Friday 20th May 2016
Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division
Oban Saints AFC v St Joseph's FP AFC
Glencruitten 2
Mossfield Avenue
Oban
Argyll
PA34 4EH
Kick Off 6.45pm
Referee Mr Jimmy Litster
It remains to be seen whether the Scottish Amateur Football League have struck a late deal with Sky Sports or BT Sports to screen the climax of the Premier Division season or if there is some other reason behind this weekend's unusual Friday night and Sunday afternoon fixture schedule. Whatever the reason it at least gives the Saints faithful two home fixtures to look forward to after a run of just one home game out of the last nine since the Scottish Amateur Cup quarter-final win over Shortlees on 19th March.
In the first match of this weekend's double header Saints old rival St Joseph's FP come calling on league business. On their last visit to Glencruitten on 22nd November 2014 St. Joe's produced a scintillating performance to inflict Saints heaviest home defeat in many a long year. Despite going into the half-time interval on level terms with a goal a-piece Saints struggled to contain their visitors from Duntocher and were blown away in the second half. David Gallagher, John Paul Seagrave and Blair Mulgrew were all on target for St Joe's before Ryan Holms added to his first half strike to complete a miserable day for the home side whose consolation came in the shape of Craig MacEwan's second half goal adding to Donald Campbell's ninth minute opener. St. Joe's also prevailed in the last two fixtures between the clubs winning last May's Jimmy Marshall Trophy semi-final at Millburn Park, Alexandria 2 - 0 with first half goals from Gary Redpath and Thomas Wilson; and this season's keenly contested September league encounter at William Street, Duntocher 1 - 0 thanks to a looping Ryan Craig shot just before half-time. That defeat made it just one point from a possible nine in a poor start to the league campaign from the Saints however the much improved performance on the day against the reigning champions proved to be the catalyst for a fifteen match unbeaten run ended only by defeat in the West of Scotland Amateur Cup to Colville Park on 13th February.
The reigning Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division Champions and Jimmy Marshall Trophy holders made a blistering start to the defence of their league title winning five matches on the bounce to open up a considerable gap at the top of the table. However defeats at the hands of Alba Thistle, Finnart, Goldenhill and home and away maulings from East Kilbride FC Amateurs have all but ended St Joe's hopes of a successful league title defence and they now occupy third place nine points behind leaders East Kilbride with just three games to play. Saints meanwhile lie a further seven points back in fourth place but with a game in hand over their old foes. With twenty two consecutive top flight seasons between them Saints and St Joe's are now very much the old guard of the Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division therefore, despite both now being out of the running for the league title, bragging rights alone will ensure a keenly contested match between the two old rivals.
Last Saturday at McKenna Park, Cardonald St Joseph's joined Saints in the final of the Jimmy Marshall Trophy with a 4 - 2 semi-final win over East Kilbride Rolls Royce. This will be St Joe's second cup final of the season having already reached the final of the Centenary Cup where, despite a dramatic last minute equaliser to take the tie to a penalty shoot-out, they were pipped 5 - 4 on penalty kicks by Ferguslie Star. The two Scottish Amateur Football League cup final appearances for St Joe's will go some way to making up for the disappointment of early exits from the major cup competitions at the hands of Kilsyth in the West of Scotland Cup and Albion in the Scottish Amateur Cup where St Joe's had hoped to improve upon last season's excellent showing which took them to the seventh round and a narrow exit at the hands of eventual competition runners up Craigshill Thistle.
Team News
In contrast to last Saturday's threadbare squad at East Kilbride Manager Alex Craik will have significantly more resources at his disposal as he welcomes back Craig Campbell, Dougal Graham, Jamie Graham, Ross Maitland and Allan Mackay. Still missing through injury are Martin Bonar, Myles McAuley and Skipper Marc Maccallum with Scott Maitland's international call-up (see below) also ruling him out. With places in the starting line-up for next Friday night's Jimmy Marshall Trophy final still very much up for grabs the Saints Gaffer will want to give his charges as much game time as possible over this weekend's double header.St Joseph's FP AFC fixtures so far this season:-
SAFL Premier Division
22nd August 2015 Shawlands FP 2 - 6 St Joseph's FP
5th September 2015 St Joseph's FP 1 - 0 Oban Saints
12th September 2015 Campbeltown Pupils 0 - 5 St Joseph's FP
5th September 2015 St Joseph's FP 1 - 0 Oban Saints
12th September 2015 Campbeltown Pupils 0 - 5 St Joseph's FP
19th September 2015 St Joseph's FP 2 - 1 Finnart
24th October 2015 East Kilbride Rolls Royce 1 - 3 St Joseph's FP
28th November 2015 East Kilbride FC Amateurs 6 - 0 St Joseph's FP
12th December 2015 St Joseph's FP 2 - 1 East Kilbride Rolls Royce
6th February 2016 St Joseph's FP 3 - 0 Alba Thistle
13th February 2016 Finnart 3 - 1 St Joseph's FP
19th March 2016 Alba Thistle 3 - 0 St Joseph's FP
13th April 2016 Inverclyde 1 - 3 St Joseph's FP
20th April 2016 St Joseph's FP 1 - 2 Goldenhill
27th April 2016 St Joseph's FP 4 - 2 Shawlands FP
24th October 2015 East Kilbride Rolls Royce 1 - 3 St Joseph's FP
28th November 2015 East Kilbride FC Amateurs 6 - 0 St Joseph's FP
12th December 2015 St Joseph's FP 2 - 1 East Kilbride Rolls Royce
6th February 2016 St Joseph's FP 3 - 0 Alba Thistle
13th February 2016 Finnart 3 - 1 St Joseph's FP
19th March 2016 Alba Thistle 3 - 0 St Joseph's FP
13th April 2016 Inverclyde 1 - 3 St Joseph's FP
20th April 2016 St Joseph's FP 1 - 2 Goldenhill
27th April 2016 St Joseph's FP 4 - 2 Shawlands FP
4th May 2016 St Joseph's FP 5 - 1 Inverclyde
11th May 2016 St Joseph's FP 0 - 5 East Kilbride FC Amateurs
SAFL Centenary Cup
1st Round
15th August 2015 St Joseph's FP 4 - 0 Motherwell Thistle
15th August 2015 St Joseph's FP 4 - 0 Motherwell Thistle
2nd Round
29th August 2015 St Joseph's FP 3 - 0 Inverclyde
Quarter Final
5th March 2016 St Joseph's FP 5 - 2 East Kilbride FC Amateurs
Semi Final
9th April 2016 St Joseph's FP 1 - 0 Goldenhill
Final
8th May 2016 Ferguslie Star 1 - 1 St Joseph's FP
Ferguslie Star win 5 - 4 on penalty kicks
29th August 2015 St Joseph's FP 3 - 0 Inverclyde
Quarter Final
5th March 2016 St Joseph's FP 5 - 2 East Kilbride FC Amateurs
Semi Final
9th April 2016 St Joseph's FP 1 - 0 Goldenhill
Final
8th May 2016 Ferguslie Star 1 - 1 St Joseph's FP
Ferguslie Star win 5 - 4 on penalty kicks
SAFL Jimmy Marshall Trophy
1st Round
Bye
2nd Round
27th February 2016 St Joseph's FP 11 - 0 Tarbert
3rd Round
16th April 2016 St Joseph's FP 4 - 0 Easthall Star
Quarter Final
30th April 2016 Ferguslie Star 1 - 2 St Joseph's FP
Semi Final
14th May 2016 East Kilbride Rolls Royce 2 - 4 St Joseph's FP
West of Scotland Amateur Cup
1st Round
Bye
2nd Round
17th October 2015 St Joseph's FP 2 - 1 Glentynan Thistle
3rd Round
21st November 2015 Kilsyth 2 - 1 St Joseph's FP
St Joseph's Scottish Amateur Cup
1st Round
Bye
2nd Round
3rd October 2015 St Joseph's FP 7 - 2 Rannoch
3rd Round
31st October 2015 St Joseph's FP 3 - 1 Cumbernauld Colts
4th Round
5th December 2015 Albion 4 - 2 St Joseph's FP
Bye
2nd Round
27th February 2016 St Joseph's FP 11 - 0 Tarbert
3rd Round
16th April 2016 St Joseph's FP 4 - 0 Easthall Star
Quarter Final
30th April 2016 Ferguslie Star 1 - 2 St Joseph's FP
14th May 2016 East Kilbride Rolls Royce 2 - 4 St Joseph's FP
West of Scotland Amateur Cup
1st Round
Bye
2nd Round
17th October 2015 St Joseph's FP 2 - 1 Glentynan Thistle
3rd Round
21st November 2015 Kilsyth 2 - 1 St Joseph's FP
St Joseph's Scottish Amateur Cup
1st Round
Bye
2nd Round
3rd October 2015 St Joseph's FP 7 - 2 Rannoch
3rd Round
31st October 2015 St Joseph's FP 3 - 1 Cumbernauld Colts
4th Round
5th December 2015 Albion 4 - 2 St Joseph's FP
St Joseph's FP AFC recent Scottish Amateur Football League finishes:-
2006/07 Premier Division One 4th
2007/08 Premier Division One 2nd Promoted
2008/09 Premier Division Champions
2009/10 Premier Division 6th and Centenary Cup Winners
2010/11 Premier Division 6th
2011/12 Premier Division 6th
2012/13 Premier Division 5th
2013/14 Premier Division 3rd and Centenary Cup Runners Up
2014/15 Premier Division Champions and Jimmy Marshall Trophy Winners
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| The St Joseph's FP player celebrate winning the 2014-15 SAFL Jimmy Marshall Trophy |
Saints home record against St Joseph's FP:-
2008/09 Premier Division Oban Saints 2 - 3 St Joseph's FP
2009/10 Premier Division Oban Saints 2 - 0 St Joseph's FP
2010/11 Premier Division Oban Saints 8 - 1 St Joseph's FP
2011/12 Premier Division Oban Saints 3- 1 St Joseph's FP
2012/13 Premier Division Oban Saints 0 - 1 St Joseph's FP
2013/14 Premier Division Oban Saints 1 - 1 St Joseph's FP
2014/15 Premier Division Oban Saints 2 - 5 St Joseph's FP
The venue for this season's Scottish Amateur Football League Jimmy Marshall Trophy between Oban Saints and St Joseph's FP has been confirmed as Millburn Park, Alexandria home of Vale of Leven Juniors. The match will kick off at 7pm 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.
2014/15 Premier Division Oban Saints 2 - 5 St Joseph's FP
Action from some past Saints v St Joe's encounters at Glencruitten
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| Marc Maccallum and Donald Campbell 17th March 2012 |
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| Willie Gemmell's indirect free kick hits the St Joseph's wall 17th March 2012 |
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| Allan Mackay and Craig Cameron 14th September 2103 |
In Other News
The disappointment of Donald Campbell's long standing holiday arrangements forcing him to withdraw from the Scottish Amateur Football Association Select's visit to Belfast on Saturday 14th May was lessened considerably this week when Scott Maitland received a late call-up for the Select's trip to Lithuania. The International squad departed for Vilnius on Thursday where they will face Estonia, Sweden and hosts Lithuania in the UEFA Regions Cup tournament preliminary group stages. Scott's call up is a richly deserved reward, not only for his excellent season for Saints but also for the high level of commitment he has shown to the international squad since recently catching the eye of National Select Manager Bruce McNaught.
In Other Other News
The venue for this season's Scottish Amateur Football League Jimmy Marshall Trophy between Oban Saints and St Joseph's FP has been confirmed as Millburn Park, Alexandria home of Vale of Leven Juniors. The match will kick off at 7pm 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.
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