Saturday 24th 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
Alternative venue:-
Merkland Recreation Centre
Merkland Place
Kirkintilloch
G66 3SN
Last Saturday's second attempt to play this fixture failed to escape the bad weather which decimated the amateur football card throughout the country. Clearly keen to exploit any chance of an overnight thaw Harestanes delayed their pitch inspection until 8 am on Saturday morning but with the pitch at Waterside Park under six inches of snow there was no option but to postpone the fixture for a second time. This Saturday the Hares have the 3G pitch at Merkland Recreation Centre as a back up venue should Waterside Park once again prove unplayable. However with low temperatures forecast for the weekend there is a risk that too may be frozen off as was the case when this fixture was first due to be played on 13th December. Once again it's a case of fingers crossed and hope for the best.
Here's another chance to read last week's match preview:-
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. The match must be played to a finish on the day with extra time and penalties to decide the winner if required. The winners will have an away trip in round five to face either Bannockburn of the Central Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division of Duntocher of the West of Scotland Amateur Football League Premier Division.
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. The match must be played to a finish on the day with extra time and penalties to decide the winner if required. The winners will have an away trip in round five to face either Bannockburn of the Central Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division of Duntocher of the West of Scotland Amateur Football League Premier Division.
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
From the Archives - The Saints squad for the Scottish Amateur Cup match against Harestanes Amateurs at Glencruitten on Saturday 6th October 2007
In Other News
In a very welcome boost for the club Saints welcomed Dene Cassells back to training this week after an absence of thirty seven weeks. Dene's last appearance for Saints was in the Jimmy Marshall Trophy semi-final victory over Thorn Athletic at McKenna Park, Glasgow on 7th May 2014 where he sustained a broken leg. Hopefully it won't be too long before Dene is pushing for a place in the starting XI.
No comments:
Post a Comment