Winning In The Rain: Floodlights

Wednesday 4th May 2016
Scottish Amateur Football League
Jimmy Marshall Trophy
Quarter Final Tie
Kings Park Rangers AFC v Oban Saints AFC
Toryglen Regional Football Centre
480 Prosptecthill Road
Glasgow
G42 0BY
Kick off 8pm
Referee Mr Gordon Hay

For the second successive Wednesday the Scottish Amateur Football League fixtures computer has handed Saints a midweek fixture. This week the destination is Toryglen Regional Football Centre where they will face Kings Park Rangers in the quarter finals of the Jimmy Marshall Trophy. The match kicks off under the floodlights at 8pm and must be played to a finish on the night with penalty kicks to decide the winners if the sides cannot be separated after ninety minutes.

With their hopes of challenging for the Premier Division title now virtually extinguished Saints only realistic chance of adding to the Argyll and Bute and Royal National Mod cups won in August and October lies with the Jimmy Marshall Trophy. To complete that particular mission Saints will not only have to prevail in the latest kick off time in their history but will also have to successfully negotiate two further midweek away trips against Motherwell Thistle in the semi-final and either East Kilbride Rolls Royce or St Joseph's FP in the final.

Saints and Wednesday's opponents Kings Park Rangers are old rivals and have over ninety years of Scottish Amateur Football League membership between them. The Croftfoot men are currently in seventh place in Premier Division One with nineteen points from seventeen matches. Already safe from the prospect of a second successive relegation KPR have three fixtures remaining in which to push themselves as high up the league table as possible and are currently enjoying their best form of the season. Since losing to probable league runners-up Ferguslie Star in March KPR are on a four match unbeaten run in league and cup including a 2 - 1 victory over Jimmy Marshall Trophy semi-finalists Motherwell Thistle in their last outing.

Saints struggle to recapture the form which propelled them to the semi final of the Scottish Amateur Cup continued at Glencruitten last Saturday with a heavy defeat at the hands of West of Scotland Cup finalists Goldenhill. Despite the 6 - 2 scoreline Saints played excellent football in flashes and dominated play for long stages only to be undone by sloppy defending and some excellent finishing by the Gowdie. However the green shoots of recovery are there and will hopefully be nurtured further under the lights at Toryglen. Another positive to be taken from last Saturday is that Dene Cassells at last completed his six match suspension picked up against Colville Park in the fifth round of the West of Scotland Cup. With injuries piling up and the games coming thick and fast Dene's return to the squad will be a welcome sight for Manager Alex Craik.

Dene Cassells sits out the last game of his suspension at Glencruitten last Saturday with Paul Kerr and his son Finlay providing a blend of youth and experience on the Saints bench

Kings Park Rangers results so far this season:-

Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division One

22nd August 2015 Kings Park Rangers 0 - 3 Jamestown
29th August 2015 Kings Park Rangers 1 - 3 Drumchapel Amateurs Colts
12th September 2015 Kings Park Rangers 1 - 0 Busby
19th September 2015 Kilbowie Union 2 - 0 Kings Park Rangers
3rd October 2015 Kings Park Rangers 1 - 4 Ferguslie Star
10th October 2015 Neilston 3 - 1 Kings Park Rangers
24th October 2015 Dunoon 2 - 4 Kings Park Rangers
14th November 2015 Kings Park Rangers 2 - 2 Neilston
21st November 2015 Motherwell Thistle 1 - 0 Kings Park Rangers
12th December 2015 Drumchapel Amateurs Colts 6 - 2 Kings Park Rangers

9th January 2016 Lochgilphead Red Star 0 - 3 Kings Park Rangers
6th February 2016 Easthall Star 2 - 2 Kings Park Rangers
27th February 2016 Kings Park Rangers 4 - 2 Lochgilphead Red Star
5th March 2016 Ferguslie Star 3 - 1 Kings Park Rangers
12th March 2016 Kings Park Rangers 3 - 3 Easthall Star
16th April 2016 Jamestown 2 - 2 Kings Park Rangers
23rd April 2016 Kings Park Rangers 2 - 1 Motherwell Thistle

Scottish Amateur Football League Centenary Cup

First Round

15th August 2015 Kings Park Rangers 3 - 4 Rutherglen

Scottish Amateur Football League Jimmy Marshall Trophy

First Round

Bye

Second Round
13th February 2016 Kings Park Rangers 2 - 0 Port Glasgow Old Boys Union

Third Round
2nd April 2016 Kings Park Rangers 4 - 2 Hillington

Scottish Amateur Cup

First Round
5th September 2015 Kings Park Rangers 1 - 2 Linwood Thistle

West of Scotland Amateur Cup

First Round

Bye

Second Round
17th October 2015 Kings Park Rangers v Abronhill United (Walkover for KPR)

Third Round
28th November 2015 Kings Park Rangers 1 - 2 Harestanes

Kings Park Rangers recent SAFL record:-

2006-07 Premier Division 5th
2007-08 Premier Division 10th (Relegated)
2008-09 Premier Division One 7th

2009-10 Premier Division One 4th

2010-11 Premier Division One 3rd (Promoted)

2011-12 Premier Division 10th (Relegated)

2012-13 Premier Division One 7th

2013-14 Premier Division One 2nd (Promoted)

2014-15 Premier Division 10th (Relegated)

Saints recent record against Kings Park Rangers:-

2014-15
23rd August 2014 Oban Saints 2 - 1 Kings Park Rangers
25th April 2015 Kings Park Rangers 1 - 4 Oban Saints

2011-12
19th May 2012 Oban Saints 3 - 1 Kings Park Rangers
17th September 2011 Kings Park Rangers 0 - 5 Oban Saints

2007-08
24th May 2008 Kings Park Rangers 1 - 3 Oban Saints
25th August 2007 Oban Saints 3 - 1 Kings Park Rangers

2006-07
28th April 2007 Oban Saints 0 - 1 Kings Park Rangers

23rd September 2006 Kings Park Rangers 3 - 3 Oban Saints