West Last Sixteen

Saturday 16th Febuary 2019
West of Scotland Amateur Cup
5th Round
Oban Saints v Neilston
Glencruitten 2
Mossfield Avenue
Oban
Argyll
PA34 4EH
Kick Off 1.30pm
Referee Mr Thomas Gilchrist

A dramatic end to the West of Scotland Amateur Cup fourth round tie between Neilston and South Lochaber Thistle denied the Glencruitten faithful a local derby against their Kinlochleven neighbours instead setting up a first competitive encounter with fellow Scottish Amateur Football League club Neilston. The Kinlochleven men thought they had done enough to edge a close affair at Kingston Park when Skipper Martin Munro netted with just five minutes of normal time remaining however hosts Neilston had other ideas. A Nicky McCarron header in the ninety fourth minute sent the tie into extra-time where Paul McLean curled a delicious effort into the top corner to book a trip to Oban and a fifth round tie with Saints.

Neilston's run to the fifth round began with a 5 - 1 away win at near neighbours Paisley of Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division Two and continued with another convincing win at home to fellow Premier Division One side Port Glasgow.

The third round home tie against Central Scottish Amateur Football League Division 1A promotion chasers Stedfast K was a high scoring thriller. A hat-trick from Lochgilphead youngster Ciaran McPhie wasn't quite enough to see the Scotstoun based side through as a spirited Neilston, despite missing a penalty kick, came from behind to force a 4 - 4 draw and an additional thirty minutes. The extra-time period however belonged entirely to the hosts who ran in a further three goals to finally see off the Stedfast challenge.

Cup Competitions

The Scottish Amateur Cup proved to be somewhat less of an adventure with a first round home defeat to Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division One strugglers ending Neilston's interest in the competition at the first hurdle.

On the domestic cup front Neilston also failed to make it past the first round when group stage defeats to Glynhill Moorcroft and St Joseph's FP saw them exit the Centenary Cup before the end of August.

League

On the league front Neilston suffered their first defeat of the Premier Division One campaign last Saturday at home to promotion rivals Port Glasgow. At a wet and windy Kingston Playing Fields midfielder Matt Stevenson gave the home side the lead after twenty minutes with a sweetly struck twenty five left foot shot. Neilston however failed to build on their lead and were pegged back before half-time by a Jamie McKay strike into the top corner. The weather conditions made life difficult for both sets of players and it took a seventieth minute McKay free-kick from the edge of the box, which sneaked inside the post just beyond the reach of Neilston keeper Gareth Fulton, to finally separate the sides. The win propels Port Glasgow to the summit of the league table and leaves Neilston in sixth place eleven points behind the new leaders but with four games in hand.

Despite their first reverse of the league season Neilston remain in contention and with possibly as many as four places available look well placed to mount a challenge for promotion to the Premier Division. After drawing with another of their promotion rivals Kings Park Rangers in their opening fixture Neilston recorded high scoring wins against Lochgilphead Red Star, Claremont, Campbeltown Pupils and Easthall Star. With key fixtures against Castlemilk, Hillington, Kings Park Rangers and Port Glasgow still to come Neilston's destiny remains largely in their own hands.

Previous Encounter

Saints and Neilston met back in August at Lochgilphead Joint Campus in the 2018 Argyll & Bute Cup where Saints required a victory against the East Renfrewshire men to guarantee progress from Group Two. There was to be no repeat of the lightning quick start to the previous match in which Saints scored twice inside the opening four minutes to ease past Port Glasgow with Saints managing to work Neilston keeper Gareth Fulton on just one occasion in a quiet first half.

 Neilston lost the services of Chris Love due to injury on the stroke of half-time with the big defender having to be helped from the park.

 The half-time interval brought a change of personnel with Kerr Newbigging replacing Willie Gemmell in midfield.

 An appeal from Co-Managers Donald Campbell and Willie Gemmell for the goals necessary secure top spot in the group was answered inside the first minute of the second period when Fraser MacFarlane tucked a neat low finish past the right hand of Gareth Fulton.

 MacFarlane should have doubled his tally sixty seconds later but shot straight at Fulton from eighteen yards.

 Neilston dead-ball expert Robbie McNamara was handed an opportunity to test Graham Douglas when Jamie Graham was rather harshly penalised twenty five yards from the Saints goal. McNamara's dipping effort successfully cleared the Saints wall but also the crossbar.

  Fraser MacFarlane made way for James Ford on the left with eleven minutes remaining but it was down the right wing that Saints got their second goal.

 Graham Douglas held a long Robbie McNamara free-kick and quickly threw the ball out to Captain Dene Cassells who launched a counter attack up the Saints right. Jamie Graham carried the ball almost to the bye-line and fizzed a low ball across the face of goal where Donald Campbell slid in to divert the ball high into the net beyond Gareth Fulton.

 Saints added a third with three minutes remaining when Donald Campbell played in Kerr Newbigging who strode forward and thumped an emphatic finish from eighteen yards past Fulton's right hand.

 The win saw Saints top their group and set them on their way to eventual trophy success after defeating Campbeltown Pupils in the semi-final and hosts Lochgilphead Red Star in the final.

Saturday's match at Glencruitten provides both sides with a fantastic opportunity to progress to the last eight of one of the major cup competitions and looks set to provide another entertaining afternoon of cup football for the Glencruitten faithful. The tie 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 Caledonian Amateur Football League Referee Thomas Gilchrist.

Neilston's results so far this season:-


Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division One

8th September 2018 Neilston 2 - 2 Kings Park Rangers
29th September 2018 FC Argyle 2 - 2 Neilston
6th October 2018 Neilston 4 - 2 Lochgilphead Red Star
13th October 2018 Claremont 5 - 6 Neilston
27th October 2018 Campbeltown Pupils 5 - 7 Neilston
1st December 2018 Neilston 2 - 1 Easthall Star
12th January 2019 Neilston 2 - 2 FC Argyle


Scottish Amateur Football League Centenary Cup

Group Section 3
18th August 2018 Houston United 2 - 4 Neilston
22nd August 2018 Neilston 0 - 4 Glynhill Moorcroft
25th August 2018 Neilston 0 - 2 St Joseph's FP



Scottish Amateur Cup

Round One
1st September 2018 Neilston 2 - 3 FC Argyle



West of Scotland Amateur Cup

Round One
15th September 2018 Paisley 1 - 5 Neilston

Round Two
20th October 2018 Neilston 4 - 1 Port Glasgow

Round Three
17th November 2018 Neilston 4 - 4 Stedfast K
Neilston win 7 - 4 After Extra Time

Round Four
26th January 2019 Neilston 1 - 1 South Lochaber Thistle
Neilston win 2 - 1 After Extra Time




Neilston's SAFL record:-

2013-14 Division 1B 3rd Promoted
2014-15 Premier Division Two 4th Promoted
2015-16 Premier Division One 6th
2016-17 Premier Division One 7th
2017-18 Premier Division One 9th

Scott Maitland

Scott Maitland and Stephen Spooner

Gareth Fulton

Aaron McKay

Donald Campbell breaks into the box past Stephen Spooner and Chris Love

Paul Carmichael heads over

Gareth Fulton saves from Fraser MacFarlane

Paul Carmichael

Aaron McKay and David Young

Paul McLean and Robbie McNamara steer Matt Rippon away from goal

Dene Cassells and Liam Hughes

Fraser MacFarlane is congratulated on his goal

Dene Cassells

Donald Campbell slides in for Saints second goal

Jamie Graham congratulates Donald Campbell on his goal

Kerr Newbigging

Kerr Newbigging nets Saints third goal

Aaron McKay congratulates Kerr Newbigging on his goal

Aaron McKay and David Young

Donald Campbell and Robbie McNamara

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.

Round Three

Saints were made to dig deep to book their place in the fourth round of the West of Scotland Amateur Cup at a windswept Kilsyth Sports Field on Saturday 17th November. Well organised hosts Kilsyth Community FC Amateurs, who are flying high in Division 1A of the Caledonian League, successfully kept Saints at bay for almost an hour before a deflected Craig MacEwan shot finally turned the tie in Saints favour. Kilsyth front pairing of Peter Gribbin and Jack Williamson remained a constant threat throughout before close range efforts from Matthew Kelly and David Beaton finally made the tie safe for Saints.

Round Four

Oban Saints bounced back from the disappointment of their Scottish Amateur Cup exit at the hands of Rothie Rovers with an excellent West of Scotland Cup win over former Scottish Amateur Football League rivals Thorn Athletic at Glencruitten. The Johnstone men sit proudly on top of the Caledonian League Premier Division, one of the top amateur leagues in the country, and looked set to provide Saints with arguably their biggest test of the season so far.

Already out of the Scottish Amateur Cup, the West of Scotland Cup remained the only chance of bagging one of the major trophies for both sides who provided another another highly entertaining spectacle for the Glencruitten faithful.

The deadlock was broken in the nineteenth minute when Lewis Cameron tricked his way past Ian Paterson on the corner of the Thorn box and picked out Craig MacEwan in the middle whose cushioned volley into the bottom corner left keeper Liam Mcwilliams rooted to the spot.

Matthew Kelly doubled Saints lead just three minutes later slotting home from close range after a neat one-two with Craig MacEwan had opened up the Thorn defence once again.

The Saints defence kept the potent Thorn attack, which had run in thirty goals in the previous three rounds, well marshaled with Captain Dene Cassells in particularly impressive form. There was however one scare just before the end of the first half which Saints had dominated for the most part when a suspiciously offside looking Jordan Devine raced through on goal but sent his low shot wide of the right hand post of Saints keeper Graham Douglas.

The visitors continued their determined start to the second half without seriously testing the Saints back four which were well protected by holding midfielders Willie Gemmell and Kerr Newbigging. Thorn eventually managed to get the ball into the Saints box in the fifty sixth minute however Graham Douglas was able to punch Connar McGregor's right wing cross clear under pressure from Jordan Devine.

Saints made their first change in the sixty fifth minute giving Lewis Cameron a well deserved breather and replacing him with James Ford. It only took five minutes for Ford to make his mark on proceedings with the third goal which Saints needed to make the tie safe.


Jamie Graham made a terrific interception on the half-way line and played the ball up to Craig MacEwan. Saints top goal scorer in each of the last two seasons advanced to the edge of the box and laid the ball off to the overlapping Jamie Graham who picked out James Ford with an inch perfect cutback which Ford clipped into the net past the right hand of Liam Mcwilliams.

The visitors were at last showing glimpses of the form which has lifted them to the summit of the Caledonian League Premier Division with Jordan Devine again making a nuisance of himself and pressurising Jamie Graham into a mishit clearance which bounced back off the right hand upright before Dene Cassells thumped clear.

Thorn found the net three times from corner kicks on their last visit to Glencruitten and set pieces again looked to be their most likely route to goal. Play maker Dylan Blair found the head of Darren Lamont with a corner kick from the left which the big defender sent well wide of target after a Dean Scott shot across the face of goal had been deflected behind.

Thorn were rewarded for their perseverance with a deserved albeit fortuitous eighty ninth minute consolation goal. Dylan Blair was once again heavily involved providing the pass for Jordan Devine's twenty five yard shot which looped up off the right thigh of Steven MacLeod and beyond the stranded Graham Douglas.

Oban Saints 2018-19 West of Scotland Amateur Cup campaign so far:-


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

The Oban Saints squad resplendent in their new tracksuits and polo shirts kindly supplied by kit sponsors D&K Lafferty Contractors Ltd.

2nd Round
20th October 2018 Uddingston 2 - 2 Oban Saints (Saints win 4 - 2 after extra-time)

The National Stadium just a short distance way from Toryglen

Team Captains Dominic Clarke and Dene Cassells with Referee Stuart Broadfoot

Scott Maitland and Ronan Hughes

Craig MacEwan's lob finds the net to open the scoring

The Saints players celebrate Craig MacEwan's opener

Debutant David Beaton

Graham Douglas

Frankie Murray heads wide of target

Jack Lyons makes an important challenge to dispossess Scott Maitland

Scott Maitland shoots wide

Brian McLeod

Steven MacLeod

Frankie Murray

Fraser MacFarlane and Brendan Smith

Kevin Burns

Fraser MacFarlane

Kieran Muldoon

Dene Cassells heads over

Craig MacEwan heads Saints into an extra-time lead

Celebrations after Craig MacEwan's second goal of the afternoon

Donald Campbell rounds off the scoring

All smiles after a difficult afternoon

3rd Round

17th November 2018 Kilsyth Community FC Amateurs 0 - 3 Oban Saints

Team Captains Dene Cassells and Peter Griffin with Referee Derek Dempster

Jamie Graham, Daniel Croarkin and Grant Penman

Craig MacEwan with Matthew Charles and Kyle Brown in close attendance

Derek Keough gathers ahead of David Beaton

Kerr Newbigging and Grant Penman

Donald Campbell and Grant Whyte

Peter Gribbin curls a free-kick over the crossbar

David Beaton

Craig MacEwan beats Kyle Brown to Grant Penman's corner kick

Graham Douglas

Donald Campbell tries to find Craig MacEwan with a cutback

Derek Keough clutches David Beaton's free-kick

Daniel Croarkin, Craig MacEwan, Steven MacLeod and Dene Cassells celebrate Craig's opening goal

Dene Cassells and Jack Williamson

Matthew Kelly adds a second goal

Matthew Kelly celebrates his goal with Donald Campbell

David Beaton rounds off the scoring

Smiles all round for the Saints goalscorers 

Scott Maitland

Scott Crawford gets away from Donald Campbell

James Kerr heads wide

4th Round

19th January 2019 Oban Saints 3 - 1 Thorn Athletic

Team Captains Dene Cassells and Ryan Crawford with Referee Michael Kerr

Donald Campbell and Ian Paterson

Lewis Cameron and Stuart McCAnn

Ryan Crawford makes a well timed sliding challenge on Lewis Cameron

Graham Douglas saves from Jordan Devine

Graham Douglas

Craig MacEwan is congratulated on his opening goal

Matthew Kelly nets Saints second goal

Matthew Kelly is congratulated on his goal

Kerr Newbigging and Stuart McCann

Scott Maitland

Liam Mcwilliams

Martin McInnes beats Kerr Newbigging in the air

Donald Campbell barks out the orders

James Ford makes it 3 - 0 to Saints

James Ford accepts the congratulations of his team mates 

Dene Cassells gets his head to Paul Young's corner kick

Dean Scott sends a dangerous corner kick into the six yard box

Jordan Devine heads wide

Jamie Graham beats Paul Young in the air

Craig MacEwan flicks on for David Beaton to chase

Darren Lamont heads wide

Kerr Newbigging

Jordan Devine's deflected shot gives Thorn a deserved consolation

Jamie Graham clears with Jordan Devine closing in

#monthesaints