Winning In The Rain: Leaving Here

Eddie Holland - Leaving Here

Saturday 9th May 2015
Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division
Haldane United AFC v Oban Saints AFC
Inler Park, Talbot Road, Balloch G83 8AB
Kick off 2pm
Referee Mr Andrew Seymour

Last Weekend

Saints feint hopes of retaining their Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division title finally came to an end last weekend. While the Saints players and management were enjoying a bank holiday weekend off all eyes were on title rivals St Joseph's FP and Thorn Athletic who went head-to-head in Duntocher in the Premier Division's only fixture. A share of the points or a St Joe's win would keep Saints in the title race for another week alas, after a tense ninety minutes at William Street it was men from Johnstone who prevailed and Saints hopes were scuppered. Thorn went two goals ahead within the opening half hour but were pegged back from the penalty spot on the stroke of half time. In the second half St Joe's did all that they could to break down the resolute Thorn defence but couldn't find a way past Thorn skipper and goalkeeper Liam McWilliams who pulled off some excellent saves to keep the Joe's attack at bay. The decisive moment of the match came with ten minutes remaining when Thorn's dead ball expert Paul Young scored direct from a corner kick sending the Thorn contingent on the sidelines wild with delight. St Joe's pulled one back in stoppage time after a rare lapse in concentration in the Thorn defence but it was too little too late from a Saints point of view as the three points gives Thorn a points advantage which Saints cannot now overhaul. Despite losing to their closest rivals St Joe's remain in with a shout of the Premier Division title if they can win all of their remaining fixtures.

Leaving Here

This Saturday see's Saints make their final trip to Inler Park, Balloch before hosts Haldane United depart the Scottish Amateur Football League in search of a fresh challenge in the Central Scottish Amateur Football League. Haldane will follow in the footsteps of the likes of Aikenhead Thistle, Gourock Athletic, Greenock High School FP, Postal United and St Patrick's FP who have all undertaken the same journey in recent seasons. Haldane are a very well run and ambitious club and their departure is a blow to the Scottish Amateur Football League especially as it comes at the same time as Thorn Athletic and Eaglesham's defection to the Caledonian League.
Haldane United's brief spell in the Scottish Amateur Football League has been a successful one securing four promotions, one cup and two league titles in six seasons. However, despite coming agonisingly close last season, the much prized Premier Division title looks now to have escaped their grasp. Haldane currently sit in third place in the Premier Division with twenty five points from seventeen games, marginally ahead of Saints on goal difference but with three games more played.
Both teams are now out of contention for the Premier Division title and are left to slug it out for third spot with Eaglesham and Finnart.

Saints hold the upper hand in the five matches between the clubs so far however every game has been extremely close with little to choose between two very well matched sides. Saints only previous visit to Inler Park came back in August 2013 and gave the eventual title winners a preview of the remarkable resilience Haldane were to show throughout last season's league campaign. Saints were 3 - 0 ahead and seemingly coasting to victory against ten men with thirty minutes left to play but Haldane came storming back to draw the match 3 - 3. Indeed such was the head of steam built up by Haldane in the closing stages that had the match lasted any longer they would most probably turned the result around completely.

As this is Haldane's final fixture in the Scottish Amateur Football League they will be desperate to go out on a high especially as it gives them one last opportunity to get one over on Saints against whom they have built up a close but friendly rivalry in recent seasons.

Haldane United

Saints record against Haldane United:-

8th May 2013 SAFL Jimmy Marshall Trophy Semi-Final Haldane United 0 - 2 Oban Saints
24th August 2013 SAFL Premier Division Haldane United 3 - 3 Oban Saints
31st May 2014 SAFL Premier Division Oban Saints 2 - 1 Haldane United
7th March 2015 SAFL Premier Division Oban Saints 5 - 3 Haldane United
18th April 2015 SAFL Jimmy Marshall Trophy Quarter-Final Oban Saints 1 - 0 Haldane United

Haldane United's league fixtures so far this season:-

16th August 2014 Alba Thistle 0 - 2 Haldane United
23rd August 2014 Eaglesham 2 - 1 Haldane United
6th September 2014 Campbeltown Pupils 2 - 7 Haldane United
13th September 2014 Haldane United 1 - 5 Finnart
20th September 2014 St Joseph's FP 1 - 1 Haldane United
11th October 2014 Haldane United 2 - 2 Busby
8th November 2014 Haldane United 1 - 3 Thorn Athletic
15th November 2014 Haldane United 0 - 0 Campbeltown Pupils
29th November 2014 Kings Park Rangers 1 - 3 Haldane United
7th February 2015 Haldane United 5 - 2 Kings Park Rangers
28th February 2015 Haldane United 3 - 1 Eaglesham
7th March 2015 Oban Saints 5 - 3 Haldane United
14th March 2015 Thorn Athletic 2 - 0 Haldane United
21st March 2015 Busby 2 - 6 Haldane United
15th April 2015 Haldane United 1 - 2 St Joseph's FP
25th April 2015 Haldane United 1 - 1 Alba Thistle

Haldane United's Scottish Amateur Football League Record:-

2008/09 Division 2A Champions and Coronation Cup Winners Promoted
2009/10 Division 1 Champions Promoted
2010/11 Premier Division Two 2nd Promoted
2011/12 Premier Division One 3rd
2012/13 Premier Division One 2nd Promoted
2013/14 Premier Division 2nd