Winning In The Rain: Old Guard

Saturday 18th March 2017
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 2pm
Referee Mr John Scott

After the high drama of the last two Scottish Amateur Cup weekends Saints return to league business this Saturday for the visit of old rivals St Joseph's FP. League challenges don't come much bigger for Saints than a visit from St Joe's with the Duntocher men unbeaten on their last four trips to Glencruitten including three victories. In last season's encounter, played on a Friday evening at St Joe's request, goals from Scott Dornan and Ryan Craig secured the points for the visitors with Willie Gemmell replying for Saints. The 2 - 1 final score flattered Saints considerably who were well beaten on the night and grateful to goalkeeper Thomas McCulloch for an inspired performance to keep the scoreline down.

Despite St Joe's holding the upper hand in recent league encounters it was Saints who claimed the current bragging rights taking the Scottish Amateur Football League Jimmy Marshall Trophy from then holders St Joe's at Millburn Park, Alexandria last May. The match came just seven days after the league encounter at Glencruitten with Saints reversing that particular scoreline to lift the silverware. A vastly improved performance saw Saints take a deserved lead on the stroke of half-time with Paul Carmichael nodding home from close range. Two red cards severely dented St Joe's hopes of a second half comeback however the cup holders refused to give up their pursuit of an equaliser which eventually presented Saints with a second goal. As St Joe's piled forward a counter attack lead and finished by man of the match Dougal Graham was rounded off with a sensational forty yard lob from the Saints fullback over the head of keeper Lee Mitchell and into the unguarded net. A thirty yard free kick from Ryan Craig eight minutes from time brought the nine men back into the game and Saints endured a nervy finish to the match before St Joe's hopes were finally extinguished when frustration got the better of goalscorer Ryan Craig who saw red for an over the ball challenge on Craig MacEwan.

Extended cup runs have limited Saturday's visitors to just eight Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division matches where they have taken nineteen of the available twenty four points. An opening day defeat to current leaders Goldenhill was followed by six straight wins before last Saturday's away draw with reigning Champions East Kilbride FC Amateurs left St Joe's trailing the Gowdie by eight points but with four games in hand.

St Joe's cup exploits have taken them to the final of the Scottish Amateur Football League Centenary Cup where they will face Alba Thistle of Premier Division One. Unfortunately excellent runs in the Scottish and West of Scotland Amateur Cups were halted at sixth and fifth round stages respectively.

In the West of Scotland Cup St Joe's eased past Saints Argyll neighbours Carradale and Paisley and District Premier Division leaders Glenvale before taking the major scalp of Ayrshire Amateur Football Association Premier League leaders Glenburn Miners Welfare. The fifth round saw St Joe's edged out narrowly by the seemingly invincible Colville Park who currently lead the Central Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division with a 100% record after ten games.

St Joe's Scottish Amateur Cup run contained three replays before they finally succumbed to another of the Central Scottish Amateur Football League in-form teams Southside who are currently unbeaten in Division 1A. After comfortably seeing off the challenge of Strathclyde Evangelical Churches Football League Premier Division Law Parish in the second round St Joe's were drawn away against Third Lanark of the Greater Glasgow Premier Amateur Football League. St Joe's had to battle back from two goals down to force a replay which they eventually won by five goals to two. Round four saw St Joe's progress by virtue of a walkover against the now sadly folded Invac of the Glasgow and District Saturday Morning League. In the fifth round St Joe's were drawn away once again this time holding last season's runners up Leven United to a 1 - 1 draw. The replay at Clydebank High School saw the Duntocher men run out comfortable four goals to nil winners to secure a home sixth round tie against Southside. For the third tie running a replay was required this time after a rare goalless draw at Clydebank High School however this time the replay victory was to elude St Joe's with Southside running out 3 - 1 winners.

Only the Scottish Amateur League Jimmy Marshall Trophy has seen St Joe's fail to make a significant impression on the competition with the 2015 winners falling at the first hurdle against Motherwell Thistle leaving now to concentrate on their Premier Division campaign and look forward to their Centenary Cup final clash with Alba Thistle.

Old Guard

With twenty four 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. Both are therefore desperate to see off the significant challenge of East Kilbride FC Amateurs and Goldenhill to return to the top of the league and reclaim the Premier Division crown. The cup competitions are now out the way for St Joe's so their bid for a second league title in three years begins in earnest against Saints this Saturday. Saints are still fighting on two cup fronts and will see the match against old foes St Joe's as ideal preparation for their Scottish Amateur Cup quarter final tie against Barca-Milton 97 next week. The league run in is only just beginning however it is fair to say that a win for either side this Saturday will inflict major damage on the others hopes of a title party in May. The Glencruitten faithful can therefore look forward to another high octane encounter between two evenly matched teams which, although lacking the high drama of the previous week's cup tie, will surely be a thriller.

St Joseph's FP AFC fixtures so far this season:-

SAFL Premier Division

3rd September 2016 Goldenhill 2 - 1 St Joseph's FP
17th September 2016 Campbeltown Pupils 4 - 6 St Joseph's FP

8th October 2016 St Joseph's FP 3 - 1 Shawlands FP
29th October 2016 Motherwell Thistle 2 - 3 St Joseph's FP
26th November 2016 Drumchapel Colts 0 - 7 St Joseph's FP
18th February 2017 St Joseph's FP 5 - 1 Ferguslie Star
25th February 2017 St Joseph's FP 2 - 1 Inverclyde
11th March 2017 East Kilbride FC Amateurs 2 - 2 St Joseph's FP

SAFL Centenary Cup

1st Round Group Section Eight
13th August 2016 Rossvale 0 - 6 St Joseph's FP

17th August 2016 St Joseph's FP 4 - 2 Easthall Star
24th August 2016 Millbeg 1 - 12 St Joseph's FP
27th August 2016 St Joseph's FP 10 - 0 Castlemilk

Quarter Final
15th October 2016 Drumchapel Colts 1 - 3 St Joseph's FP

Semi Final
16th November 2016 Motherwell Thistle 0 - 2 St Joseph's FP

Final
Alba Thistle v St Joseph's FP

SAFL Jimmy Marshall Trophy

1st Round
17th December 2016 St Joseph's FP 1 - 1 Motherwell Thistle
Motherwell Thistle win 5 - 3 on penalty kicks

West of Scotland Amateur Cup

1st Round
Bye

2nd Round
22nd October 2016 St Joseph's FP 8 - 0 Carradale

3rd Round
19th November 2016 St Joseph's FP 7 - 1 Glenvale

4th Round
10th December 2016 St Joseph's FP 3 - 1 Glenburn Miners Welfare

5th Round
28th January 2017 Colville Park 2 - 1 St Joseph's FP

Scottish Amateur Cup

1st Round
Bye

2nd Round
1st October 2016 Law Parish 1 - 6 St Joseph's FP

3rd Round
5th November 2016 Third Lanark 2 - 2 St Joseph's FP

3rd Round Replay
12th November 2016 St Joseph's FP 5 - 2 Third Lanark

4th Round
3rd December 2016 Invac v St Joseph's FP - Walkover to St Joseph's FP

5th Round
7th January 2017 Leven United 1 - 1 St Joseph's FP

5th Round Replay
21st January 2017 St Joseph's FP 4 - 0 Leven United

6th Round
4th February 2017 St Joseph's FP 0 - 0 Southside

6th Round Replay
11th February 2017 Southside 3 - 1 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
2015/16 Premier Division 3rd, Centenary Cup & Jimmy Marshall Trophy Runners Up

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
2015/16 Premier Division Oban Saints 1 - 2 St Joseph's FP