Visit From The Champions

Saturday 9th September 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 Peter Laing

After safely negotiating the first round of the Scottish Amateur Cup with a reasonably comfortable home win over Mauchline United, Saints face their biggest test of the season so far this Saturday when they welcome reigning Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division Champions and Centenary Cup holders St Joseph's FP to Glencruitten.

The league and cup double was a just reward for St Joe's who enjoyed an excellent season including extended runs in the major cup competitions. Only eventual losing finalists Colville Park could halt St Joe's progress in the West of Scotland Amateur Cup. It was a remarkably similar story in the Scottish Amateur Cup when eventual runners-up in the Scottish Amateur game's blue riband event, Southside, edged out St Joe's after a sixth round replay.

Old rivals St Joseph's FP are unbeaten on their last five trips to Glencruitten including four victories. In last season's encounter Saints were brought crashing back to earth after their Scottish Amateur Cup seventh round replay win against Letham when the Duntocher men racked up their third consecutive victory on Saints territory. Goals from Scott Smith, Martin McComish and Dominic O'Neill secured the points for the visitors effectively ending any faint hopes Saints may have had of halting St Joe's march to a second league crown in three seasons.

Saints gained some degree of revenge against the league champions in their final match of last season at William Street, Duntocher.

A goal behind at the interval thanks to Gregor Cree's twenty ninth minute opener, Saints fell further behind four minutes into the second half when Ryan Halpin robbed Graham Douglas on the edge of this box to roll the ball into the unguarded net.

Saints hauled themselves back into the match in spectacular fashion in the fifty eighth minute from a sweetly struck Scott Maitland thirty yard effort which arrowed into the roof of the net giving Sean Gibbons no chance.

It was very much game-on in the sixty second minute when a neatly threaded David McArthur pass picked out Donald Campbell's run from midfield. With the home defence caught square Donald raced through the middle and passed the ball precisely into the bottom corner past the left hand of Sean Gibbons.

Saints completed the turnaround in the sixty seventh minute from another Graham Douglas clearance. Craig MacEwan held off the attentions of Craig Cameron on the Saints left and played the ball infield to Donald Campbell. Donald's perfectly weighted pass sat up invitingly for Brian Mackay to stroke the ball into the bottom corner just out of reach of the advancing Sean Gibbons.

Mackay netted his second and Saints fourth goal of the evening with Craig MacEwan and Willie Gemmell again both heavily involved in the build-up. Willie's eighty eighth minute ball up the left for Craig MacEwan saw Saints top scorer turn provider tricking his way past Kearn Docherty and clipping the ball over Sean Gibbons and Martin McComish in the six yard box for Brian Mackay to side foot home at the back post.

The win was enough to secure the Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division runners-up spot for Saints ahead of St Joe's local rivals Goldenhill.



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

SAFL Premier Division

19th August 2017 St Joseph's FP 0 - 1 Alba Thistle
2nd September 2017 St Joseph's FP 6 - 1 Hillington

SAFL Centenary Cup

1st Round Group Section North One
12th August 2017 Paisley 1 - 5 St Joseph's FP

16th August 2017 St Joseph's FP 7  - 2 Houston
23rd August 2017 FC Argyle 1 - 2 St Joseph's FP

West of Scotland Amateur Cup

1st Round
Bye

2nd Round
16th September 2017 St Joseph's FP v Knockentiber




Scottish Amateur Cup

1st Round
Bye

2nd Round
30th September 2017 Abronhill Stepps v 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
2016/17 Premier Division Champions and Centenary Cup Winners

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
2016/17 Premier Division Oban Saints 0 - 3 St Joseph's FP

Action from last season's encounter at Glencruitten

Brian Mackay and David Gallagher

Fraser Murray beats Donald Campbell in the air

     

Gregor Cree and Jamie Graham

St Joe's Skipper Kieran Boyce and Paul Carmichael

Ryan Halpin and Myles McAuley

Paul Carmichael and Craig Cameron contest a header

Paul Carmichael and Kieran Green

Dene Cassells beats Ryan Halpin in the air

Matthew Kelly

Paul Carmichael and Fraser Murray

Craig MacEwan attempts to block Kieran Green's clearance

Craig MacEwan runs at the St Joe's defence

Dene Cassells escapes the clutches of Scott Smith

Gregor Cree, David McArthur and Matthew Kelly

Kerr Newbigging

Kieran Green bundles into David McArthur

Nathan Bogle spreads himself to block Matthew Kelly 

Paul Carmichael heads wide

Dean Cassells

Craig MacEwan finally hits the target but has his header saved by Nathan Bogle

In Other News

In Thursday's Scottish Amateur Cup second round draw Saints were drawn at home against Plains of the Strathclyde Saturday Morning Amateur Football League. The tie is scheduled for Saturday 30th September.

#monthesaints