Saturday 10th March 2018
The Scottish Amateur Football Association Challenge Cup Competition
Seventh Round
Oban Saints v Yoker United
Glencruitten 2
Mossfield Avenue
Oban
PA34 4EH
Kick off 2.00pm
Referee Mr Thomas Gilchrist
After last Saturday's weather obliterated fixture card, Scottish Amateur Cup fever returns to Glencruitten this Saturday when Oban Saints host Yoker United in the last sixteen of the Scottish Amateur Football Association's blue ribband event.
Visitors Yoker United of the Strathclyde Saturday Morning Amateur Football League only came into being twelve months ago but have come flying out of the traps and are enjoying a remarkable debut season.
Manager James O'Hara, whose playing career began at Heart of Midlothian and took in various stops at Albion Rovers, Yoker Juniors, Whitefield and Thorniewood Juniors, upon hanging up his boots decided to form a club based a little bit closer to home. As a three time Premier Division winner with Blochairn Star in the twilight of his career, O'Hara also knew the Strathclyde Saturday Morning Amateur Football League well and decided that would be the best place to enter his new team.
Assisted by experienced coaching staff James O'Hara Senior, Daniel Reilly and Robert Arthurs, O'Hara recruited a group of ambitious players and, after a successful application, had his new charges accepted into Division 1A of the Strathclyde Saturday Morning Amateur Football League.
League
Extended runs in the various cup competitions have restricted Yoker United to just four league fixtures where a return of nine points out of twelve keeps them very much in the title race alongside Lenzie Thistle, Southside and league leaders Uddingston. It was against fellow new boys Uddingston back in September that Yoker's only league reverse so far came losing out by the odd goal in three after playing sixty minutes reduced to ten men.
Scottish Amateur Cup
Revenge for that solitary league defeat came in the fourth round of the Scottish Amateur Cup when Yoker put five past their fellow league new boys to extend their national cup run into the new year. Prior to that, after receiving a first round bye, Yoker came perilously close to falling at the first hurdle against Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division Two side Paisley. Incredibly Yoker fought back from 6 - 1 down with twenty five minutes to go to take the Buddies back across the Erskine Bridge for a replay at their Scotstoun home. United matched their six goal haul in the rematch but this time restricted Paisley to just the one goal to book their place in the third round.
With their preferred home venue unavailable Yoker were forced to take third round opponents Logie Harp to Clydebank High School. The change of surroundings however failed to knock United from their stride and they comfortably dispatched the Midlands Amateur Football Association Premier Division strugglers by seven goals to nil.
After seeing off the challengers from Dundee, followed by league mates Uddingston, Yoker's fifth round opposition hailed from just along the road in Glasgow's infamous 'Teuchter Triangle'. Glasgow Island, who Saints fans will recall from their 2015 Royal National Mod Cup visit to Glencruitten, were edged out by the odd goal in three to set up a last thirty two encounter with three time cup winners Cambusbarron Rovers. The trip to Stirling to face the Caledonian League Division 1A men presented Yoker's biggest test of the competition so far which they safely passed raising quite a few eyebrows in the process.
West of Scotland Cup
Yoker's performances in the second 'major' cup competition have been similarly impressive culminating in an agonising local derby defeat to Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division leaders Goldenhill. Entering the competition at the second round stage, United hammered ten goals without reply past Scottish Amateur Football League stalwarts Carlton YMCA before adding the scalps of Rosehill United and Glasgow Island both of the Glasgow Colleges Amateur Football Association to set up the clash with Goldenhill.
Unbeaten in all competitions at that time, Goldenhill had just too much in their armoury for their local rivals however United ran them extremely close and were only finally beaten in the dying seconds. After an evenly contested end to end ninety minutes at the Donald Dewar Centre, Goldenhill keeper Scott Rennie made an excellent save to deny Yoker an equaliser setting up a clinical counter attack for the Gowdie to kill the tie at 5 - 3.
Although bitterly disappointed to lose out in such dramatic fashion Yoker certainly didn't let their heads drop and used the defeat as the motivation for their Scottish Cup success at Cambusbarron Rovers in their very next fixture.
Domstic Cups
Despite this being their Strathclyde Saturday Morning Amateur Football League debut season, domestic silverware is high on ambitious Yoker United's agenda. Recovering from a first round Champions Cup exit at the hands of eventual losing semi-finalists Lenzie Thistle, Yoker fared better in the Strathclyde Cup where resounding victories over Championship A title hopefuls Port Glasgow Celtic and Blantyre SA set up a last sixteen tie against fellow Division 1A side Blackthorn Rovers. A much closer tie against their league colleagues was safely negotiated bringing Yoker face to face with another of the new teams in Division 1A, Southside, for a place in the semi-finals. In another close match at Scotstoun Champions Cup losing finalists Southside overturned a one goal deficit with two late goals to edge out the home side and set up an all Division 1A semi-final encounter with Lenzie Thistle.
After their narrow Champions Cup defeat Yoker United will have another crack at Lenzie Thistle, against whom they also have two crunch league matches to come, in the group stages of the Zandernation Cup where United require just one more win from their three remaining group matches to join Lenzie Thistle in the semi-finals. The first of those matches, away at Lenzie Thistle, was due to be played on Tuesday 27th February however the tie became an early casualty of the 'Beast from the East' which has decimated the recent sporting calendar.
Saturdays's tie gives the Oban Saints Glencruitten faithful one last opportunity to catch their favourites in home Scottish Amateur Cup action this season as the winners of Saturday's seventh round encounter with Yoker United have been drawn away from home in the quarter-finals. A trip to face either Sandys of the Lothian and Edinburgh or Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division table toppers Goldenhill awaits the winners of what is sure to be an enthralling encounter between two good footballing sides.
Unlike almost every other cup competition in amateur football the Scottish Amateur Cup includes replays therefore a re-match will follow at Scotstoun in seven days time if the two sides cannot be separated after ninety minutes.
In charge of proceedings is experienced Motherwell based Referee Thomas Gilchrist of the Caledonian League.
Yoker United's results so far this season:-
Strathclyde Saturday Morning Amateur Football League Division 1A
19th August 2017 Yoker United 5 - 2 Overtoun Park
2nd September 2017 Yoker United 1 - 2 Uddingston
20th September 2017 Blackthorn Rovers 1 - 5 Yoker United
28th October 2017 Yoker United 11 - 0 QU Athletic
Strathclyde Saturday Morning Amateur Football League Champions Cup
First Round
30th August 2017 Lenzie Thistle 1 - 0 Yoker United
Strathclyde Saturday Morning Amateur Football League Strathclyde Cup
First Round
11th November 2017 Yoker United 5 - 0 Port Glasgow Celtic
Second Round
12th January 2018 Blantyre SA 2 - 9 Yoker United
Third Round
3rd February 2018 Yoker United 3 - 2 Blackthorn Rovers
Quarter Finals
24th February 2018 Yoker United 1 - 2 Southside
Strathclyde Saturday Morning Amateur Football League Zandernation Cup
First Round Group Stages
24th January 2018 Yoker United 4 - 2 Southside
30th January 2018 Springburn Thistle 2 - 1 Yoker United
17th February 2018 Yoker United 9 - 1 Manhattan Blacks
Strathclyde Saturday Morning Amateur Football League Cup Qualifying Sections
Group Section 2
8th August 2017 Kelvinbridge 4 - 5 Yoker United
12th August 2017 Yoker United 5 - 4 Maryhill Blackstar
West of Scotland Amateur Cup
First Round
Bye
Second Round
15th September 2017 Carlton YMCA 0 - 10 Yoker United
Third Round
14th October 2017 Rosehill United 1 - 2 Yoker United
Fourth Round
18th November 2017 Glasgow Island 0 - 2 Yoker United
Fifth Round
27th January 2018 Yoker United 3 - 5 Goldenhill
Scottish Amateur Cup
First Round
Bye
Second Round
30th September 2017 Paisley 6 - 6 Yoker United
Second Round Replay
7th October 2017 Yoker United 6 - 1 Paisley
Third Round
4th November 2017 Yoker United 7 - 0 Logie Harp
Fourth Round
2nd December 2017 Yoker United 5 - 2 Uddingston
Fifth Round
6th January 2018 Yoker United 2 - 1 Glasgow Island
Sixth Round
3rd February 2018 Cambusbarron Rovers 2 - 3 Yoker United
Oban Saints Route To The Seventh Round
Round One
Oban Saints returned to the Scottish Amateur Cup trail on the first Saturday in September when they hosted Mauchline United in a first round tie at Glencruitten. Mauchline of the Ayrshire Amateur Football Association First Division versus Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division Oban Saints was one of twenty nine first round ties played across four regions with the remaining four hundred and eighty three entrants receiving byes.
After Shaun MacIver had given Saints an early lead the two beaten semi-finalists shook off their poor league form to put a further three goals without reply past the visitors. All three came from Skipper for the day Craig MacEwan who was even afforded the luxury of a missed penalty kick en-route to his first hat-trick of the season.
Round Two
A second hat-trick in as many games since returning from injury from Skipper Donald Campbell helped Saints ease their way into third round. Despite playing some good football at times visitors Plains of the Strathclyde Saturday Morning Amateur Football League lacked the cutting edge to trouble a Saints defence which made it two Scottish Cup clean sheets in a row.
Resplendent in their new kit of red shirts, blue shorts and white socks, Saints took the lead midway through the first half through Fraser MacFarlane before Donald Campbell notched the first of his three goals giving Saints a two goal half-time advantage.
Round Three
After relatively straight forward home ties in rounds one and two Saints took to the road for an extremely difficult third round tie against Central Scottish Amateur Football League Division 1A high fliers Falkirk Community.
Formerly Polmont and then Polmont Community, Saints third round opposition left the Stirling and District Amateur Football League for the Central Scottish Amateur Football League at the end of last season. Prior to the start of the 2017-18 season a deal was struck for a re-branding as Falkirk Community and for the club to take on the mantle of the amateur representatives of Falkirk FC which the club were naturally delighted to accept.
United Kingdom Indoor Athletics Championships bronze medalist Grant Plenderleith left the Saints defence trailing in his wake to open the scoring with a lightning quick breakaway goal in the twentieth minute which Craig MacEwan cancelled out ten minutes later powering home a Shaun MacIver corner kick.
The home side regained the lead midway through the second half when James Stevenson tucked away a Plenderleith through ball. Once again the lead was short lived with Donald Campbell restoring parity from a slide rule Willie Gemmell pass.
Saints took the lead for the first time with twelve minutes remaining with Donald Campbell netting his second rounding off a sweeping move started deep inside his own half by Gaffer Alex Craik.
Falkirk piled on the pressure in the closing stages and were rewarded for their perseverance when a ninety second minute cross from Grant Plenderleith evaded everyone in the box and bounced agonisingly beyond Graham Douglas to signal a replay.
In the replay at Glencruitten seven days later a collector's item Myles McAuley goal eventually proved the difference between the two well matched sides.
Saints got their noses in front in the twenty sixth minute through Craig MacEwan but were pegged back just before half-time by James Stevenson. Second half substitute Joe Clark gave the visitors the lead in seventy fifth minute with an audacious strike from wide on the Falkirk right.
Barely two minutes later it was all square again when Willie Gemmell netted from the penalty spot after Brayden Docherty clattered into Craig MacEwan in the box. The decisive strike came in the eightieth minute from a move started and finished by Myles McAuley. From wide on the left on the halfway line McAuley linked up with Donald Campbell and Craig MacEwan before popping up in the box for a calm side foot finish to give Saints a hard fought 3 - 2 victory.
Round Four
Saints were on the road again in the fourth round on this occasion their travels took them to the tail o' the bank to renew old acquaintanceship's with Greenock High School Former Pupils where another thrilling ninety minutes ensued. A depleted Saints line-up, with two seventeen year-old's and a considerably more senior member of the coaching staff on the substitutes' bench, forced a highly creditable draw twice battling back from a goal behind to force a replay at Glencruitten.
After a goalless first half the second forty five was only seven minutes old when Ryan Corr sneaked in at the back post to poke home a Ryan McCorkindale cross from the left.
Saints struck back almost immediately with Scott Maitland and Shaun MacIver combining to force a corner on the left straight from the restart. So often chipping in with vital strikes already this season, Willie Gemmell added to his growing list of telling contributions curling an equaliser direct from the corner flag just inside the far post.
There was more than a hint of controversy about the High's second goal however Saints were left appealing in vain for a handball decision that didn't come with Craig Boyd taking full advantage to restore the lead for the home side.
Making his debut as a second half substitute, seventeen year old Daniel MacCuish slipped a perfect eightieth ball through the inside left channel for the overlapping run of Scott Maitland who beat the advancing Neil Flack with a low left foot finish drilled into the bottom corner to set up another Glencruitten replay.
Due to the intervention of some miserable weather and the Festive break, five weeks would pass before the replay finally got underway at a frosty Glencruitten on the first Saturday in January.
Manager Alex Craik made five changes to the eleven who started in Greenock and was in the rare position of being able to name six substitutes for this vital clash.
Despite being on top for the majority of the first half Saints were unable to find a way past Neil Flack in the High goal but eventually made the breakthrough after six second half minutes. Craig MacEwan's trickery left Stuart Higgins for dead on the left before picking out Ally McKerracher in the middle for a looping header into the postage stamp corner.
With the High pressing for an unlikely equaliser Saints finally made the tie safe in the eighty ninth minute with Donald Campbell rounding off a swift counter attack launched by Ally McKerracher and Daniel MacCuish.
Fifth Round
The fifth round tie was another weather delayed affair against East Kilbride Rolls Royce who were forced to move the tie from East Kilbride to Holytown just to find an available playable surface.
The change of surroundings didn't seem to affect the Rolly too badly as they soaked up Saints early pressure and raced into a two goal lead thanks to a double from centre forward Andrew Cunningham.
The second goal proved to be just the wake up call that Saints were desperately in need of and within three minutes of the restart Scott Maitland pulled one back. Linking up with Craig MacEwan and Donald Campbell, Maitland cut in from the left and placed a curling right foot finish across Conor Flanagan and into the bottom corner of the net.
Maitland doubled his tally just two minutes into the second half finishing off a driving run by Matthew Kelly. Saints completed the turnaround when Myles McAuley bagged his second goal of the competition adding to his fourth round replay strike against Greenock High School Former Pupils with a neat curled finish from a Daniel MacCuish through ball.
Craig MacEwan rounded off the scoring in the seventy seventh minute to book Saints place in the sixth round and a fourth successive away trip this time to Ayrshire to face Kilbride Thistle
Sixth Round
Saints had to come from behind yet again after the home side took the lead in the twelfth minute from their first meaningful attack of the match. Striker Ryan Wilson, who remained a handful throughout, got away from Paul Carmichael on the Thistle right and fired a low cross along the six yard line which Skipper and fellow Ayrshire Select member Darren Frye turned in at the back post.
The lead was short lived with Craig MacEwan nodding home a Willie Gemmell corner kick from the left to level the scores.
Skipper Donald Campbell gave Saints an early second half lead with a sensational strike from twenty two yards before young Daniel MacCuish opened his Saints goal scoring account after pouncing on a mistake by Thistle goalkeeper Ryan Harvie in the eighty third minute.
The home side gave themselves a late life-line when Scott Bell lashed a Ryan Wilson knock down into the roof of the net, however the Saints rearguard comfortably extinguished any threat of a last gasp equaliser to clinch a place in the last sixteen.
Oban Saints 2017 - 18 Scottish Amateur Cup Campaign
1st Round
2nd September 2017 Oban Saints 4 - 0 Mauchline United
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| Shaun MacIver's shot flies past Andrew Clark to opening the scoring |
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| Craig MacEwan and Fraser MacFarlane congratulate Shaun MacIver on his opening goal |
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| Graham Douglas collects a free-kick |
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| Craig MacEwan slots away Ally McKerracher's through ball to double the lead |
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| Ally McKerracher and Craig MacEwan celebrate Saints second goal |
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| Shaun MacIver with Ryan O'Donnell and David Howat in attendance |
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| Andrew Clark saves from Ally McKerracher |
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| Andrew Clark saves Willie Gemmell's free-kick |
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| Craig MacEwan seals his hat-trick and rounds off the scoring at 4 - 0 |
2nd Round
30th September 2017 Oban Saints 6 - 0 Plains
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| Fraser MacFarlane opens the scoring |
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| Fraser MacFarlane celebrates his goal |
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| Donald Campbell nets the first of his three goals |
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| Donald Campbell, Craig MacEwan, Keith Millar, Scott Maitland and Fraser MacFarlane celebrate Saints second goal |
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| Matthew Kelly hurdles a challenge from Anthony Traynor |
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| Donald Campbell adds his second goal |
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| Donald Campbell celebrates his second goal |
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| Donald Campbell lifts the ball over Darren Hunter to seal his hat-trick |
3rd Round
4th November 2017 Falkirk Community 3 - 3 Oban Saints
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| Team Captains Donald Campbell and Jack Stickler with Referee Joseph Todd |
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| Marc Maccallum |
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| Steven MacLeod and James Stevenson |
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| Graham Douglas |
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| Alex Craik and Callan Kerr |
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| Willie Gemmell and Callan Kerr |
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| Shaun MacIver and Ryan Donnelly |
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| Campbell Geddes saves Willie Gemmell's free-kick |
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| Craig MacEwan heads home Shaun MacIver's corner kick to level the scores at 1 - 1 |
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| Craig MacEwan and Shaun MacIver celebrate Craig's goal |
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| Shaun MacIver comes off worse in a clash with Scott Wright |
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| Steven MacLeod and Ryan Donnelly |
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| Scott Wright heads wide |
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| Myles McAuley |
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| Donald Campbell brings Saints level at 2 - 2 |
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| Craig MacEwan and Willie Gemmell congratulate Donald Campbell on his goal |
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| Donald Campbell puts Saints into a 3 - 2 lead |
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| Donald Campbell |
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| Craig MacEwan and Donald Campbell celebrate Donald's second goal |
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| Grant Plenderleith's stoppage time cross evades Alex Craik, Blair Lockhart and Graham Douglas and ends up in the net to level the scores at 3 -3 and force a replay |
3rd Round Replay
11th November 2017 Oban Saints 3 - 2 Falkirk Community
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| Silence of remembrance |
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| Team Captains Donald Campbell with Referee Tony McCann |
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| Craig MacEwan holds off Brayden Docherty |
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| Paul Carmichael |
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| Saints legend Ross Maitland tussles with Falkirk full back Brayden Docherty |
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| Myles McAuley hits the post in the build up to Saints opening goal |
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| Craig MacEwan opens the scoring |
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| Paul Carmichael congratulates Craig MacEwan on his opening goal |
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| Falkirk's Man of the Match Stuart MacFarlane heads clear |
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| Scott Maitland |
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| Ross Maitland skips away from Ryan Donnelly's sliding challenge |
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| Scott Maitland fails to find the target with a diving header |
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| Alex Craik renews hostilities with Falkirk's lively front pairing of James Stevenson and Callan Kerr |
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| Keith Millar |
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| Willie Gemmell beats Stephen McKinnon from the penalty spot to bring Saints level at 2 - 2 |
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| A delighted Myles McAuley and Willie Gemmell after Myles had restored Saints lead |
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Myles McAuley is congratulated by his team mates after his winning goal
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4th Round2nd December 2017 Greenock HSFP 2 - 2 Oban Saints
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| Craig Campbell and Harry Donaldson |
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| Willie Gemmell finds the net direct from the corner flag |
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| Willie Gemmell accepts the congratulations of his teammates |
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| Kevin Brown's spot kick comes back off the crossbar |
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| Ryan Corr heads wide |
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| Floodlights on |
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| Craig Boyd beats Graham Douglas and Alex Craik to put the High 2 - 1 ahead |
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| Daniel McCuish and Thomas MacFarlane |
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| Scott Maitland celebrates his goal with Craig Campbell |
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| A spot of cramp for Ryan Corr. Thomas MacFarlane administers the first aid |
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| Graham Douglas |
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Debutant Daniel McCuish
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4th Round Replay
6th January 2018 Oban Saints 2 - 0 Greenock HSFP
5th Round
27th January 2018 East Kilbride Rolls Royce 2 - 4 Oban Saints
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| The players observe a silence of remembrance for the late Charles 'Rex' Gallacher Scottish Amateur Football Association President |
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| Team Captains Donald Campbell and Paul Hughes with Referee Andrew McLean |
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| Daniel MacCuish |
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| Myles McAuley |
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| Steven MacLeod |
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| Conor Flanagan punches clear |
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| Daniel MacCuish takes on Steven Christie |
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| Matthew Kelly |
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| Craig MacEwan can't get his head on Daniel MacCuish's corner kick |
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| The Skippers battle it out |
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| Daniel MacCuish makes a vital block to deny Andrew Cunningham |
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| Matthew Kelly heads clear |
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| Graham Douglas |
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| Craig Duncan congratulates Andrew Cunningham on his second goal |
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| Conor Flanagan can't get out Scott Maitland's shot to bring Saints back into the match |
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| Scott Maitland rounds Conor Flanagan |
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| Scott Maitland nets his second goal of the afternoon |
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| A delighted Scott Maitland runs off in celebration |
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| Craig Campbell heads clear |
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| Myles McAuley gives Saints the lead |
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| Matthew Kelly, Steven MacLeod and Willie Gemmell congratulate Myles McAuley on his goal |
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| Craig Campbell |
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| Myles McAuley and Marc Brown |
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| Willie Gemmell |
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| Craig MacEwan rounds off the scoring |
6th Round
3rd February 2018 Kilbride Thistle 2 - 3 Oban Saints
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| Great to see exiled Obanites Brian 'Gleik' McGleish and John 'Tanno' MacDonald come along to lend their support |
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| Team Captains Donald Campbell and Darren Frye with Referee Scott Bunting |
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| Unused substitutes Ruaridh Horne and Craig MacMillan |
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| Jack McWilliams heads away a Willie Gemmell free-kick |
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| Ryan Harvie saves from Donald Campbell |
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| Craig MacEwan equalises for Saints |
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| Willie Gemmell and Craig MacEwan celebrate Saints equaliser |
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| Willie Gemmell and Ryan Wilson |
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| Myles McAuley and Cameron Rainey |
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| Daniel MacCuish and Glenn Lewis |
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| Scott Maitland |
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| Ryan Harvie can't reach Donald Campbell's shot to give Saints the lead |
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| Matthew Kelly beats Alexander Sommerville in the air |
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| Willie Gemmell and Darren Frye |
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| Graham Douglas |
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| Myles McAuley and Scott Hindmarsh aerial duel |
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| Craig MacEwan gets away from Jack McWilliams |
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| Ryan Harvie |
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| Craig MacEwan congratulates Daniel MacCuish on his first goal for the Club |
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| Matthew Kelly and Steven MacLeod make an important block on Jack McWilliams |
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| Donald Campbell |
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| Kerr Newbigging smacks a late chance off the post |
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| Paul Carmichael thumps clear |
#monthesaints
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