Winning In The Rain: You're Wondering Now

Saturday 4th June 2016
Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division
Oban Saints AFC v Shawlands FP AFC
Glencruitten 2
Mossfield Avenue
Oban
Argyll
PA34 4EH
Kick Off 1pm
Referee Mr Gordon Kelso

Saints bring the curtain down on a long hard season with a double header of Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division fixtures this weekend. Sunday's trip to Kintyre to face relegation threatened Campbeltown Pupils is preceded by a home match against one of last season's promoted clubs Shawlands FP. The Warriors were highly impressive in securing promotion to the top division last season losing out on the Championship by the narrowest of margins to East Kilbride FC Amateurs. Sitting pretty at the top of the league having defeated East Kilbride in their last game of the season the Warriors were left to look on anxiously as Kilby won three games in a week to finish the season level on points with the Warriors but above them on goal difference. Despite not kicking on in quite the same manner as newly crowned Premier Division Champions Kilby the Warriors can be reasonably satisfied with their first season in the top flight having guaranteed safety from the drop with two games to spare thanks to a 4 - 0 away win at Alba Thistle on 7th May. Crucial to Shawlands' survival has been their away form with five of their seven wins coming on the road. Noteable scalps for the Warriors were home and away victories over Goldenhill and Inverclyde which finally tipped the scales in their favour allowing them to pull away from the drop zone leaving Alba Thistle and Campbeltown Pupils to sweat over which of them will join East Kilbride Rolls Royce in Premier Division One next season. Both Saints and Shawlands are already looking forward to next season and the prospect of challenging for what is sure to be a keenly contested Premier Division title race.

When the two sides met at Lochinch in October Saints produced a scintillating performance to record their biggest 2015-16 league win at the same time inflicing the Warriors heaviest defeat of the season. Four goals from Donald Campbell and one a-piece from Craig MacEwan and Dean Smith had Saints on easy street before a lapse in concentration at the back allowed Mark Watt to nip in and grab a consolation goal for the home side. That match was Lewis Cameron's final outing for Saints before his departure for Australia where he is currently turning out for Rochedale Rovers in the Brisbane Premier League. The farewell banners will also be out this Saturday at Glencruitten as Saints striker Allan Mackay makes his final home appearance for the club before hanging up his boots. Saints stalwart Allan has lead the line with distinction since breaking into the team in 2003 and will be a big loss to the club on and off the park. Winning In The Rain wishes Allan a long and happy retirement.

Shawlands FP winners of the 2015 East Kilbride YMCA Pre-season Tournament

The Shawlands FP boys travelling in style

Shawlands FP results this season:-

Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division

19th August 2015 Inverclyde 0 - 4 Shawlands FP
22nd August 2015 Shawlands FP 2 - 6 St Joseph's FP
5th September 2015 Shawlands FP 2 - 2 Campbeltown Pupils
12th September 2015 Shawlands 0 - 1 East Kilbride FC Amateurs
10th October 2015 Finnart 1 - 2 Shawlands FP
24th October 2015 Shawlands 1 - 6 Oban Saints
6th February 2016 East Kilbride Rolls Royce 3 - 2 Shawlands FP
27th February 2016 Campbeltown Pupils 2 - 5 Shawlands FP
5th March 2016 Shawlands FP 1 - 1 East Kilbride Rolls Royce

12th March 2016 Shawlands FP 3 - 1 Inverclyde

13th April 2016 Shawlands FP 1 - 2 Alba Thistle
16th April 2016 East Kilbride FC Amateurs 2 - 1 Shawlands FP
20th April 2016 Shawlands FP 0 - 4 Finnart
23rd April 2016 Shawlands FP 4 - 3 Goldenhill
27th April 2016 St Joseph's FP 4 - 2 Shawlands FP
7th May 2016 Alba Thistle 0 - 4 Shawlands FP
11th May 2016 Goldenhill 0 - 2 Shawlands FP

Scottish Amateur Football League Centenary Cup

1st round
15th August 2015 Shawlands FP 4 - 5 Ferguslie Star

Scottish Amateur Football League Jimmy Marshall Trophy

1st round
Bye

2nd round
19th March 2016 Easthall Star 3 - 2 Shawlands FP

West of Scotland Amateur Cup

1st round
19th September 2015 Shawlands FP 4 - 1 Dennistoun Waverley

2nd round
17th October 2015 Fullerton Irvine 0 - 8 Shawlands FP

3rd round
23rd January 2016 Shawlands FP 2 - 3 New Farm Loch

Scottish Amateur Cup

1st round
Bye

2nd round
3rd October 2015 Hampden 3 - 7 Shawlands FP

3rd round
31st October 2015 Shawlands FP 3 - 3 Mearns

3rd round replay
21st November 2015 Mearns 3 - 5 Shawlands FP

4th round
12th December 2015 Shawlands FP 8 - 0 St John's

5th round
9th January 2016 Shawlands FP 3 - 5 Maryhill Thistle

Shawlands FP SAFL record in recent seasons:-

2006/07 Premier Division Two Champions Promoted
2007/08 Premier Division One 8th
2008/09 Premier Division One 10th Relegated
2009/10 Premier Division Two 4th
2010/11 Premier Division Two 4th Promoted
2011/12 Premier Division One 7th
2012/13 Premier Division One 8th
2013/14 Premier Division One 8th
2014/15 Premier Division One 2nd Promoted