Winning In The Rain: Semi Preview

Saturday 13th May 2017
Scottish Amateur Football League Jimmy Marshall Trophy
Semi-final
Hillington AFC v Oban Saints AFC
Penilee Community Centre
10 Gleddoch Road
Glasgow
G52 4BD
Kick Off 2pm
Referee Mr Robert Doolan
Assistant Referee Mr Philip Hogg
Assistant Referee Mr Derek Milton

This Saturday Saints defence of the Scottish Amateur Football League Jimmy Marshall Trophy takes them to Penilee Community Centre to face 2013 winners Hillington. The tie gives Saints an opportunity to exact some revenge on their hosts for the agonising 2013 final penalty shoot-out defeat at Somervell Park, Cambuslang. After a goalless ninety minutes in which they lost Dene Cassells and Asen Gaydardzhiev to serious head injuries and goalkeeper Daniel Cassells with a ruptured rotator cuff, Saints were edged out in the penalty shoot-out. Four successfully converted spot kicks each effectively took the shoot-out to sudden death where Donald Campbell had his effort saved by the outstretched foot of the Hillington keeper before Saints stand-in keeper Alex Craik was beaten for the fifth time confirming Hillington as the winners.

Hillington have already claimed two Premier Division scalps in an impressive run to this season's semi-finals. After a first round bye and a comfortable away win at Premier Division 2B Carlton YMCA Hillington were on their travels again in the third round with a short trip to Seedhill, Paisley to face Premier Division Ferguslie Star. After a thrilling 4 - 4 draw Hillington booked their place in the quarter-finals with a 4 - 2 penalty shoot-out victory. The quarter-finals draw took Hillington to North Lanarkshire to face Motherwell Thistle in another high scoring encounter from which they emerged victorious by four goals to two.

In a break with tradition this season's Jimmy Marshall Trophy semi-finals are not being played at neutral venues but rather were subject to a draw which gave Hillington home advantage. Saturdy's tie must be played to a finish on the day with penalty kicks to decide the winner if the sides cannot be separated after ninety minutes. The other semi-final will be contested by Easthall Star and Dunoon and is due to be played on Saturday 20th May at Stepford Football Centre. The venue for the final has not yet been set however it is likely to be played on Saturday 10th June.

Cups

In the Scottish Amateur Football League's other cup competitions Hillington failed to negotiate the Centenary Cup first round group sections finishing in fourth place in group section one behind eventual finalists Alba Thistle, Premier Division 2B Champions Arkleston Barrhead and Premier Division Shawlands FP.

In the Coronation Cup Hillington require to beat Easthall Star and hope that group leaders Ferguslie Star slip up in their final group section four match, also against Easthall Star, if they are to progress to the semi-finals.

In the major cup competition Hillington fell at the first West of Scotland Amateur Cup hurdle losing out 3 - 2 to Eddlewood of the North and South Lanarkshire Amateur Football Association.

Hillington put together a decent Scottish Amateur Cup run with three successive thumping home victories before falling short of extending campaign beyond the Christmas and New Year break. Castlemilk of Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division 2A, Erskine Town of Glasgow Colleges Amateur Football Association Division Two and Northern United of Aberdeenshire Amateur Football Association Division Two North were all easily swept aside at home before a first away trip of the competition to Falkirk. Stirling and District Amateur Football Association Division 1A title hopefuls Pennies however put paid to Hillington's Scottish Cup ambitions with a convincing 5 - 1 win leaving Hillington to concentrate on silverware on the "domestic" front.

League

Hillington rounded off their Premier Division One league campaign three weeks ago with a 2 - 2 draw away at Dunoon. The draw confirmed third place for Hillington behind East Kilbride Rolls Royce and league champions Alba Thistle. Hillington are currently on thirty one points, thirteen points behind Alba Thistle, but for their final points tally will have to wait for the verdict of the league committee on their abandoned home fixture against Easthall Star.

Vital to Hillington's third place finish has been their excellent home form which saw only Champions Alba Thistle return home with full points.

Hiilington's fixtures so far this season:-

Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division One

24th August 2016 Neilston 1 - 0 Hillington
17th September 2016 Hillington 2 - 2 Dunoon
8th October 2016 Alba Thistle 5 - 2 Hillington
15th October 2016 Hillington 4 - 1 Duncanrig FP
29th October 2016 Easthall Star 4 - 5 Hillington
12th November 2016 Kings Park Rangers 3 - 3 Hillington
10th December 2016 Duncanrig FP 0 - 3 Hillington
17th December 2016 Hillington 4 - 1 Rosehill Star
7th January 2017 Hillington 1 - 0 Neilston
28th January 2017 Hillington 2 - 2 Rutherglen
18th February 2017 Hillington 2 - 0 Kings Park Rangers
25th February 2017 East Kilbride Rolls Royce 3 - 1 Hillington
11th March 2017 Hillington 1 - 5 Alba Thistle
25th March 2017 Rutherglen 3 - 5 Hillington
1st April 2017 Rosehill Star 1 - 2 Hillington
8th April 2017 Hillington 3 - 1 East Kilbride Rolls Royce
22nd April 2017 Dunoon 2 - 2 Hillington

Scottish Amateur Football League Centenary Cup

Group Section 1

13th August 2016 Hillington 0 - 1 Arkleston Barrhead
17th August 2016 Hillington 2 - 3 Alba Thistle
20th August 2016 Carlton YMCA 1 - 7 Hillington
27th August 2016 Shawlands FP 4 - 1 Hillington

Scottish Amateur Football League Coronation Cup

Group Section 4

3rd May 2017 Hillington 2 - 3 Ferguslie Star
6th May 2017 Neilston 1 - Hillington

Scottish Amateur Football League Jimmy Marshall Trophy

First Round
Bye

Second Round
19th November 2016 Carlton YMCA 2 - 7 Hillington

Third Round
21st January 2017 Ferguslie Star 4 - 4 Hillington
Hillington win 4 - 2 on penalty kicks

Quarter Final
19th April 2017 Motherwell Thistle 2 - 4 Hillington

West of Scotland Amateur Cup

First Round
Bye

Second Round
22nd October 2016 Eddlewood 3 - 2 Hillington

Scottish Amateur Cup

First Round
3rd September 2016 Hillington 5 - 1 Castlemilk

Second Round
1st October 2016 Hillington 13 - 0 Erskine Town

Third Round
5th November 2016 Hillington 10 - 0 Northern United

Fourth Round
3rd December 2016 Pennies 5 - 1 Hillington