Cambria Come Calling

Saturday 16th March 2019
West of Scotland Amateur Cup
6th Round
Oban Saints v Cambria
Oban Community Sports Field 3G
Soroba Road
Oban
Argyll
PA34 4JB
Kick Off 1pm
Referee Mr Stephen Payne

This Saturday Oban Saints welcome former Scottish Amateur Football League rivals Cambria back to Glencruitten for the first time since their departure for the Caledonian League in 2012. Cambria return to Oban for a West of Scotland Amateur Cup sixth round tie with the Stepps based men bidding to emulate their glorious 2016 - 17 campaign where they saw off the challenge of Colville Park in the semi-final and Southside in the final at New Douglas Park, Hamilton to claim their first major trophy success.

In this season's competition after routine victories over Villa Park and FC Argyle from the Scottish Amateur Football League in rounds one and two Cambria eased past Central Scottish Amateur Football League Division 1B outfit Newton Vale in round three.

Round four saw the quality of the opposition rise and two extra-time goals were required to see off the challenge of this season's undefeated Caledonian League Division 1B Champions East Kilbride YM.

An even greater challenge was to follow in round five when Cambria were drawn away from home for the first time in the competition against reigning Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division Champions and last season's Scottish Amateur Cup runners-up Goldenhill. In a thrilling encounter at the Donald Dewer Centre in Drumchapel goals from Gordon Hanley and David Aubrey, together with a man of the match performance from goalkeeper Adam Rennie, cancelled out James Gallagher's strike and saw Cambria prevail against a Goldenhill side whose job was made all the more difficult after the dismissal of their goalkeeper Ross Clark. 

Cup Competitions

The Scottish Amateur Cup first round draw paired Cambria with fellow Caledonian League Premier Division side Thorn Athletic in what was considered by many to be one of the ties of the round. After an entertaining but goalless draw in Johnstone a five goal thriller ensued at Stepps in the replay. Thorn took the lead early in the second half but the hosts turned the tie on it's head with two goals inside ten minutes from Sam Gray and David Aubrey to put them in the driving seat. Thorn however are made of strong stuff and levelled with the last kick of the ninety minutes to force extra-time. Fittingly for such an epic encounter a wonder strike from Craig Coleman finally won the tie for Cambria with just three of the extra thirty minutes remaining.

Convincing victories followed in rounds two, three and four against Hilltown Hotspurs, Campsie Minerva and FC Argyle respectively.

Erskine based Bridgewater of the Central Scottish Amateur Football League held Cambria to 2 - 2 draw at Stepps in the fifth round before another thrilling extra-time replay win saw Cambria through to the sixth round.

A 1 - 1 draw away from home against Castlemilk forced Cambria's third replay of the campaign however it proved to be third time unlucky as the Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division One title favourites scored three goals without reply to bring Cambria's bid for Scottish Amateur Cup success to a disappointing end.


On the domestic cup front defeat to eventual losing semi-finalists Dalziel HSFP ended Cambria's interest in the Douglas Smith League Cup however they still remain on course for a run in the William Turner Challenge Cup following a first round win over Cambusbarron Rovers.

League

Remarkably, although by no means uniquely among teams still involved in the later stages of the major cup competitions, seven months into their Caledonian League Premier Division campaign Cambria have thirteen of their twenty two fixtures still to play. This is the down side of doing well in the majors and trying to squeeze almost two thirds of their season into the final ten or so weeks is sure to render any assault on the top of the league table extremely difficult.

Currently in fifth place with eighteen points from nine matches Cambria remain well placed but with home and away matches against fellow title aspirants Dalziel HSFP and Dumbarton Academy FP, and an away trip to Giffnock North among their remaining fixtures a bid to overhaul Thorn Athletic's lead at the top of the table, despite still being in their own hands, would appear to be a tall order.

Previous Encounter

Cambria last visited Glencruitten on 2nd April 2011 where one goal a-piece in an entertaining league draw did neither club any favours in the final reckoning. In a typically evenly contested encounter between the two old rivals Dene Cassells won the battle of the siblings slotting past older brother Daniel to give Saints the lead. The already depleted visitors suffered another set-back when Paul McLean suffered a broken collar bone in the first minute. With the odds stacked against them Cambria battled back brvely and equalised when Sinclair Patience bulleted home a Cammy Scott corner for a deserved share of the points.

The two vital dropped points ultimately cost Saints a successful defence of the Premier Division title, which they lost on goal difference to Aikenhead Thistle, and Cambria their place in the top flight resigning them to spend their final Scottish Amateur Football League season in Premier Division One.

In goal for Cambria that day was Daniel Cassells one of a large number of Saints players who have also turned out for Cambria. Currently David McArthur, a vital member of the Saints 2013-14 double winning invincible side, graces the Cambria midfield and joins Sean Ford, Scott Johnstone, Joe Lopez and Matt Rippon, among others, in representing both clubs.

Cambria's Elis Seferi holds off Asen Gaydardzhiev

Keith Millar gets his head to a corner kick

Cambria's Brian Robertson battles Jamie Graham, Willie Gemmell and Alex Craik in the air.

Chris Graham tries to get past Cambria fullback Neil Hardie as Daniel Cassells guards his near post.

Saturday's match at Glencruitten provides both sides with a fantastic opportunity to reach the semi-finals of one of the major cup competitions and looks set to provide another entertaining afternoon of cup football for the Glencruitten faithful who will be joined on the sidelines by a large travelling Cambria support. 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 Central Scottish Amateur Football League Referee Stephen Payne assisted by Derek Dempster and Matthew Farr.

Cambria's results so far this season:-


Caledonian League Premier Division

22nd August 2018 Wishaw Wycombe Wanderers 0 - 3 Cambria
25th August 2018 Milton 1 - 4 Cambria
29th August 2018 Cambria 5 - 2 Finnart
13th October 2018 Glasgow University 0 - 1 Cambria
27th October 2018 Cambria 0 - 1 Giffnock North
10th November 2018 Cambria 0 - 2 Thorn Athletic
23rd February 2019 Cambria 5 - 1 Glasgow Harp
2nd March 2019 Thorn Athletic 3 - 0 Cambria
9th March 2019 Cambria 2 - 0 Wishaw Wycombe Wanderers



Caledonian League William Turner Challenge Cup

Round One
24th November 2018 Cambria 4 - 2 Cambusbarron Rovers


Caledonian League Douglas Smith League Cup

Round One
Group Section One
11th August 2018 Cambria 16 - 0 Symington Tinto
15th August 2018 Cambria 3 - 0 Eaglesham
18th August 2018 Dalziel HSFP 1 - 0 Cambria



Scottish Amateur Cup

Round One
1st September 2018 Thorn Athletic 0 - 0 Cambria

Round One Replay
8th September 2018 Cambria 2 - 2 Thorn Athletic
Cambria win 3 - 2 After Extra-time

Round Two
6th October 2018 Cambria 6 - 1 Hilltown Hotspurs

Round Three
3rd November 2018 Cambria 5 - 0 Campsie Minerva

Round Four
8th December 2018 FC Argyle 1 - 5 Cambria

Round Five
5th January 2019 Cambria 2 - 2 Bridgewater

Round Five Replay
12th January 2019 Bridgewater 1 - 1 Cambria
Cambria win 3 - 1 After Extra-time

Round Six
2nd February 2019 Castlemilk BC 1 - 1 Cambria

Round Six Replay
9th February 2019 Cambria 0 - 3 Castlemilk BC




West of Scotland Amateur Cup

Round One
14th September 2018 Cambria 3 - 0 Villa Park

Round Two
20th October 2018 Cambria 3 - 0 FC Argyle

Round Three
17th November 2018 Cambria 4 - 0 Newton Vale

Round Four
26th January 2019 Cambria 2 - 2 East Kilbride YM
Cambria win 4 - 2 After Extra Time

Round Five
16th February 2019 Goldenhill 1 - 2 Cambria

Cambria Squad 2018 - 19

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.

Round Five

A first ever senior goal for Saints youngster Keir MacLean helped through to the last eight of the West District's premier cup competition. Goals from Fraser MacFarlane and Lewis Cameron had Saints in a comfortable lead before quickfire strikes from Kyle Tannock David Millar brought Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division One Neilston roaring back into contention.

MacLean's eighty first minute strike put Saints back in control before a late brace from second half substitute James Ford put a shine on the scoreline and sent Saints comfortably through to this Sauturday's quarter-final tie against Cambria.

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

5th Round

16th February 2019 Oban Saints 5 - 2 Neilston

Team Captains Dene Cassells and Robbie McNamara with Referee Tam Gilchrist

Dene Cassells heads clear

Scott Maitland and Ryan Anderson

Lewis Cameron

Dougal Graham

Fraser MacFarlane

Fraser MacFarlane opens the scoring

Craig MacEwan congratulates Fraser MacFarlane on his goal

Scott Maitland

Matthew Kelly

Willie Gemmell and Sean Crumlish

Lewis Cameron puts Saints 2 - 0 in front

Fraser MacFarlane congratulates Ruaridh Horne for his part in Saints second goal

Gareth Fulton safely gathers Willie Gemmell's free-kick

Gareth Fulton

Kyle Tannock sends Lewis Cameron crashing to the deck

David Millar brings Neilston level

Lewis Cameron beats Matthew Stevenson in the air

Keir MacLean opens his Saints goal scoring account

Keir MacLean is congratulated on his goal

Keir MacLean

James Ford nets Saints fourth goal

Keir MacLean congratulates James Ford on his goal

Matthew Kelly and Iain Lambie

Donald Campbell sends over the cross for Saints fifth goal

James Ford rounds off the scoring

#monthesaints