Winning In The Rain: Going For Gold

Saturday 30th April 2016
Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division

Oban Saints AFC v Goldenhill AFC
Glencruitten 2, Mossfield Avenue, Oban, Argyll PA34 4EH
Kick off 2pm
Referee Mr James Litster

This Saturday Saints return to Glencruitten for the first time since the Scottish Amateur Cup quarter final win over Shortlees on 19th March. Regrettably since that euphoric afternoon Saints have failed to recapture the form which propelled them to the semi final at New Douglas Park and have yet to win a game inside ninety minutes. The agonising semi final extra time defeat to Leven United was followed by draws against Finnart and Alba Thistle either side of a penalty shoot win at FC Clydebank in the Scottish Amateur Football League Jimmy Marshall Trophy. The dropped league points leave Saints with an uphill struggle to stay on the heels of Premier Division leaders East Kilbride FC Amateurs and fellow title hopefuls St Joseph's FP and Goldenhill.

The Gowdie are this Saturday's visitors and are currently in third place in the Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division five points ahead of Saints with a slightly superior goal difference. The Clydebank based outfit have enjoyed an excellent season so far taking them all the way to the West of Scotland Cup final at New Douglas Park ironically against the last visitors to Glencruitten Shortlees Amateurs. The Gowdie secured their place in the final with a 2 - 1 win over the mighty Colville Park and will be looking to go one better than Aikenhead Thistle and Thorn Athletic and emulate St Patrick's FP who were the last Scottish Amateur Football League side to win the West of Scotland Cup back in 2007. In similar fashion to Saints the Gowdie's cup run has come at a cost to their league title aspirations with defeat to Shawlands FP last Saturday quickly followed by a 0 - 0 draw against Finnart on Wednesday night. The Shawlands defeat takes away the Premier Division's last remaining unbeaten record and puts East Kilbride FC Amateurs in pole position to take the title.

When Saints and the Gowdie met at Clydebank High School last November it was goals and incidents all the way culminating in a last gasp equaliser for the home side in an eight goal thriller. Craig MacEwan gave Saints the lead which Paul Kerr doubled before half time with a goal of the season contender from a pin-point Willie Gemmell pass. In a devastating spell just after the interval the Gowdie turned the score around taking the lead through two goals from James Gallagher either side of a Daniel Gibson strike which Thomas McCulloch couldn't keep out despite getting both hands to. Saints restored parity with Craig MacEwan beating the Gowdie's offside trap to set up Ross Maitland for a tap-in. Dean Smith was also on hand to finish from close range after keeper Scott Rennie failed to hold a Willie Gemmell pile driver giving Saints the lead once again. The Gowdie then had Chris McGrath and Jack Bennett sent off but refused to give up hope and grabbed a deserved equaliser with a looping Damon Gray header from a poorly defended long throw-in. If this Saturday's match is even half as entertaining then the home crowd are in for a treat.

Injuries, holidays, suspension and work commitments have stretched Manager Alex Craik's selection options to the limit in recent weeks but he will hope to have something approaching a full squad available for this crucial fixture.

Goldenhill line up for their West of Scotland Amateur Cup Semi Final against Colville Park

Goldenhill's results so far this season:-

Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division

5th September 2015 Inverclyde AFC 2 - 4 Goldenhill AFC
10th October 2015 Goldenhill AFC 3 - 2 Campbeltown Pupils AFC
24th October 2015 Goldenhill AFC 2 - 0 East Kilbride FC Amateurs
21st November 2015 Goldenhill AFC 4 - 4 Oban Saints AFC
12th December 2015 Goldenhill AFC 3 - 1 Alba Thistle AFC
27th February 2016 Goldenhill AFC 3 - 0 Inverclyde AFC
5th March 2016 Goldenhill AFC 2 - 2 Finnart AFC
12th March 2016 East Kilbride Rolls Royce AFC 1 - 2 Goldenhill AFC
20th April 2016 St Joseph's FP AFC 1 - 2 Goldenhill AFC
23rd April 2016 Shawlands FP 4 - 3 Goldenhill AFC
27th April 2016 Finnart AFC 0 - 0 Goldenhill AFC

SAFL Centenary Cup

1st Round
Bye

2nd Round
12th September 2015 Finnart AFC 1 - 6 Goldenhill AFC

Quarter Final
7th November 2015 Goldenhill AFC 4 - 1 Neilston AFC

Semi Final
9th April 2016 St Joseph's FP AFC 1 - 0 Goldenhill AFC

SAFL Jimmy Marshall Trophy

1st Round
Bye

2nd Round
17th February 2016 Busby AFC 2 - 9 Goldenhill AFC

Third Round
26th March 2016 Goldenhill AFC 2 - 4 Ferguslie Star AFC

Scottish Amateur Cup

1st Round
Bye

2nd Round
3rd Ocotber 2015 Dean AFC 2 - 5 Goldenhill AFC

3rd Round
31st October Gryffe Thistle AFC 1 - 2 Goldenhill AFC

4th Round
5th December 2015 Goldenhill AFC 6 - 1 Erskine AFC

5th Round
23rd January 2016 Colville Park AFC 2 - 1 Goldenhill AFC

West of Scotland Amateur Cup

1st Round
19th September 2015 Mill United 1 - 11 Goldenhill AFC

2nd Round
17th Ocotber 2015 Lomond Vale AFC 1 - 9 Goldenhill AFC

3rd Round
14th November Kilbarchan Thistle AFC 1 - 3 Goldenhill AFC

4th Round
19th December 2015 Goldenhill AFC 6 - 4 Carrick AFC

5th Round
13th February 2016 Possil YM AFC 1 - 3 Goldenhill AFC

6th Round
20th February 2016 Goldenhill AFC 2 - 2 Bannockburn AFC After Extra Time
Goldenhill win 5 - 3 on penalty kicks

Quarter Final
19th March 2016 Goldenhill AFC 3 - 3 Hurlford Thistle AFC After Extra Time
Goldenhill win 5 - 3 on penalty kicks

Semi Final
15th April 2016 Colville Park AFC 1 - 2 Goldenhill AFC

Goldenhill's recent SAFL finishes:-

2012 - 13 Division One Promoted and Coronation Cup Winners
2013 - 14 Premier Division Two 2nd Promoted

2014 - 15 Premier Division One 4th Promoted and Centenary Cup Winners

Goldenhill SAFL Centenary Cup Winners 2014 - 15

Action from Goldenhill v Saints at Clydebank High School on 21st November 2015

Craig MacEwan congratulates Ross Maitland on drawing Saints level at 3 - 3

Dean Smith makes it 4 - 3 to Saints

Last minute equaliser for Goldenhill

In Other News

Donald Campbell and Scott Maitland were invited to take part in a Scottish Amateur Football Association Select training session at Colville Park last Sunday. The session was arranged to give National Select Manager Bruce McNaught and his team a closer look at the full cast of hopefuls before he finalises his squad for the forthcoming international against the Northern Amateur Football League in Belfast and the UEFA Regions Cup matches against Estonia, Sweden and hosts Lithuania.