No Ordinary Joes

Carpenter Joe - No Ordinary Joe

Saturday 4th April 2015
Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division
St Joseph's FP AFC v Oban Saints AFC
William Street, Duntocher, Clydebank G81 6DF
Kick off 2pm
Referee Mr Andrew Seymour

Last Weekend

Saints were scheduled to play Kings Park Rangers at Glasgow Green in a Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division match last Saturday. Regrettably the grass parks at Glasgow Green couldn't withstand the punishment of the heavy overnight rain and the dreaded Saturday morning phone call duly arrived confirming the fixture had been postponed. The weather took a heavy toll on last Saturday's amateur football fixtures with the Scottish Amateur Football League alone managing to get just seven of their twenty five fixtures fulfilled.

No Ordinary Joes

This Saturday Saints travel to Duntocher to take on the Scottish Amateur Football League's other saints St Joseph's FP in a crucial match in the race for the Premier Division title. St Joes currently occupy fifth spot in the league with seventeen points, two points behind fourth placed Saints but with two games in hand and a vastly superior goal difference. St Joes have only played eight league fixtures so far, the last of which being a surprising 1 - 0 home defeat against Eaglesham at the tail end of November last year. That defeat aside St Joes' league form has been excellent including a convincing 5 - 2 win over Saints when the teams met at Glencruitten on 22nd November. Despite taking an early lead through a thumping Donald Campbell right foot shot Saints were well beaten by the visitors which Saints Manager Iain Jackson considered to be the best St Joes side he had seen for years. St Joes recovered from their league blip against Eaglesham to carry the banner for the Scottish Amateur Football League in the Scottish Amateur Cup making as far as the seventh round before narrowly losing out in a replay to Craigshill Thistle of the Lothian and Edinburgh Amateur Football Association Premier Division. With their Scottish Amateur Cup involvement over St Joes can now turn their attention to reeling in the seven point gap between them and current league leaders Finnart which with five games in hand places the ball firmly at St Joes' feet.
This is a "must win" fixture for Saints if they are to keep alive their hopes of retaining the Premier Division title for the first time. St Joes are many peoples favourites to be crowned this season's league champions however Saints have an excellent record at Duntocher and are unbeaten in six visits winning the last four. Last season's victory came courtesy of a first half goal from Paul Kerr and a second half penalty from Allan Mackay which effectively ended St Joes title hopes. Barring late call-offs Saints should be close to full strength as they seek to extend their own current good form into the closing stages of the league campaign.

St Joseph's FP AFC Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division fixtures so far this season:-

16th August 2014 Campbeltown Pupils 2 - 6 St Joseph's FP

23rd August 2014 St Joseph's FP 3 - 0 Alba Thistle

27th August 2014 Busby 0 - 3 St Joseph's

20th September 2014 St Joseph's 1 - 1 Haldane United

11th October 2014 Thorn Athletic 1 - 1 St Joseph's FP

25th October 2014 St Joseph's 3 - 0 Finnart
22nd November 2014 Oban Saints 2 - 5 St Joseph's FP
29th November 2014 St Joseph's FP 0 - 1 Eaglesham

St Joseph's FP Scottish Amateur Cup exploits this season:-

1st Round 6th September 2014 St Joseph's FP 4 - 2 Auchinairn Star

2nd Round 4th October 2014 Drumley 2 - 5 St Joseph's FP

3rd Round 1st November 2014 Silverburn 4 - 4 St Joseph's

3rd Round Replay 8th November 2014 St Joseph's 4 - 0 Silverburn
4th Round 6th December 2014 Clark Drive 2 - 2 St Joseph's FP
4th Round Replay 20th December 2014 St Joseph's FP 2 - 1 Clark Drive
5th Round 10th January 2015 Dirrans 3 - 6 St Joseph's FP
6th Round 28th February 2015 St Joseph's FP 3 - 0 Stedfast
7th Round 14th March 2015 Craigshill Thistle 0 - 0 St Joseph's FP
7th Round Replay 21st March 2015 St Joseph's FP 1 - 2 Craigshill Thistle 

St Joseph's West of Scotland Cup exploits this season:-

2nd Round 18th October 2014 Clydeside Athletic 1 - 6 St Joseph's FP

3rd Round 15th November 2014 St Joseph's FP 3 - 1 Catrine
4th Round 14th February 2015 EK Amateurs 5 - 1 St Joseph's FP

St Joseph's FP AFC recent Scottish Amateur Football League finishes:-

2006/07 Premier Division One 4th

2007/08 Premier Division One 2nd Promoted

2008/09 Premier Division Champions

2009/10 Premier Division 6th

2010/11 Premier Division 6th

2011/12 Premier Division 6th

2012/13 Premier Division 5th

2013/14 Premier Division 3rd

Saints away record against St Joseph's FP:-

2008/09 St Joseph's FP 1 - 1 Oban Saints
2009/10 St Joseph's FP 1 - 1 Oban Saints
2010/11 St Joseph's FP 1 - 3 Oban Saints
2011/12 St Joseph's FP 0 - 3 Oban Saints
2012/13 St Joseph's FP 0 - 1 Oban Saints
2013/14 St Joseph's FP 1 - 2 Oban Saints

Last season's SAFL Premier Division encounter at Clydebank High School

Saints and St Joseph's FP prepare to kick off

Allan Mackay is closely watched by the St Joe's defence

Lewis Cameron, Allan Mackay and Myles McAuley

Allan Mackay converts a 55th minute penalty kick to give Saints a 2 - 1 victory

In Other News

Saints striker Lewis Cameron received a late call up to the Scottish Amateur Football Association Select squad to face the Ayrshire Amateur Football Association Select at Colville Park Country Club last Sunday afternoon. Lewis, who was one of four new players brought into the squad by Scotland team manager Bruce McNaught, played the full ninety minutes and acquitted himself well in a 5 - 0 victory for the national select. This is a big honour for Lewis, Oban Saints and the Scottish Amateur Football League and hopefully Lewis did enough on the day to convince the Scotland management team that he is deserving of a place in the select squad for the forthcoming international fixtures.

#monthesaints