Pump It Up

Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Pump It UP

Saturday 13th February 2016
Scottish Amateur Football Association
Colville Park Country Club West of Scotland Amateur Cup
Fifth Round Tie
Oban Saints AFC v Colville Park AFC
Glencruitten 2
Mossfield Avenue
Oban
Argyll PA34 4EH
Kick Off 1.30pm
Referee Mr Kevin Nolan

Last Time Out

Last Saturday at Kings Park, Stirling Saints booked their place in the last sixteen of the Scottish Amateur Cup with a 4 - 1 win over Central Scottish Amateur Football League Division 1B side Stirling City. Saints started the match strongly knocking the ball about well on the soggy surface and took a deserved two goal lead into the half time interval courtesy of a header from Craig MacEwan and a close range tap-in from Donald Campbell. The Saints defence withstood everything that the hosts could throw at them in the second half making light of the tricky underfoot conditions. Saints solid defensive display provided a platform for a string of counter attacks which would eventually bear fruit but not before the hosts pulled a goal back from a Danny MacDonald shot from the edge of the Saints box. A Bryan White own goal, sliding in to deflect a Dene Cassells shot past his own goalkeeper, and an opportunistic strike from Keith Millar after fellow substitute Dene Cassells had forced an error from City Captain Lewis McKinlay completed the scoring sending Saints through to the seventh round.

Dene Cassells, Scott Maitland, Willie Gemmell, Keith Millar and Donald Campbell celebrate Saints fourth goal against Stirling City last Saturday

Pump It Up

With progress to the last sixteen of the Scottish Amateur Cup safely negotiated Saints attentions now turn to the West of Scotland Amateur Cup for the visit to Glencruitten of Central Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division leaders Colville Park. Saturday's visitors are in sensational form this season banging in eighty four goals and conceding just ten in twenty two consecutive victories in all competitions and will provide arguably the stiffest possible test of Saints cup winning ambitions. The perfect start to their quest to regain the Premier Division trophy, which they last won in 2013, sees Colville Park top the league with thirty nine points from thirteen games already opening up an eleven point gap on closest rivals Bannockburn. As well as blazing a trail in the league Colville have also been tearing up trees in the cup competitions with notable victories over Lothian and Edinburgh Premier Division high flyers Tollcross Thistle, reigning Paisley and District Premier Division Champions Apex and Saints Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division rivals East Kilbride FC Amateurs and Goldenhill.

After four consecutive fourth round exits Saints secured their place in this season's fifth round by eliminating Ayrshire side New Farm Loch but will now have to overcome one of the tournament favourites if they are to progress to the last sixteen. Colville Park have a formidable recent record in this competition having won the cup in 2013 and finished runners up in three of the last six seasons. Saints can take some encouragement from the recent good performances against Colville of their league rivals East Kilbride FC Amateurs and Goldenhill. Saints will also find succour in their own record against Colville which is perfectly balanced at two draws and one victory each.

The reward for the victors of Saturday's match, which must be decided on the day with extra time and penalties to decided the winner if required, is a home tie against cup holders Greenock High School Former Pupils.

In team news Saints welcome back Ross Maitland who missed last week's trip to Stirling and thankfully returned unscathed from a family wedding in Burnley last Saturday. Manager Alex Craik will therefore name the same squad which disposed of New Farm Loch in Saints last home game and will have his thinking cap on as he ponders his best line-up for this the biggest test of his managerial skills so far. This may appear a daunting task for Alex and his men but they will certainly be fully pumped up and ready for the challenge of pitting their wits against what is widely acknowledged to be the current top amateur side in Scotland.







Colville Park's results so far this season:-

Central Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division

8th August 2015 Colville Park 3 - 1 Harestanes
12th August 2015 Colville Park 4 - 0 Greenock HSFP
15th August 2015 Colville Park 3 - 1 Steins Thistle
19th August 2015 Colville Park 6 - 0 Blantyre Celtic
22nd August 2015 Drumchapel 1 - 2 Colville Park
26th August 2015 Colville Park 4 - 1 Eastfield
29th August 2015 Bannockburn 1 - 3 Colville Park
5th September 2015 Campsie Minerva 0 - 2 Colville Park
12th September 2015 Drumchapel United 0 - 2 Colville Park
26th September 2015 Colville Park 4 - 1 Campsie Minerva
24th October 2015 Colville Park 3 - 0 East Kilbride
21st November 2015 Blantyre Celtic 1 - 4 Colville Park
28th November 2015 Colville Park 4 - 0 Drumchapel United





Central Scottish Amateur Football League Bunrigh Trophy

3rd Round
19th September 2015 Colville Park 2 - 0 Dunblane Thistle



Scottish Amateur Cup

1st Round
Bye

2nd Round
3rd October 2015 Colville Park 9 - 0 Calderglen

3rd Round
31st October 2015 FC Clydebank 1 - 4 Colville Park

4th Round
5th December 2015 Colville Park 6 - 0 Tollcross Thistle

5th Round
23rd January 2105 Colville Park 2 - 1 Goldenhill

6th Round
6th February 2015 East Kilbride Amateurs 1 - 4 Colville Park

West of Scotland Amateur Cup

1st Round
Bye

2nd Round
17th October 2015 Knockentiber 0 - 2 Colville Park

3rd Round
14th November 2015 Colville Park 3 - 0  North Motherwell Amateurs

4th Round
19th December 2015 Apex 0 - 8 Colville Park


Oban Saints v Colville Park Previous Encounters:-

Scottish Amateur Cup

2012/13 Seventh Round
2nd March 2013 Colville Park 2 - 2 Oban Saints

2102/13 Seventh Round Replay
9th March 2013 Oban Saints 1 - 3 Colville Park

2006/07 Sixth Round
17th March 2007 Oban Saints 2 - 2 Colville Park

2006/07 Sixth Round Replay
24th March 2007 Colville Park 1 - 2 Oban Saints

Colville Park's recent Central Scottish Amateur Football League finishes:-

2008/09 Premier Division 3rd
2009/10 Premier Division 3rd, West of Scotland Cup Runners Up, League Cup Winners
2010/11 Premier Division 5th
2011/12 Premier Division Champions, Scottish Cup Runners Up, West of Scotland Cup Runners Up
2012/13 Premier Division Champions (Undefeated), Scottish Cup Runners Up, West of Scotland Cup Winners, League Cup Winners
2013/14 Premier Division 3rd, Scottish Cup Runners Up, CSAFL Cinema Cup Winners
2014/15 Premier Division 2nd, West of Scotland Cup Runners Up

Colville Park line up for the 2015 West of Scotland Cup final

Colville Park's Paul McAulay, Michael Brown, Robbie Peebles, Liam Cusack and Jamie Bradley with the SAFA Select

In Other News

In Wednesday morning's Scottish Amateur Cup seventh round draw Saints were drawn at home to Caledonian League Premier Division runaway leaders Doune Castle. The winners of this tie were also drawn at home in the quarter finals and will face either Shortless or St Mungos or Bo'ness Cadora or Shotts Victoria.

In Other Other News

Saints received a welcome boost on Wednesday night when Myles McAuley and Martin Bonar returned to training after lengthy injury lay-offs. Hopefully it won't be too long before both are back to full fitness and pushing for a place in the team.

Myles McAuley

Martin Bonar

#monthesaints