Take It Easy

Eagles - Take It Easy

Saturday 23rd January 2016
Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division
Oban Saints AFC v East Kilbride Rolls Royce AFC
Glencruitten 2, Mossfield Avenue, Oban, Argyll PA34 4EH
Kick Off 2pm
Referee Mr John Scott

Following the cancellation of last weekend's away match against East Kilbride Rolls Royce the Scottish Amateur League Match Secretary has decided to reverse the fixture giving Saints the pleasure of hosting old rivals "the Rolly". The decision last Friday afternoon to postpone the following day's fixture was an early call by the Rolly but one which turned out to be fully justified as by kick off time on Saturday East Kilbride was buried under a blanket of snow. Indeed so bad was the weather in the central belt that the amateur football fixture list was almost entirely wiped out with only a handful of games surviving.

East Kilbride winter wonderland 16th January 2016

This Saturday Saints welcome old adversaries East Kilbride Rolls Royce to Glencruitten for a vital Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division fixture. Saints and the Rolly have crossed swords many times over the years in the Scottish Amateur Football League often with very little to choose between the two sides. Indeed it was honours even when the Rolly last graced the Premier Division in season 2012 - 13 with both games resulting in score draws. The Rolly's last trip to Oban came in May 2013 with Saints in the thick of a three way title race with Aikenhead Thistle and Postal United and the Rolly fighting the drop to Premier Division One. Torrential rain rendered Glencruitten unplayable so the match was switched to the all weather surface at Oban High School. In the dying minutes of an extremely tight encounter Saints Captain Keith Millar met an Asen Gaydardzhiev flick-on from a Willie Gemmell long throw with a diving back post header to give Saints to give Saints what ought to have been the a match winning goal. The Rolly however kept plugging away and in the 94th minute were awarded a hotly disputed penalty kick when Alex Craik was harshly penalised for an alleged push in the back inside the Saints box. The spot kick was duly converted giving the Rolly a share of the points and keeping alive their hopes of surviving the drop. The dropped points signaled the beginning of a dismal run of just one point from the following three games which extinguished any hopes Saints had of securing the league title with the trophy once again ending up in Glasgow's East end with Postal United. Despite their good showing against Saints and an excellent 3 - 2 away win against St Joseph's F.P. in their final game of the season the Rolly failed to gather enough points to preserve their Premier Division status and joined Eaglesham in falling through the trap door into Premier Division One by virtue of an inferior goal difference to that of Thorn Athletic and Finnart with whom they had finished level on points. The Rolly then spent two seasons in Premier Division One where last season's third place finish behind East Kilbride FC Amateurs and Shawlands FP was enough to see them rejoin the top division.

Saints last encounter with the Rolly was on cup duty back in October when a Donald Campbell hat-trick inspired Saints to a 5 - 1 win to knock the Rolly out of the West of Scotland Amateur Cup at the second round stage. Also on the score sheet in an emphatic win were Craig MacEwan and Willie Gemmell. Despite an excellent performance all round team performance Saints didn't have everything entirely their on way and couldn't deny their hosts their consolation goal from a thundering right foot Paul Innes shot after a great run from deep in his own half. Since then Saints remain unbeaten in seven competitive matches with two dropped league points in a thrilling 4 - 4 draw at Goldenhill being the only blot on an otherwise perfect record. Saints unbeaten run has taken them to the sixth round of the Scottish Amateur Cup, the fourth round of the West of Scotland Cup and has propelled them back into the race for the Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division title.

Being out of both major cup competitions the Rolly can now concentrate entirely on their league campaign which, after producing only one point from the opening five fixtures, has recovered considerably since their cup exits. Home wins over Alba Thistle and, most recently, Campbeltown Pupils have lifted the Rolly off the foot of the Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division table and up to seventh place.

Barring any late call-offs Saints Manager Alex Craik will name the same squad that eliminated last season's beaten finalists Craigshill Thistle from the Scottish Amateur Cup at Glencruitten two weeks ago. On the injury front Martin Bonar is now out of plaster but still some way off a return to action. Long term injury victim Chris Graham is back in training while Myles McAuley remains in the treatment room for at least one more week.



East Kilbride Rolls Royce league fixtures so far this season:-

15th August 2015 Campbeltown Pupils 1 - 1 East Kilbride Rolls Royce
29th August 2015 Finnart 2 - 1 East Kilbride Rolls Royce
5th September 2015 Alba Thistle 5 - 3 East Kilbride Rolls Royce
12th September 2015 East Kilbride Rolls Royce 2 - 4 Inverclyde
24th October 2015 East Kilbride Rolls Royce 1 - 3 St Joseph's FP
31st October 2015 East Kilbride Rolls Royce 1 - 0 Alba Thistle
7th November 2015 East Kilbride Rolls Royce 0 - 5 Finnart
14th November 2015 Inverclyde 2 - 0 East Kilbride Rolls Royce
12th December 2015 St Joseph's FP 2 - 1 East Kilbride Rolls Royce

9th January 2016 East Kilbride Rolls Royce 3 - 0 Campbeltown Pupils

East Kilbride Rolls Royce cup fixtures so far this season:-

Scottish Amateur Football League Centenary Cup

First Round

22nd August 2015 East Kilbride Rolls Royce 9 - 1 Dumbarton Wanderers

Second Round
10th October 2015 Hillington 1 - 0 East Kilbride Rolls Royce

Scottish Amateur Cup

First Round

Bye

Second Round
3rd October 2015 East Kilbride Rolls Royce 1 - 4 Semsa

West of Scotland Amateur Cup

First Round

19th September 2015 East Kilbride Rolls Royce 3 - 1 FC Clydebank

Second Round
17th October 2015 East Kilbride Rolls Royce 1 - 5 Oban Saints

East Kilbride Rolls Royce recent Scottish Amateur Football League record:-

2006 - 07 Premier Division Two 7th
2007 - 08 Premier Division Two 4th
2008 - 09 Premier Division Two 4th and Centenary Cup Runner Up
2009 - 10 Premier Division Two Champions Promoted
2010 - 11 Premier Division One 2nd Promoted and Jimmy Marshall Trophy Runner Up
2011 - 12 Premier Division 4th
2012 - 13 Premier Division 9th Relegated
2013 - 14 Premier Division One 7th
2014 - 15 Premier Division One 3rd Promoted


Saints SAFL record v East Kilbride Rolls Royce in recent seasons:-

14th April 2012 Oban Saints 5 - 1 East Kilbride Rolls Royce
26th May 2012 East Kilbride Rolls Royce 2 - 1 Oban Saints
27th April 2013 East Kilbride Rolls Royce 2 - 2 Oban Saints
12th May 2013 Oban Saints 1 - 1 East Kilbride Rolls Royce

Keith Millar scorer of Saints goal when the Rolly last visited Oban in May 2013

Eagles founder member Glenn Frey, co-writer with Jackson Browne and lead vocalist on old Saints favourite song Take It Easy, who sadly passed away on Monday 18th January 2016 aged 67 years. Take it easy Glenn.

#monthesaints