Winning In The Rain: Thistle Come South

Saturday 29th July 2017

Pre-Season Friendly

Oban Saints AFC v South Lochaber Thistle AFC

Glencruitten 1

Glencruitten Drive

Oban

Argyll

PA34 4EB

Kick off 2.00pm

Referee Mr John Scott

After last Saturday's entertaining 3 - 3 home draw with Vale of Leven Juniors, Saints continue their preseason preparations this weekend against South Lochaber Thistle. Saints Kinlochleven based neighbours make a swift return to Oban following their D&K Lafferty Cup debut three weeks ago where they kindly stepped in at very short notice to fill the void left by the withdrawal of Berwick Rangers.

Since their D&K Lafferty Cup appearance the Jags have seen a proposed trip to the Kintyre peninsula to face Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division One Campbeltown Pupils fall through however they did manage a journey along the A830 Road to the Isles to face Mallaig this midweek. Having drawn a blank in their four forty minute matches against Saints, Alloa Athletic, Dundee United and Hamilton Academical, the Jags finally found their scoring boots against the Lochaber Welfare League outfit finally running out 3 - 2 winners.

The Jags finished as runners-up in last season's West of Scotland Amateur Football League Premier Division behind Erskine based Champions Newshot. Sadly that was the last ever season of the oldest amateur football league in the world which has now folded after 119 years. Thankfully The Jags have been able to find a new league and will take up residence in the Greater Glasgow Premier Amateur Football League for the new season. They do so as the last ever winners of the West of Scotland Amateur Football League Challenge Shield where they defeated league Champions Newshot in a penalty shoot-out; and the Iain Thomson Memorial Trophy which was secured with a 3 -1 victory over Cardross with both finals being played at Greenfield Park the home of Shettleston Juniors.

South Lochaber Thistle Iain Thomson Memorial Trophy Winners 2017

Saints and South Lochaber Thistle have met in friendlies twice before. Firstly in monsoon conditions in Kinlochleven last September where a Donald Campbell hat-trick and a goal each from Craig MacEwan and Fraser MacFarlane saw Saints saw Saints travel home wet but happy after a good workout for both sides. On target for the Jags in a 5 - 1 Saints win was Scott Hunter. More recently, in the D&K Lafferty Cup in Oban, Donald Campbell was once again Thistle's chief tormentor with a brace to add to a Craig MacEwan strike giving Saints a comfortable 3 - 0 win against the rusty looking Jags. Injuries, holidays and work commitments dictated that Saints Manager Alex Craik had to draft in youngsters Kenneth Black, Jay Cooper, Gavin Forgrieve and Ruaridh Horne for that particular encounter. Despite a number of senior players returning to action the promising Saints youngsters will continue to figure prominently in the Gaffer's plans for this Saturday's match.