Winning In The Rain

Friday, 16 March 2018

#monthesaints

Sunday, 11 March 2018

Saturday 10th March 2018
The Scottish Amateur Football Association Challenge Cup Competition
Seventh Round
Oban Saints 2 - 0 Yoker United
Glencruitten 2
Mossfield Avenue
Oban
PA34 4EH
Kick off 2.00pm
Referee Mr Thomas Gilchrist

Oban Saints starting line-up:-

Used substitutes:-

Jamie Graham
Kerr Newbigging

Unused substitutes:-

Alex Craik
James Ford
Ruaridh Horne
Craig MacMillan

Last Saturday at a cold, wet and windy Glencruitten, Oban Saints clinched their place in the quarter finals of the Scottish Amateur Cup with a hard fought 2 - 0 victory over Yoker United. Despite this being their debut season, the Strathclyde Saturday Morning Amateur Football League new boys gave an extremely good account of themselves and will be slightly disappointed not to have taken something from the game. Saints however dug in where necessary and, although well short of their best form, ultimately had too much for the visitors and booked a third consecutive quarter finals appearance.

Saints Manager Alex Craik took the now customary flurry of late call-offs in his stride to name a strong starting eleven. Graham Douglas lined up in goal behind a back four of Steven MacLeod, Marc Maccallum, Paul Carmichael and Scott Maitland. Willie Gemmell anchored the midfield alongside Matthew Kelly and Keith Millar. Up front Skipper Donald Campbell spearheaded the attack flanked by Shaun MacIver and Craig MacEwan. On a full bench with a perfect blend of youth and experience were Alex Craik, Jamie Graham, Kerr Newbigging, Ruaridh Horne, Craig MacMillan and new signing James Ford.

The visitors kicked off attacking the Mossfield end where they had the ball in the net after five minutes. Yoker Skipper Allan Evans broke up a promising Saints attack with a robust but, in the opinion of 2017 Scottish Amateur Cup Final Referee Thomas Gilchrist, fair challenge on Scott Maitland and immediately launched a counter attack on the right. With Maitland prostrate in the Yoker half, right winger Derek Carson had plenty of the soggy Glencruitten turf to run into and collected the quick ball forward from Evans. The Saints defence had been turned and Carson's ball across the box was turned in at the back post by Darren Currie. Fortunately for Saints Mr Gilchrist ruled that Currie had strayed offside allowing Saints to survive the early scare.

Despite Yoker being a newly formed club Manager James O'Hara has built a solid squad packed full of experience which had them in the ascendancy in the early exchanges as Saints failed miserably to hit their usual stride.

Yoker's main goal threat Paul McCartney got the better of Marc Maccallum on the eighteen yard line in the eighth minute but failed to trouble Graham Douglas with a tame effort straight at the Saints number one.

Yoker Skipper Allan Evans earned a stern talking to from Mr Gilchrist for an overly robust tackle on Craig MacEwan before opposite number Donald Campbell stretched the Referee's patience too far and picked up the game's first yellow card for a badly mistimed challenge on Stuart Alexander.

After a brief stoppage for treatment to Alexander, Kieren McIntyre swung in the free-kick from the left which Graham Douglas came out confidently to collect.

A better spell from Saints won the first corner kick corner kick of the match in the twenty first minute after good work on the left from Scott Maitland, Craig MacEwan and Donald Campbell. Willie Gemmell's delivery was headed away at the front post by Ross Thomson but only as far as Scott Maitland who headed the ball back into the danger area. Craig MacEwan brought the ball down well but, under pressure from Allan Evans, scuffed his shot which was comfortably held by Yoker keeper Craig Brown.

Derek Carson was proving a handful for Scott Maitland on the Yoker right but his low cross in the twenty second minute was well cut out at the front post by Paul Carmichael who, after a shaky start, formed a solid partnership in the centre of the Saints defence with Marc Maccallum.

A late twenty seventh minute Stephen O'Hara tackle on Donald Campbell gave Willie Gemmell a dead ball opportunity however his left of centre effort from twenty two yards failed to clear the five man Yoker wall.

From an almost identical position five minutes later Gemmell came within the width of the crossbar of opening the scoring. Shaun MacIver's powerful run from right to left was ended by Allan Evans giving Gemmell another chance to show his prowess with the dead ball. Trying to pick out the back post run of Shaun MacIver, Gemmell's curling delivery smacked off the crossbar with Craig Brown well beaten.

Kieren McIntyre's trickery on the left allowed him to escape the attentions of Steven MacLeod in the thirty fourth minute however the inspirational Marc Maccallum was alive to the danger and made a vital interception at the front post.

The action swung quickly to the other end where Craig MacEwan sent Donald Campbell in behind the Yoker back three. William McKellar came sliding in and blocked with his forearm as Campbell tried to lift the ball over him in the box however Referee Gilchrist was unsighted and unable to give the decision.

Yoker ended the first half camped in the Saints half forcing a succession of corners which the Saints defence were able to deal with before a Derek Carson cross from the corner of the eighteen yard box found Darren Currie well offside on the six yard line. The big striker beat Graham Douglas with a well placed header however Mr Gilchrist was up with play and had an easy decision to make in ruling out the goal.

Saints knew they had to raise their game and duly did so for the start of the second half. After just sixty seconds Steven MacLeod's adventurism on the right set up Matthew Kelly for a shot from the edge of the box. Kelly's sclaffed effort wrong footed the Yoker defence and fell kindly for Donald Campbell fourteen yards out who didn't need a second invitation to tuck the ball into the bottom corner beyond the left hand of Craig Brown.

The home side almost doubled their advantage straight from the restart with the danger again emanating from Steven MacLeod on the right. Shaun MacIver picked up the ball from MacLeod and continued his run across the edge of the box before slipping Craig MacEwan in on the left. MacEwan's placed finish across Craig Brown beat the keeper but unfortunately also the far post.

After ten second half minutes Yoker made a double substitution replacing Stuart Alexander and Paul McCartney with Daniel Armstrong and Robert White.

The away side's best chance of getting an equaliser looked likely to come from a set piece however the home defence remained firm repelling everything the visitors could muster. Shaun MacIver headed clear a fifty sixth minute free-kick which Donald Campbell latched onto sending Paul Carmichael on a quick counter attack up the right. Carmichael's return pass was fractionally too far in front of Campbell allowing Stephen O'Hara and Craig Brown to make the block just inside the Yoker box.

Understandably for a cup tie of this magnitude emotions were running high and Matthew Kelly was next to find his way into Referee Gilchrist's notebook in the fifty seventh minute for one foul too many in the keenly contested midfield area.

Kelly was joined four minutes later by Shaun MacIver and Allan Evans after the pair were involved in a minor altercation on the edge of the Yoker box.

A swashbuckling run from Scott Maitland in the sixty third minute opened up the Yoker defence with William McKellar making a vital interception to prevent Craig MacEwan squaring to Shaun MacIver for a tap-in.

A lunging Stephen O'Hara challenge on Donald Campbell went unpunished in the sixty ninth minute as Saints looked to break on the Yoker defence once again. Marc Maccallum's protests at the lack of a free-kick award earned him a yellow card from Mr Gilchrist which would later prove to be very costly.

With twenty minutes remaining Graham Douglas produced the save of the match to deny the visitors an equaliser. A delicious diagonal ball over the top from Kieren McIntyre ten yards inside his own half and wide on the left picked out the run of Robert White. The Yoker striker raced into the box but was thwarted by an excellent save by the Saints number one who narrowed the angle and stood up well to make a vital block.

Yoker made a second double substitution with fifteen minutes remaining bringing on Robert McGowan and William Reid to replace Ross Thomson and Darren Currie.

Saints Manager Alex Craik also decided on a change bolstering the midfield with the addition of Kerr Newbigging at the expense of striker Shaun MacIver.

Newbigging's first involvement was to win a free-kick when his run through the inside right channel was unceremoniously halted by William McKellar. Willie Gemmell's delivery into the box was too far in front of Paul Carmichael. Craig MacEwan picked up the loose ball and tried to feed Donald Campbell on the corner of the six yard box only for Stephen O'Hara to make a well timed sliding interception to turn the ball behind for a corner kick. Willie Gemmell's ball into the six yard area was partially cleared but Scott Maitland kept the pressure on with a driving run into the box. With Allan Evans, William McKellar and Stephen O'Hara in pursuit, Maitland spurned a golden opportunity to square the ball to the unmarked Donald Campbell instead having to settle for another corner kick off Allan Evans.

The Yoker defence dealt with Willie Gemmell's latest delivery from the corner flag and were able to move the action to the other end where Scott Maitland redeemed himself somewhat with a vital sliding interception on Robert White after another slide rule pass from Kieren McIntyre.

The visitors were forced into one final change in the eighty ninth minute when a pulled hamstring ended Stephen O'Hara's involvement requiring a late run-out for Manager James O'Hara.

With Yoker committing everything to attack Donald Campbell looked to hit on the break again in the ninety first minute. Craig Brown took the sting out of Campbell's effort on the edge of the box and second half substitute Robert McGowan held his nerve well to nick the ball off the toes of Matthew Kelly who was closing in for what would surely have been a decisive second goal.

Mr Gilchrist allowed a generous amount of stoppage time during which the visitors looked to launch the ball forward at every opportunity. The Saints rearguard, defiantly marshalled by Marc Maccallum, stood firm providing the platform for yet another Donald Campbell counter attack in the ninety third minute. Kerr Newbigging's ball over the top was squared by Campbell looking for Craig MacEwan and drew a crucial mistake from Robert McGowan whose handball in the box left Referee Gilchrist no option but to point to the penalty spot.

Willie Gemmell's perfectly placed penalty kick gave Yoker keeper Craig Brown no chance however the drama didn't end there. Marc Maccallum and Kerr Newbigging's disagreement over defensive positioning at the penalty kick became dangerously inflamed forcing Mr Gilchrist to issue yellow cards to both and prematurely ending Maccallum's involvement.

Matthew Kelly made way for Jamie Graham for what little time remained on the watch before Mr Gilchrist, who correctly called the majority of the game's big decisions, ended proceedings setting up a quarter-finals appearance for Saints against either Sandys of the Lothian and Edinburgh Amateur Football Association Premier Division or Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division table toppers Goldenhill.

Saints return to Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division action on Saturday when they travel to Greenock to face a resurgent Inverclyde in what promises to be a difficult battle for vital league points.

Team Captains Donald Campbell and Allan Evans with Referee Thomas Gilchrist

Donald Campbell takes on Stephen O'Hara

Craig Brown

Willie Gemmell and Paul McCartney

Scott Maitland

Willie Gemmell's free-kick comes back off the crossbar

Paul Carmichael

Donald Campbell

Matthew Kelly beats Robert Wason in the air

Paul Carmichael heads away

The Saints players celebrate Donald Campbell's opening goal

Steven MacLeod clears ahead of Paul McCartney

Kieren McIntyre with Matthew Kelly closing in

Scott Maitland beats Derek Carson in the air

Graham Douglas

Shaun MacIver skips away from William McKellar

Shaun MacIver

Donald Campbell and Wiliam McKellar

Graham Douglas punches clear

Stephen O'Hara slides in to take the ball away from Donald Campbell

Matthew Kelly

Kerr Newbigging

Craig MacEwan and James O'Hara

Willie Gemmell's penalty kick finds the bottom corner

Donald Campbell and Craig MacEwan congratulate Willie Gemmell on his successfully converted penalty kick

#monthesaints

Monday, 5 March 2018

Last Sixteen

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

Shaun MacIver's shot flies past Andrew Clark to opening the scoring

Craig MacEwan and Fraser MacFarlane congratulate Shaun MacIver on his opening goal

Graham Douglas collects a free-kick

Craig MacEwan slots away Ally McKerracher's through ball to double the lead

Ally McKerracher and Craig MacEwan celebrate Saints second goal

Shaun MacIver with Ryan O'Donnell and David Howat in attendance

Andrew Clark saves from Ally McKerracher

Andrew Clark saves Willie Gemmell's free-kick

Craig MacEwan seals his hat-trick and rounds off the scoring at 4 - 0

2nd Round

30th September 2017 Oban Saints 6 - 0 Plains

Fraser MacFarlane opens the scoring

Fraser MacFarlane celebrates his goal

Donald Campbell nets the first of his three goals

Donald Campbell, Craig MacEwan, Keith Millar, Scott Maitland and Fraser MacFarlane celebrate Saints second goal

Matthew Kelly hurdles a challenge from Anthony Traynor

Donald Campbell adds his second goal

Donald Campbell celebrates his second goal

Donald Campbell lifts the ball over Darren Hunter to seal his hat-trick

3rd Round

4th November 2017 Falkirk Community 3 - 3 Oban Saints

Team Captains Donald Campbell and Jack Stickler with Referee Joseph Todd

Marc Maccallum

Steven MacLeod and James Stevenson

Graham Douglas

Alex Craik and Callan Kerr

Willie Gemmell and Callan Kerr

Shaun MacIver and Ryan Donnelly

Campbell Geddes saves Willie Gemmell's free-kick

Craig MacEwan heads home Shaun MacIver's corner kick to level the scores at 1 - 1

Craig MacEwan and Shaun MacIver celebrate Craig's goal

Shaun MacIver comes off worse in a clash with Scott Wright

Steven MacLeod and Ryan Donnelly

Scott Wright heads wide

Myles McAuley

Donald Campbell brings Saints level at 2 - 2

Craig MacEwan and Willie Gemmell congratulate Donald Campbell on his goal

Donald Campbell puts Saints into a 3 - 2 lead

Donald Campbell

Craig MacEwan and Donald Campbell celebrate Donald's second goal

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

Silence of remembrance

Team Captains Donald Campbell with Referee Tony McCann

Craig MacEwan holds off Brayden Docherty

Paul Carmichael

Saints legend Ross Maitland tussles with Falkirk full back Brayden Docherty

Myles McAuley hits the post in the build up to Saints opening goal

Craig MacEwan opens the scoring

Paul Carmichael congratulates Craig MacEwan on his opening goal

Falkirk's Man of the Match Stuart MacFarlane heads clear

Scott Maitland

Ross Maitland skips away from Ryan Donnelly's sliding challenge

Scott Maitland fails to find the target with a diving header

Alex Craik renews hostilities with Falkirk's lively front pairing of James Stevenson and Callan Kerr

Keith Millar

Willie Gemmell beats Stephen McKinnon from the penalty spot to bring Saints level at 2 - 2

A delighted Myles McAuley and Willie Gemmell after Myles had restored Saints lead

Myles McAuley is congratulated by his team mates after his winning goal

4th Round2nd December 2017 Greenock HSFP 2 - 2 Oban Saints

David Smith and Barry Munro

David Smith heads clear

Craig Campbell heads wide

David Smith and Harry Donaldson

David McPhee

Steven MacLeod

Shaun MacIver, Kevin Brown and David McLean

Steven MacLeod looks on as Alex Craik tussles with Ryan McCorkindale

Myles McAuley flicks on ahead of Chris McAllister

Matthew Kelly holds off Lewis Graham

Graham Douglas saves from Harry Donaldson

Not the straightest of touchlines

Craig Campbell and Harry Donaldson

Willie Gemmell finds the net direct from the corner flag

Willie Gemmell accepts the congratulations of his teammates

Kevin Brown's spot kick comes back off the crossbar

Ryan Corr heads wide

Floodlights on

Craig Boyd beats Graham Douglas and Alex Craik to put the High 2 - 1 ahead

Daniel McCuish and Thomas MacFarlane

Scott Maitland celebrates his goal with Craig Campbell

A spot of cramp for Ryan Corr. Thomas MacFarlane administers the first aid

Graham Douglas

Debutant Daniel McCuish

4th Round Replay

6th January 2018 Oban Saints 2 - 0 Greenock HSFP

Team Captains Donald Campbell and Kevin Brown with Referee Thomas Lacy

Paul Carmichael

Neil Flack

Kenny Munro

Scott Maitland hits the crossbar

Agony for Craig MacEwan as he steers Willie Gemmell's free-kick wide

Scott Maitland

Donald Campbell holds off David McLean

Donald Campbell shoots wide

Scott Maitland slides in on Kevin Brown

Willie Gemmell blocks Kenny Munro's shot

Willie Gemmell's free-kick slips wide of the post

Ally McKerracher heads Saints into the lead

The Saints players celebrate the opening goal

Ally McKerracher

Lewis Graham with Keith Millar in pursuit

Graham Douglas

Donald Campbell and Stuart Higgins

Kevin Brown holds off Steven MacLeod

Kerr Newbigging

Craig MacEwan and Robbie Davis

Matthew Kelly and Chris McAllister

Donald Campbell seals victory for Saints

Donald Campbell

Daniel McCuish and Matthew Kelly

5th Round

27th January 2018 East Kilbride Rolls Royce 2 - 4 Oban Saints

The players observe a silence of remembrance for the late Charles 'Rex' Gallacher Scottish Amateur Football Association President

Team Captains Donald Campbell and Paul Hughes with Referee Andrew McLean

Daniel MacCuish

Myles McAuley

Steven MacLeod

Conor Flanagan punches clear

Daniel MacCuish takes on Steven Christie

Matthew Kelly

Craig MacEwan can't get his head on Daniel MacCuish's corner kick

The Skippers battle it out

Daniel MacCuish makes a vital block to deny Andrew Cunningham

Matthew Kelly heads clear

Graham Douglas

Craig Duncan congratulates Andrew Cunningham on his second goal

Conor Flanagan can't get out Scott Maitland's shot to bring Saints back into the match

Scott Maitland rounds Conor Flanagan

Scott Maitland nets his second goal of the afternoon

A delighted Scott Maitland runs off in celebration

Craig Campbell heads clear

Myles McAuley gives Saints the lead

Matthew Kelly, Steven MacLeod and Willie Gemmell congratulate Myles McAuley on his goal

Craig Campbell

Myles McAuley and Marc Brown

Willie Gemmell

Craig MacEwan rounds off the scoring

6th Round

3rd February 2018 Kilbride Thistle 2 - 3 Oban Saints

Great to see exiled Obanites Brian 'Gleik' McGleish and John 'Tanno' MacDonald come along to lend their support

Team Captains Donald Campbell and Darren Frye with Referee Scott Bunting

Unused substitutes Ruaridh Horne and Craig MacMillan

Jack McWilliams heads away a Willie Gemmell free-kick

Ryan Harvie saves from Donald Campbell

Craig MacEwan equalises for Saints

Willie Gemmell and Craig MacEwan celebrate Saints equaliser

Willie Gemmell and Ryan Wilson

Myles McAuley and Cameron Rainey

Daniel MacCuish and Glenn Lewis

Scott Maitland

Ryan Harvie can't reach Donald Campbell's shot to give Saints the lead

Matthew Kelly beats Alexander Sommerville in the air

Willie Gemmell and Darren Frye

Graham Douglas

Myles McAuley and Scott Hindmarsh aerial duel

Craig MacEwan gets away from Jack McWilliams

Ryan Harvie

Craig MacEwan congratulates Daniel MacCuish on his first goal for the Club

Matthew Kelly and Steven MacLeod make an important block on Jack McWilliams

Donald Campbell

Kerr Newbigging smacks a late chance off the post

Paul Carmichael thumps clear

Winning In The Rain

Friday, 16 March 2018

Back To The Battery

League

Domestic Cups

Majors

Scottish Amateur Football League Jimmy Marshall Trophy

1st Round
27th January 2018 Inverclyde 8 - 0 Carlton YMCA

2nd Round

10th February 2018 Ferguslie Star 0 - 3 Inverclyde

West of Scotland Amateur Cup

1st Round
Bye

2nd Round

16th September 2017 Inverclyde 6 - 1 FC Baillieston

3rd Round

14th October 2017 Inverclyde 0 - 5 Hurlford Thistle

Scottish Amateur Cup

1st Round

Bye

2nd Round

30th September 2017 Duncanrig FP 1 - 2 Inverclyde

Action from the 2015-16 encounter at Battery Park

#monthesaints

Sunday, 11 March 2018

Third Quarter

#monthesaints

Monday, 5 March 2018

Last Sixteen

League

Scottish Amateur Cup

West of Scotland Cup

Domstic Cups

Oban Saints Route To The Seventh Round

Round One

Round Two

Round Three

Round Four

Fifth Round

Sixth Round

Oban Saints 2017 - 18 Scottish Amateur Cup Campaign

3rd Round Replay

11th November 2017 Oban Saints 3 - 2 Falkirk Community

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

6th Round

3rd February 2018 Kilbride Thistle 2 - 3 Oban Saints

#monthesaints

About Me

Friday, 16 March 2018

Back To The Battery

League

Domestic Cups

Majors

Scottish Amateur Football League Jimmy Marshall Trophy 1st Round 27th January 2018 Inverclyde 8 - 0 Carlton YMCA 2nd Round 10th February 2018 Ferguslie Star 0 - 3 Inverclyde

West of Scotland Amateur Cup 1st Round Bye 2nd Round 16th September 2017 Inverclyde 6 - 1 FC Baillieston 3rd Round 14th October 2017 Inverclyde 0 - 5 Hurlford Thistle

Scottish Amateur Cup 1st Round Bye 2nd Round 30th September 2017 Duncanrig FP 1 - 2 Inverclyde

Action from the 2015-16 encounter at Battery Park

#monthesaints

Sunday, 11 March 2018

Third Quarter

#monthesaints

Monday, 5 March 2018

Last Sixteen

League

Scottish Amateur Cup

West of Scotland Cup

Domstic Cups

Oban Saints Route To The Seventh Round

Round One

Round Two

Round Three

Round Four

Fifth Round

Sixth Round

Oban Saints 2017 - 18 Scottish Amateur Cup Campaign

3rd Round Replay 11th November 2017 Oban Saints 3 - 2 Falkirk Community

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

6th Round 3rd February 2018 Kilbride Thistle 2 - 3 Oban Saints

#monthesaints

Scottish Amateur Football League Jimmy Marshall Trophy

1st Round
27th January 2018 Inverclyde 8 - 0 Carlton YMCA

2nd Round

10th February 2018 Ferguslie Star 0 - 3 Inverclyde

West of Scotland Amateur Cup

1st Round
Bye

2nd Round

16th September 2017 Inverclyde 6 - 1 FC Baillieston

3rd Round

14th October 2017 Inverclyde 0 - 5 Hurlford Thistle

Scottish Amateur Cup

1st Round

Bye

2nd Round

30th September 2017 Duncanrig FP 1 - 2 Inverclyde

3rd Round Replay

11th November 2017 Oban Saints 3 - 2 Falkirk Community

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

6th Round

3rd February 2018 Kilbride Thistle 2 - 3 Oban Saints