Winning In The Rain: Head For The Hills

Saturday 17th November 2018
West of Scotland Amateur Cup
3rd Round
Kilsyth Community FC Amateurs v Oban Saints
Sports Field
Kilsyth
G65 9JX
Kick Off 1.30pm
Referee Mr Derek Dempster

Oban Saints look to make it eleven wins in succession this weekend when they travel to the foot of the Kilsyth Hills and Lanarkshire's most northerly town to face Kilsyth Community in the West of Scotland Cup third round.

Formerly known as Kilsyth Amateurs, the long established North Lanarkshire club decided on a re-branding for this their fifty sixth season in amateur football and became part of Kilsyth Community Football Club whose aim is to bring all age groups in the town under one footballing umbrella.

The renaming coincided with the decision to end a long and successful relationship with the Central Scottish Amateur Football League for Kilsyth, where they were 2003/04 Premier Division Champions and 2005/06 McAvoy and McIntyre Cup Winners, and begin a new chapter in the Caledonian League.

Kilsyth appear to be settling in well to their new league where six wins from seven matches sees them in third position, six points behind leaders Eaglesham but with two games in hand, and well placed to mount an assault on the Division 1A title.

Coming just a little too early in the season for Kilsyth was the challenge of facing Oban Saints old foes Thorn Athletic in the Douglas Smith League Cup. A convincing 5 - 1 away win for the Premier Division leaders set them on their way to a quarter finals clash with Dumbarton Academy FP and left Kilsyth making up the group section H numbers along with Strathclyde University and Weirs Recreation.

In the major cup competitions Kilsyth reached the third round stage of the Scottish Amateur Cup thanks to a first round walkover and a 3 -1 away win at Strathclyde Saturday Morning Amateur Football League Championship B side Renfrew. Unfortunately for Kilsyth they came up against near neighbours Central Scottish Amateur Football League big guns Eastfield in the third round where, despite a spirited performance from the visitors, a solitary second half goal was enough to see Eastfield progress.

In the first round of the West of Scotland Cup Kilsyth were taken to extra-time by Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division Two high fliers Glynhill Moorcroft before squeezing past the Renfrew men by the odd goal in seven.

Round two produced an identical score-line but without the need for an additional thirty minutes. Clydeside Athletic of the Glasgow Colleges Football Association Premier Division were the visitors to Kilsyth Sports Field and raced into a 3 - 1 lead before a stirring comeback, including a last minute winner, sealed a third round home tie for Kilsyth against Saints.

Saturday's match at Kilsyth Sports Field will be a major test for Saints and must be played to a finish on the day with extra-time and penalty kicks coming into play to decide the winner if the two sides cannot be separated after ninety minutes. Taking charge of proceedings is experienced Referee Derek Dempster of the Central Scottish Amateur Football League.

Kilsyth's results so far this season:-

Caledonian League Division 1A

22nd August 2018 Kilsyth 3 - 1 Callander Thistle
25th August 2018 Kilsyth 3 - 0 FC Dal Riata
8th September 2018 Kilsyth 4 - 0 Eddlewood
22nd September 2018 Kilsyth 3 - 2 Cambusbarron Rovers
29th September 2018 FC Dal Riata 0 - 4 Kilsyth
13th October 2018 Kilsyth 2 - 3 Milngavie Wanderers
27th October 2018 Callander Thistle 0 - 4 Kilsyth

Caledonian League Douglas Smith League Cup

First Round Group Stage

Group H
11th August 2018 Kilsyth 1 - 5 Thorn Athletic
15th August 2018 Strathclyde University 3 - 2 Kilsyth
18th August 2018 Kilsyth 4 - 1 Weirs Recreation

West of Scotland Amateur Cup

First Round
15th September 2018 Glynhill Moorcroft 2 - 2 Kilsyth (Kilsyth win 4 - 3 after extra-time)

Second Round
20th October 2018 Kilsyth 4 - 3 Clydeside Athletic

Third Round
17th November 2018 Kilsyth v Oban Saints

Scottish Amateur Cup

First Round
1st September 2018 Kilsyth v Strathclyde University (Walkover to Kilsth)

Second Round
6th October 2018 Renfrew 1 - 3 Kilsyth

Third Round
3rd November 2018 Eastfield 1 - 0 Kilsyth

Kilsyth Community Football Club

Oban Saints Route to the Third Round of the West of Scotland Cup

Round One

Saints were scheduled to play Rannoch at Glencruitten in round one however the Greater Glasgow Premier Amateur Football League Division Three outfit elected not to fulfill the fixture handing the tie to Saints by way of a walkover.

Round Two

Round two saw Saints travel to the Toryglen Regional Football Centre in the shadow of Hampden Park to face Uddingston of the Strathclyde Saturday Morning Amateur Football League. Flying high with a 100% record in Championship A hosts Uddingston would provide their Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division opponents with a tough test.

Craig MacEwan beat the Uddingston offside trap to open the scoring in the seventh minute deftly lobbing the keeper after being put through by a well weighted Daniel Croarkin pass. Ronan Hughes equalised for the hosts from the penalty spot on the half hour mark after Ruaridh Horne was penalised for barging into Brian McLeod after hesitation in the Saints defence. Parity however lasted for just five minutes when Lewis Cameron caught out keeper Kieran Muldoon at his near post with a smart finish to restore the Saints lead.

Uddingston showed just why they are favourites for a second successive league championship with a much improved second half performance which kept Saints pinned back in their own half for the most part. Despite Uddingston's domination of possession Saints defended well and looked set to the keep the hosts at bay until an eighty ninth minute wonder strike levelled the scoring for a second time. Craig MacEwan's clearing header from a corner kick from the Uddingston right fell invitingly for second half substitute Paul Cassidy who slammed a thirty yard rocket through a ruck of bodies which Graham Douglas got both hands too but could only help into the net.

Saints last visit to Toryglen, a 2015-16 Scottish Amateur Football League Jimmy Marshall Trophy quarter-final against Kings Park Rangers, ended in a penalty shoot-out victory however thankfully on this occasion there was to be no requirement for a similarly nerve wracking decider.

Lewis Cameron won an eleventh minute free-kick thirty two yards from goal. With Saints having failed to pose much of a threat with their earlier set-pieces Donald Campbell finally produced a piece a magic lifting the ball over the Uddingston wall for the well timed run of Craig MacEwan who deftly glanced the ball past Kieran Muldoon's left hand to put Saints ahead for a third time.

Saints rounded off the scoring in the twenty first minute of extra-time when Kerr Newbigging sent Craig MacEwan in behind the Uddingston defence wide on the left. MacEwan took the ball to the bye-line and sent a looping cross to the back post for Donald Campbell to cushion a close range finish into the net and at last put some daylight between the two sides and seal victory for the visitors.

Oban Saints 2017-18 West of Scotland Amateur Cup campaign so far:-

1st Round
15th September 2018 Oban Saints v Rannoch (Walkover to Saints)