The Great Escape

The Great Escape Motorcycle Scene

Saturday 13th August 2016
Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division
Oban Saints AFC v Campbeltown Pupils AFC
Glencruitten 2, Mossfield Avenue, Oban, Argyll PA34 4EH
Kick Off 2pm
Referee Mr James Litster

The Great Escape

Saints open their 2016 - 17 Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division campaign this Saturday with the visit of Argyll rivals Campbeltown Pupils. The Pupils secured their Premier Division status on the closing day of last season with a dramatic win over Saints at Kintyre Park completing a remarkable feat of escapology that Harry Houdini himself would have been proud of. Having gathered just nine points from fifteen league fixtures Pupils found themselves requiring to take maximum points from their final three fixtures against three of the league's top four sides in order to avoid joining East Kilbride Rolls Royce in dropping into Premier Division One. A chink of light appeared at the end of the tunnel when West of Scotland Amateur Cup runners up Goldenhill elected not to travel to Campbeltown on Saturday 28th May gifting the points to the home side. The following Saturday Pupils sensationally set up a final day thriller with a 2 - 1 win over deposed Champions St Joseph's in a bruising encounter in Duntocher. The final match of the 2015 - 16 league season was played in Campbeltown the very next day in front of a large home support enjoying a day of rare summer sunshine. Pupils were given a massive confidence boost when Saints rolled into town with just eleven players in their injury ravaged squad. Lady luck continued to shine on the home team when Martin McCallum sliced a corner kick over Saints keeper Thomas McCulloch and into the net giving Pupils a 1 - 0 advantage which they successfully protected until the half time interval. Saints injury crisis forced Manager Alex Craik into action and it was the Gaffer who was on hand to take advantage of a slip from Pupils keeper Reid Anderson forcing the ball home from close range to level the scores and set up a dramatic finale. A draw was of no use to the Pupils requiring them to commit more men forward leaving them vulnerable at the back. After surviving several anxious moments the Pupils finally found the moment of inspiration they had been desperately in search of when full backs Keith Mitchell and John McCallum combined to carve open the Saints defence in the closing minutes. Mitchell made an excellent run across the tiring Saints defence and played in McCallum who crashed a powerful shot off the Saints crossbar but followed up his own effort to head into the net for the winning goal. The Pupils players, officials and supporters were justifiably jubilant at completing a highly unlikely survival act which guarantees Argyll's amateur football fans at least two local derbies to look forward to this season.

Last Season's Corresponding Fixture

When Pupils came calling at Glencruitten last season they met a Saints side who had recovered from an indifferent start to the season and were showing signs of the form which would eventually take them all the way to a Scottish Amateur Cup semi-final. After a goalless first half Saints eventually breached the stubborn Pupils rearguard when Donald Campbell collected a Paul Kerr pass and slotted home from a tight angle after rounding keeper Reid Anderson. Saints made it two shortly afterwards when Ross Maitland curled an in-swinging corner from the Saints left into the postage stamp corner over the head of Fraser Wylie on the goal line. Despite falling two goals behind Pupils remained cautious in their approach and somehow managed to pass up the one gilt edged chance that did come their way substitute Ellis Robertson slipped at the vital moment and miscued a simple chance straight into the grateful arms of Saints keeper Thomas McCulloch.

Team News

Holidays and work commitments will present Manager Alex Craik with a few headaches as he ponders his best line-up for this season's curtain raiser. Definitely missing from the Gaffer's plans are injury victims Martin Bonar, Paul Carmichael and Dougal Graham. On a brighter note Skipper Marc Maccallum looks set to end his injury nightmare and take his place at the heart of the Saints defence. The usual full blooded battle for precious league points and local bragging rights is anticipated as the old Argyll rivals strive to get their league campaigns off to the best possible start.

Campbeltown Pupils Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division Two Champions 2012 - 13

Campbeltown Pupils' recent record in the SAFL:-

2006/07 Premier Division One 5th

2007/08 Premier Division One 3rd Promoted

2008/09 Premier Division 10th Relegated

2009/10 Premier Division One 7th

2010/11 Premier Division One 9th Relegated

2011/12 Premier Division Two 4th

2012/13 Premier Division Two Champions Promoted

2013/14 Premier Division One Champions Promoted

2014/15 Premier Division 7th
2015/16 Premier Division 8th

Saints v Pupils in recent seasons:-

2008/09 SAFL Premier Division

16th August 2008 Oban Saints 2 - 1 Campbeltown Pupils

20th May 2009 Campbeltown Pupils 3 - 2 Oban Saints

2014/15 SAFL Premier Division

13th September 2014 Campbeltown Pupils 0 - 1 Oban Saints

30th May 2015 Oban Saints 2 - 1 Campbeltown Pupils

2015/16 SAFL Premier Division

7th November 2015 Oban Saints 2 - 0 Campbeltown Pupils

5th June 2016 Campbeltown Pupils 2 - 1 Oban Saints

Action from Saints 2 - 0 win over Pupils at Glencruitten last season

David McArthur heads wide

Dean Smith wins flick on ahead of Jamie Burns

Jamie Graham

Thomas McCulloch saves from John McCallum

Pupils keep a tight line at the back

Pupils keeper Reid Anderson

David McArthur, Fraser Wylie, Craig MacEwan and Keith Mitchell

Dean Smith and Paul Grumoli

John McCallum's sliding challenge on Dene Cassells

Paul Kerr

Donald Campbell breaks the deadlock

Fraser Wylie on the goal-line can't keep out Ross Maitland's corner kick

Willie Gemmell curls free-kick wide of target

Cup Draw News

Scottish Amateur Football Association Challenge Cup Competition

Saints were one of sixty four names drawn out of the hat in the Scottish Amateur Cup West section first round. The draw pairs Saints with former Premier Division rivals Finnart who departed the Scottish Amateur Football League at the end of last season in search of a new challenge in the Caledonian League. The tie, which is widely considered to be one of the standouts of the first round, will played at Glasgow Green on Saturday 3rd September.

West of Scotland Amateur Cup

Saints avoided the first round of the West of Scotland cup and have been drawn away from home against Airdrie side Petershall Villa of the Strathclyde Saturday Morning Amateur Football League. The tie, which must be decided on the day with extra time and penalty kicks to decide the winner if required, is scheduled to be played on Saturday 22nd October.

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