Winning In The Rain: Here We Go

The 23rd annual Oban Saints pre-season tournament takes place this Saturday at Mossfield Stadium and Oban Lorne Rugby Club where once again the enduring popularity of the event is exhibited in the top class participants the tournament continues to attract. All four of this years visitors are regular attenders and boast a dozen tournament wins between them. The late withdrawal of St Johnstone left tournament organiser David Buchanan insufficient time to line up a suitable replacement therefore the tournament goes ahead with five teams instead of the usual six. The round robin tournament format remains the same with each match lasting forty minutes.

Despite the competition being principally designed to aid in the building of pre-season fitness it is keenly contested and victory is greeted with as much celebration as any other trophy win. The tournament has been blessed with some excellent weather over the years but unfortunately Saturday's forecast is for rain. Whatever the weather the anticipated large crowd is sure to be entertained to a feast of quality football.

Saints are delighted that shirt sponsor D&K Lafferty Contractors have agreed to sponsor the club's flagship event for the fourth consecutive year. D&K Lafferty are fantastic supporters of local sport and everybody connected with Oban Saints is pleased to see them rewarded with the wide exposure that sponsorship of this prestigious tournament can offer.

Kick off 11am

Mossfield - Dundee United v Hamilton Academical
Glencruitten - Heart of Midlothian v Alloa Athletic

Kick off 12 noon

Mossfield - Oban Saints v Alloa Athletic
Glencruitten - Hamilton Academical v Heart of Midlothian

Kick off 1pm

Mossfield - Oban Saints v Heart of Midlothian
Glencruitten - Dundee United v Alloa Athletic

Kick off 2pm

Mossfield - Heart of Midlothian v Dundee United
Glencruitten - Oban Saints v Hamilton Academical

Kick off 3pm

Mossfield - Hamilton Academical v Alloa Athletic
Glencruitten - Dundee United v Oban Saints

Making their 10th consecutive tournament appearance are three time winners Alloa Athletic. The Wasps unfortunately dropped out of the Scottish Professional Football League Championship after a three season spell and begin their quest for an immediate return to the second tier in five weeks time with a home match against Peterhead. This is preceded by a series of Bet Fred League Cup matches commencing on Tuesday 19th July at home to Cove Rangers. Alloa's preparations for the new campaign commenced last Saturday with a 3 - 0 win over Fort William which was a creditable result for the Highland League side on their fist visit to the Indodrill Stadium. On Wednesday night the Wasps continued their build up to the season's first competitive match drawing 1 - 1 at home against Championship side Dunfermline Athletic and were due to face Premiership Dundee on Friday night again at the Indodrill Stadium.

Dundee United have an excellent record of three wins from their eleven previous appearances. Carrying United's hopes of drawing level with Heart of Midlothian on four tournament victories are their Under 20's Development League squad. United's under 20's finished 8th in last season's SPFL under 20's league, two places better than the previous season's 10th place finish but with an identical points total of 40 from 32 games. Satisfyingly for the Terrors their sixty four goal haul saw them finish as the league's third highest goal scorers behind Champions Celtic and runners up Hamilton Academical and ensured they finished above city rivals Dundee on goal difference.

Hamilton Academical make their 13th consecutive appearance at the tournament and have entrusted their bid for a third tournament win in four years to their Under 20's Development League squad. The Accies youngsters enjoyed an excellent league campaign last season finishing runners up to runaway winners Celtic with sixty two points from thirty two games, eight points ahead of third placed Aberdeen.

Having been brought forward by a week to suit the new BetFred League Cup format the D&K Lafferty Cup tournament unfortunately now lands between two significantly more important fixtures for reigning champions Heart of Midlothian. On Thursday night they opened their Europa League campaign with a 2 - 1 win over FC Infonet from Estonia. The return leg of the first qualifying round tie will be played in Tallin next Wednesday 6th July. The four time tournament winners have therefore decided to send their under 20's development league squad to Oban for the club's 12th tournament appearance while the first team prepare for their trip to the Baltic state of Estonia with a friendly against Cowdenbeath at Central Park.

The 2015 - 16 campaign was a roller coaster ride for new Manager Alex Craik but one with which he was ultimately satisfied. Pre-season success in the Argyll & Bute Cup looked set to pave the way for a serious assault on the Scottish Amateur League Premier Division title however only one point from the opening three fixtures quickly gave Saints a points deficit from which they failed to recover. The Royal National Mod Cup joined the Argyll & Bute Cup on the Saints sideboard in October with the team also embarking on their Scottish Amateur Cup and West of Scotland Cup adventures. The West of Scotland Cup run was ended at the fifith round stage by a 2 - 1 home defeat to Colville Park arguably the top amateur club in Scotland at present. The Scottish Amateur Cup campaign was the stuff of dreams with Saints reaching their first ever semi-final of the Scottish Amateur Football Association's blue riband event claiming the scalps of Craigshill Thistle, Doune Castle and Shortlees Amateurs along the way. Unfortunately Saints dreams of a cup final appearance at Hampden Park were turned to dust with a 2 - 1 extra time defeat to Leven United at New Douglas Park. The crushing disappointment of the Scottish Amateur Cup semi-final defat took a heavy toll on the squad and it was several weeks after before the players began to look anything like themselves again during which time any lingering hopes of mounting a late challenge for the league title were also extinguished. However the season ended on a high for Alex Craik and his charges with the capture of the Scottish Amateur Football League Jimmy Marshall Trophy from holders St Joseph's with a convincing 3 - 1 win at Millburn Park, Alexandria. Speaking to The Oban Times after Saints final match of the season Alex said "It's been a rollercoaster of a season. Our league form was inconsistent but if you had said to me at the start of the season that we would reach the semi-final of the Scottish Cup, win the Jimmy Marshall Cup and finish fourth in a very competitive Premier Division I would have bitten your hand off. I've enjoyed every minute of it." The Saints faithful look forward in eager anticipation to another thrilling season ahead.