Argyll Derby

Saturday 7th November 2015
Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division
Oban Saints AFC v Campbeltown Pupils AFC
Glencruitten 2
Mossfield Avenue
Oban
Argyll PA34 4EH
Kick Off 2pm
Referee Mr James Litster

Campbeltown Pupils visit Glencruitten this Saturday for a second attempt to play the first Argyll Derby of the 2015-16 season. This fixture was originally scheduled for Saturday 29th August when it fell foul of the Scottish summer weather to become Saints first #GameAff of the new season. At that point Saints had made an inauspicious start to the league campaign, including the first goalless draw in the Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division for 9 years (possibly longer as that is as far back as the league's digital records go) and the end of a six match winning streak at Battery Park, Greenock. A derby match against fierce rivals Pupils was certainly not top of the list of desired fixtures at that particular time however despite the respite offered by that cancellation Saints run of bad results would continue in their next fixture against reigning champions St Joseph's FP. The performance against St Joe's was however a vast improvement on the opening two fixtures and a welcome indication that Saints fortunes were about to take a turn for the better. A five match winning streak in league and cup has since ensued with Saints scoring twenty six goals and conceding just five leaving them in far better form for the visit of their old rivals from Kintyre.

Pupils have also been in good goal scoring form in the cup competitions where they have easily swatted aside the challenge of Helensburgh of the West of Scotland AFL Premier Division, Dumbarton Harp Celtic of the Greater Glasgow Premier League and most recently Balgonie Scotia 1896 of the Kingdom Caledonian Premier Division. Their league form however has not been quite so impressive with the only highlight being a 4 - 1 away victory against Alba Thistle.

Fourth placed Saints go into this fixture two points ahead of 8th placed Pupils having played one game less than the Kintyre men. A win for Saints would see them make up precious ground on league leaders St Joseph's FP who are on Centenary Cup duty on Saturday while Pupils will look to get more points on the board to hopefully pull away from bottom two East Kilbride Rolls Royce and Finnart who go head to head at Murray Park, East Kilbride.

On the team news front the departure of Lewis Cameron for a land down under has no doubt given Manager Alex Craik a few headaches as he ponders how best to fill the Ludo shaped hole in the front three. Alex has plenty of options available to him and may have to try a few different permutations before arriving at the best solution. Definitely out of contention is Myles McAuley who remains several weeks short of a return from the ankle injury picked up in the Mod Cup against Glasgow Island. On a brighter note Marc MacCallum is ready to end his football sabbatical and will stake a claim for a place in Saturday's squad for a match which is sure to be a full blooded affair for precious league points and local bragging rights.

Campbeltown Pupils Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division Two Champions 2012 - 13

Campbeltown Pupils league fixtures so far this season:-

15th August 2015 Campbeltown Pupils 1 - 1 East Kilbride Rolls Royce
5th September 2015 Shawlands FP 2 - 2 Campbeltown Pupils
12th September 2015 Campbeltown Pupils 0 - 5 St Joseph's FP
19th September 2015 Alba Thistle 1 - 4 Campbeltown Pupils
10th October 2015 Goldenhill 3 - 2 Campbeltown Pupils
24th October 2015 Campbeltown Pupils 0 - 3 Inverclyde

Campbeltown Pupils cup results so far this season:-

Scottish Amateur Cup

1st Round
5th September Campbeltown Pupils (Walkover) v Rossvale

2nd Round

3rd October 2015 Campbeltown Pupils 5 - 1 Dumbarton Harp Celtic

3rd Round

31st October 2015 Campbeltown Pupils 6 - 1 Balgonie Scotia 1896

West of Scotland Amateur Cup

1st Round

Bye

2nd Round

17th October 2015 Campbeltown Pupils 7 - 1 Helensburgh

Campbeltown Pupils' recent record in the SAFL:-

2014/15 Premier Division 7th
2013/14 Premier Division One Champions Promoted
2012/13 Premier Division Two Champions Promoted
2011/12 Premier Division Two 4th
2010/11 Premier Division One 9th Relegated
2009/10 Premier Division One 7th
2008/09 Premier Division 10th Relegated
2007/08 Premier Division One 3rd Promoted
2006/07 Premier Division One 5th

Saints v Pupils in recent seasons:-

2014/15 SAFL Premier Division

13th September 2014 Campbeltown Pupils 0 - 1 Oban Saints

30th May 2015 Oban Saints 2 - 1 Campbeltown Pupils

2008/09 SAFL Premier Division

16th August 2008 Oban Saints 2 - 1 Campbeltown Pupils

20th May 2009 Campbeltown Pupils 3 - 2 Oban Saints

Action from Saints 2 - 1 win over Pupils at Lochgilphead Joint Campus in the Argyll & Bute Cup

Donald Campbell opens the scoring for Saints

Shaun Maciver scores the winner for Saints

Action from Pupils last visit to Glencruitten on the closing day of last season

Paul Grumoli gives Pupils the lead from the penalty spot

Allan Mackay heads the winner for Saints

Allan Mackay beats Shaun Grumoli in the air as Saturday's Referee Jimmy Litster looks on from the sidelines

Donald Campbell lets fly

Scottish Amateur Football Association Select

Saints Player/Assistant Manager Donald Campbell will once again join up with the national select for this Sunday's squad training session at Colville Park Country Club. Donald will hope to force his way into Manager Bruce McNaught's plans for Wednesday's challenge match against an Airdrie FC select and thereafter the forthcoming UEFA Regions Cup and Leinster and Northern Irish International matches.

Scottish Amateur Football League Select

This Sunday the Scottish Amateur Football League Select will take on Carlton YMCA of SAFL Division One for the Douglas Harvey Memorial Trophy. The match takes place at New Western Park Renfrew home of Renfrew Juniors with a 2pm kick off. Sadly Saints will have no representatives in the select squad with the four usual representatives (Lewis Cameron, Donald Campbell, Myles McAuley and Marc MacCallum) all unavailable.

#monthesaints