Winning In The Rain: Around and Around

Chuck Berry - Around and Around

Saturday 14th May 2016

Scottish Amateur Football League
Premier Division

East Kilbride FC Amateurs v Oban Saints AFC

K-Park Training Academy, Calderglen, East Kilbride G75 0QZ

Kick off 1pm
Referee Mr John McQuilter

Around and Around

After getting back to winning ways against East Kilbride Rolls Royce last Saturday Saints make an immediate return to Scotland's roundabout capital to face Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division leaders and champions elect East Kilbride FC Amateurs. The amateur wing of highly ambitious Scottish Lowland Football League club East Kilbride FC have taken the Scottish Amateur Football League by storm in recent seasons and now require just five points from their remaining three fixtures to crown their relentless march to the top with an unprecedented fifth consecutive league title. Kilby's hugely impressive league form includes thumping 6 - 0 and 5 - 0 home and away victories over reigning Champions St Joseph's FP effectively ending St Joe's hopes of retaining their trophy. The only black marks on Kilby's league record so far are the 2 - 0 away defeat against fellow title challengers Goldenhill and draws with neighbours East Kilbride Rolls Royce and Saints on the opening day of the season at Glencruitten. That ultra rare goalless draw was the first in the league for Saints for ten years but they are certainly not alone in failing the penetrate the miserly Kilby defence which has the leagues lowest goals against tally boasting five clean sheets in fifteen matches so far. Kilby are no slouches at the other end of the park either netting 109 times in all competitions and leading the Premier Division's scoring charts with forty three goals. Only Goldenhill now remain as serious challengers to Kilby's title charge giving a fantastic edge to next weeks meeting of the title challengers in East Kilbride.

In addition to their run of league title successes EKFC Amateurs have also recorded some highly commendable cup runs reaching the sixth round of the Scottish Amateur Cup in each of the last three seasons including this season's recent exit at the hands of the all conquering Colville Park. Kilby also reached the last eight of this season's West of Scotland Amateur Cup where they were unlucky to bump into the very much in form and eventual cup winners Shortless Amateurs.

Saints and Kilby have met only twice before with Saints just edging the head to head record. Following the highly entertaining goal-less draw at Glencruitten on the opening day of the season Saints knocked the East Kilbride men out of the Jimmy Marshall Trophy in February courtesy of a brace from Donald Campbell cancelling out David Atha's opener. With precious league points at stake Kilby will most certainly be up for this fixture and desperate to avenge that cup defeat. Having since advanced to the final of the Jimmy Marshall Trophy the Saints players now at least have some silverware to aim for in the closing weeks of the season which should assist Manager Alex Craik in keeping up the momentum in what might otherwise be considered meaningless league fixtures.

Team News

The Gaffer has a heady mixture of injuries, work and family commitments to contend with which will require a few changes to the squad which defeated Motherwell Thistle in the Jimmy Marshall Trophy semi-final in midweek. Notwithstanding his selection woes Alex will put out a strong team for Saints penultimate away trip of the league season.

East Kilbride FC Amateurs Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division One Champions 2014-15. Photograph @EKFCamateurs

East Kilbride FC Amateurs Scottish Amateur Football League record:-

2014-15 Premier Division One Champions Promoted

2013-14 Premier Division Two Champions Promoted

2012-13 Division 1A Champions Promoted

2011-12 Division 1B Champions Promoted

East Kilbride FC Amateurs fixtures so far this season:-

SAFL Premier Division

15th August 2015 Oban Saints 0 - 0 East Kilbride FC Amateurs

22nd August 2015 East Kilbride FC Amateurs 4 - 0 Finnart

12th September 2015 Shawlands FP 0 - 1 East Kilbride FC Amateurs

24th October 2015 Goldenhill 2 - 0 East Kilbride FC Amateurs

28th November 2015 East Kilbride FC Amateurs 6 - 0 St Joseph's FP

20th February 2016 East Kilbride FC Amateurs 3 - 2 Inverclyde
19th March 2016 East Kilbride FC Amateurs 3 - 2 Campbeltown Pupils
9th April 2016 East Kilbride Rolls Royce 1 - 7 East Kilbride FC Amateurs
16th April 2016 East Kilbride FC Amateurs 2 - 1 Shawlands FP
20th April 2016 Alba Thistle 1 - 2 East Kilbride FC Amateurs
23rd April 2016 Campbeltown Pupils 2 - 4 East Kilbride FC Amateurs
30th April 2016 East Kilbride FC Amateurs 1 - 1 East Kilbride Rolls Royce
4th May 2016 Finnart 1 - 3 East Kilbride FC Amateurs
7th May 2016 Inverclyde 1 - 2 East Kilbride FC Amateurs
11th May 2016 St Joseph's FP 0 - 5 East Kilbride FC Amateurs

SAFL Centenary Cup

1st Round
Bye

2nd Round
29th August 2015 Shawlands FP (B) 0 - 7 East Kilbride FC Amateurs

Quarter Final
5th March 2016 St Joseph's FP 5 - 2 East Kilbride FC Amateurs

SAFL Jimmy Marshall Trophy

1st Round
Bye

2nd Round
27th February 2016 East Kilbride FC Amateurs 1 - 2 Oban Saints

Scottish Amateur Cup

1st Round

5th September 2015 East Kilbride FC Amateurs 4 - 0 Cambria

2nd Round

3rd October 2015 East Kilbride FC Amateurs 8 - 0 Campsie Minerva

3rd Round

31st October 2015 East Kilbride FC Amateurs 3 - 2 Hurlford Thistle

4th Round

12th December 2015 Strathmiglo United 1 - 2 East Kilbride FC Amateurs

5th Round