a ten match unbeaten run in all competitions and are widely considered to be the top amateur team in Scotland at present. If Saints are to progress in the competition they must blunt a prolific Harestanes attack which has already racked up ninety nine competitive goals this season. Saints can draw some encouragement from their last away trip to face Central Scottish Amateur Football League opposition in season 2102 - 13. On that occasion Saints recorded a highly creditable 2 - 2 draw against Colville Park in the Scottish Amateur Cup 7th round before ultimately succumbing to a 3 - 1 replay defeat against the eventual losing finalists.
Saints and Harestanes previously met in the second round of the 2007 - 08 Scottish Amateur Cup. After a 1 -1 draw at Glencruitten Saints were eventually edged out in the replay by two goals to one by the 2002 and 2003 Scottish Cup winners.
This Saturday's tie was originally scheduled for Saturday 13th December but with the Saints boys already on the mini-bus and about to depart the news came through from the Hares that the grass park at Merklands and the 3G at Kirkintilloch High School were both unplayable bringing 2014 to a frustratingly premature end for Saints. Following the Scottish Amateur Football League festive period shutdown and more severe weather disruption this will be Saints opening fixture of 2015 and they could scarcely have asked for a tougher fixture to begin the year with. The 2009 - 10 West of Scotland Cup was the last of an incredible fifteen major trophies won by Harestanes Amateurs in a fourteen season purple patch which they have been striving ever since to recreate. The Hares now look to be on the brink of reaching those dizzy heights again therefore a victory for Saints is an extremely tall order. Under West of Scotland Cup rules the tie must be played to a finish on the day with extra-time and penalties to decide the winner if required. Saints have proved in the past that they can mix it with the big boys so, although they are strong favourites the Hares should take nothing for granted. Whatever the final outcome the tie presents Saints with an ideal opportunity to test themselves against a team of the highest quality and to kick start what has been a faltering season so far with a good all round performance.
How the two teams have fared in this season's West of Scotland Cup:-
2nd Round
Harestanes Amateurs 13 - 1 Blantyre Soccer Acadamy
Glenburn Athletic 1 - 7 Oban Saints
3rd Round
Harestanes Amateurs 4 - 0 MLS Leeds
Rosehill Star 1 - 7 Oban Saints
Saints and Harestanes previously met in the second round of the 2007 - 08 Scottish Amateur Cup. After a 1 -1 draw at Glencruitten Saints were eventually edged out in the replay by two goals to one by the 2002 and 2003 Scottish Cup winners.
This Saturday's tie was originally scheduled for Saturday 13th December but with the Saints boys already on the mini-bus and about to depart the news came through from the Hares that the grass park at Merklands and the 3G at Kirkintilloch High School were both unplayable bringing 2014 to a frustratingly premature end for Saints. Following the Scottish Amateur Football League festive period shutdown and more severe weather disruption this will be Saints opening fixture of 2015 and they could scarcely have asked for a tougher fixture to begin the year with. The 2009 - 10 West of Scotland Cup was the last of an incredible fifteen major trophies won by Harestanes Amateurs in a fourteen season purple patch which they have been striving ever since to recreate. The Hares now look to be on the brink of reaching those dizzy heights again therefore a victory for Saints is an extremely tall order. Under West of Scotland Cup rules the tie must be played to a finish on the day with extra-time and penalties to decide the winner if required. Saints have proved in the past that they can mix it with the big boys so, although they are strong favourites the Hares should take nothing for granted. Whatever the final outcome the tie presents Saints with an ideal opportunity to test themselves against a team of the highest quality and to kick start what has been a faltering season so far with a good all round performance.
Harestanes Amateurs FC 2014
How the two teams have fared in this season's West of Scotland Cup:-
2nd Round
Harestanes Amateurs 13 - 1 Blantyre Soccer Acadamy
Glenburn Athletic 1 - 7 Oban Saints
3rd Round
Harestanes Amateurs 4 - 0 MLS Leeds
Rosehill Star 1 - 7 Oban Saints
Harestanes Amateurs West of Scotland Cup Winners 2009 - 2010
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