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Neil Diamond - Hello Again

Saturday 3rd September 2016
Scottish Amateur Football Association Challenge Cup Competition
1st Round
Finnart AFC v Oban Saints AFC
Glasgow Green Football Centre
28 Kings Drive
Glasgow
G40 1HB
Kick Off 2pm
Referee Mr James Gallacher

Saints say hello again to some familiar faces this Saturday when they hit the Scottish Amateur Cup trail to face former Scottish Amateur Football League rivals Finnart at Glagow Green. Having reached the semi-final stage of the Scottish amateur game's most prestigious event last season Saints will attempt to go one better this season and earn a day out at the national stadium. However Manager Alex Craik would most certainly have preferred a more gentle introduction to this season's Scottish Cup campaign than a tie against 2014 quarter finalists Finnart.

In seven previous meetings with Finnart Saints hold the upper hand with five wins however the two black marks on their record came in their last two visits to Glasgow Green with a battling 3 - 3 draw in last season's encounter preceded by a 4 - 1 thumping in November 2014. Saints can expect a similarly difficult afternoon at Glasgow Green on Saturday where the match will be played on the excellent new 4G surface.

Bridgeton's finest ended  their association with the Scottish Amateur Football League last May when they successfully applied for membership of the Caledonian League. Their seven year spell in the SAFL brought Finnart the Premier Division One and Two championships and two Centenary Cup runners up slots however the Premier Division championship trophy eluded them with fourth placed finishes in seasons 2013/14 and 2014/15 being the closest they came to claiming the big prize.

Finnart have made an excellent start to life in the Caledonian League recovering from an opening day League Cup Section defeat to fellow promotion chasers Broomhouse to notch five consecutive victories in league and cup. Maximum points from clashes with Glasgow University, Balmore and Corkerhill sees Finnart sit proudly on top of Division 1B at this early stage of their Caledonian League adventure. However, despite their victories over Rhu Amateurs and Stenhousemuir Community the one defeat to Broomhouse looks set to deny Finnart progress in the Douglas Smith League Cup.

Another familiar face on Saturday will be match Referee James Gallagher well known to both sides from his time in the Scottish Amateur Football League. Now officiating in the Central Scottish Amateur Football League Mr Gallagher will bring a wealth of experience at the top level to what is sure to be a tense affair between two well matched old rivals desperate to put one over on the other. If no winner can be found during the ninety minutes the sides will try again in Oban next week to decide who will advance to the second round stage.

Finnart line up at Fullarton Park, Tollcross for the 2015 SAFL Centenary Cup Final v Goldenhill 

Finnart's fixtures so far this season:-

Caledonian League Division 1B

24th August 2016 Finnart 2 - 0 Glasgow University

27th August 2016 Balmore 2 - 5 Finnart
31st August 2016 Finnart 2 - 1 Corkerhill

Caledonian League Douglas Smith Cup

Group Section 2
13th August 2016 Finnart 0 - 3 Broomhouse
16th August 2016 Rhu Amateurs 0 - 2 Finnart
20th August 2016 Finnart 2 - 0 Stenhousemuir Community


Scottish Amateur Cup

First Round
3rd September 2016 Finnart v Oban Saints

West of Scotland Amateur Cup

First Round
Bye

Second Round
22nd October 2016 Finnart v Croftfoot Parish

Finnart's SAFL record:-

2010/11
Premier Division Two Champions (Promoted)

2011/12
Premier Division One Champions (Promoted)
Centenary Cup Runners Up to Postal United

2012/13
Premier Division 7th

2013/14
Premier Division 4th

2014/15
Premier Division 4th

Centenary Cup Runners Up to Goldenhill

2015/16
Premier Division 5th

Saints record against Finnart:-

2012/13
Oban Saints 4 - 1 Finnart
Finnart 0 - 1 Oban Saints

2013/14
Oban Saints 3 - 0 Finnart

Finnart 0 - 1 Oban Saints

2014/15
Finnart 4 - 1 Oban Saints
Oban Saints v Finnart (Unfulfilled Fixture, Points awarded to Saints)

2015/16
Oban Saints 2 - 0 Finnart
Finnart 3 - 3 Oban Saints

Action from Saints last visit to Finnart

Brian Paton saves from Allan Mackay

Dougal Graham

Dean Smith escapes the attentions of Thomas Robertson and Andrew Forrest

Allan Mackay heads a Ross Maitland corner over the crossbar

Donald Campbell scores Saints first goal

Thomas McCulloch

Ross Maitland with Saints second goal

Allan Mackay and Andrew Robertson

Daniel Taylor with a reminder that Finnart are still one goal up 

Craig Campbell brings Saints level at 3 - 3

Craig Campbell and Scott Maitland celebrate Craig's late equaliser

#monthesaints