Winning In The Rain

Friday, 12 July 2019

D&K Cup 2019 Preview

The 26th annual Oban Saints preseason tournament takes place this Saturday at Mossfield Stadium and Oban Lorne Rugby Club where once again the enduring popularity of the event is exhibited in the top class participants the tournament continues to attract. Three of this years visitors, Alloa Athletic, Dundee United and Hamilton Acadmical are long term supporters of the tournament and boast eleven tournament wins between them. St Anthony's, who made their tournament debut last year, are joined in making a second appearance by South Lochaber Thistle who come in as late replacements for four time previous winners Heart of Midlothian. The familiar tournament format remains unchanged with the teams playing each other once in matches lasting thirty minutes.

Despite the competition being principally designed to aid in the building of preseason fitness it is keenly contested and victory is greeted with as much celebration as any other trophy win. The tournament has been blessed with some excellent weather over the years and that certainly looks to be the case this year. The anticipated dry conditions with some sunshine and temperatures in the mid teens should make for perfect conditions for players and spectators alike. Whatever the weather the anticipated large crowd is sure to be entertained to a feast of quality football.

Saints are delighted that shirt sponsor D&K Lafferty Contractors have agreed to sponsor the club's flagship event for the seventh consecutive year. D&K Lafferty are fantastic supporters of local sport and everybody connected with Oban Saints is pleased to see them rewarded with the wide exposure that sponsorship of this prestigious tournament can offer.

Kick off 11am

Mossfield - Oban Saints v South Lochaber Thistle
Glencruitten - Alloa Athletic v St Anthony's

Kick off 11.40am

Mossfield - St Anthony's v Hamilton Academical
Glencruitten - Alloa Athletic v Dundee United

Kick off 12.20pm

Mossfield - Dundee United v South Lochaber Thistle
Glencruitten - Oban Saints v Hamilton Academical

Kick off 1pm

Mossfield - Dundee United v St Anthony's
Glencruitten - South Lochaber Thistle v Hamilton Academical

Kick off 1.40pm

Mossfield - Oban Saints v Alloa Athletic
Glencruitten - St Anthony's v South Lochaber Thistle

Kick off 2.20pm

Mossfield - Hamilton Academical v Alloa Athletic
Glencruitten - Dundee United v Oban Saints

Kick off 3pm

Mossfield - St Anthony's v Oban Saints
Glencruitten - Alloa Athletic v South Lochaber Thistle

Kick off 3.40pm

Mossfield - Hamilton Accies v Dundee United

Making a welcome return after having to withdraw from last years tournament are regular visitors Alloa Athletic. The three time winners, who this week appointed Celtic legend Peter Grant to the managerial post recently vacated by Jim Goodwin, will once again be represented by their reserve team. The young Wasps second string, which this season will play in the Scottish Professional Football League Reserve League 2, will be led on the day by reserve team coach Mark McAuley. Joining the Wasps for the coming season in the second tier of reserve league set-up are Airdrieonians, Albion Rovers, Ayr United, BSC Glasgow, East Kilbride, East Stirlingshire, Livingston and Queen's Park. With no first team fixture scheduled for Saturday the Wasps travelling faithful will relish the opportunity of a return to Oban to cheer on the second string.

Paul Carmichael and Alloa Athletic central defender Ivan Bengono in action in the 2017 tournament

Holders Dundee United have four wins from their thirteen previous tournament appearances and carrying United's hopes of retaining the trophy are their youthful reserve side. United will be led by Reserve Team Manager Craig Easton and his assistant Scott Robertson. Easton returned to Tannadice, where he made 259 first team appearances, in June 2018 following a successful spell in charge of the Development League side at Raith Rovers. Back-to-back Development League East titles at Stark's Park brought the United youth set-up graduate onto the radar of his first professional club. In an interview for Dundee United's website ahead of last year's trip to Oban Easton said "I am looking forward to it and the lads are looking forward to it. They have been back in training for almost two weeks and this will give them an opportunity to test themselves in games against good opposition. The format means they will play in high intensity short matches throughout the day over a five hour period. It is ideal and will help prepare them for the season ahead. We will be travelling up on Friday and staying overnight to prepare properly and I thank the Dundee United Youth Development Board for organising the stay"

Craig Easton pictured at the 2018 tournament

Four time previous winners Hamilton Academical make their sixteenth consecutive appearance at the tournament and have entrusted their bid for a fifth tournament win in seven years to their Under 20's/Under 18's squad. Speaking in this week's Oban Times Accies coach Dougie Imrie said "It's a great tournament as you can field five different teams if you want and it's good for using different tactics and of course ideal for match fitness. The Accies first team are in Betfred Cup action against Queens Park at New Douglas Park however the D&K Cup Tournament is always a big favourite with the Accies faithful travelling support and hopefully a good number of the tournament regulars will be in attendance where their humorous and vociferous encouragement for their team has become a regular feature of the day's proceedings.

Player of the 2017 tournament Lewis Ferguson receives his trophy from Councillor Jim Lynch

Returning for a second tournament appearance are well known and respected semi-professional outfit St Anthony's. The Ants were founded in Govan in 1904 and, after gaining Junior status in 1905, quickly became a major force in the semi-professional ranks reaching their zenith between the first and second world wars. Four Scottish Junior League Championships, including three in a row between the 1918-19 and 1920-21 seasons, were joined in the Ants' trophy cabinet by the West of Scotland Junior Cup, the Glasgow Junior Cup and numerous other trophies during a remarkable purple patch. Only the much coveted Scottish Junior Cup escaped their clutches during this period losing the 1918-19 and 1924-25 finals to Rutherglen Glencairn and Saltcoats Victoria respectively with the latter requiring two replays to separate the sides.

The resumption of football after the second world war saw the Ants gain more honours without managing to reach the heights of their formative years. A series of set backs off the field, starting with a German bomb razing their pavilion to the ground in 1941, eventually left the Ants homeless and at their lowest ebb. However their fortunes took a turn for the better in 2003 when they found a new home off Shieldhall Road in Cardonald promptly named McKenna Park. The move to McKenna Park coincided with the lifting of the Ants last significant piece of silverware when they secured the 2002-03 Scottish Junior Football Association West Region Central District Division Two title. A thirteen season spell in Division One followed eventually coming to an end in May 2016 when they joined Carluke Rovers and Dunipace Juniors in dropping into Division Two.

Often wrongly credited with being the inspiration for Celtic's famous green and white hoops the Ants have in fact provided the Glasgow giants with sixty one players over the years the most famous of which being Scottish Football Hall of Fame inductee Bobby Evans. Centre half Evans was transferred from the Ants to Celtic in 1944 and went on to Captain the Parkhead club making a total of 535 appearances along the way. Evans also won forty eight caps for Scotland and Captained his country on twelve occasions.

If you would like to find out more about the history of St Anthony's head over to the excellent http://www.antshistory.moonfruit.com/ website.

Going into his second season in charge Ants Manager John Kelly has been busy strengthening his squad for a bid to improve upon last season's eighth placed League Two finish. Drawing heavily on his extensive knowledge of the junior and amateur football scenes in the Paisley area Kelly has recruited much travelled midfielder Jonny McKay and former Renfrew Juniors striker Gary McCarroch. The sudden and unexpected demise of Oban Saints former Scottish Amateur Football League rivals Alba Thistle saw Ants Manager Kelly quick to pounce and secure the signatures of striker Martin Sinclair and left back Connor Milne.

Veteran Saints defender Alex Craik slides in on Ants striker John Ball

Oban Saints good friends South Lochaber Thistle return for a second tournament appearance deputising for four time winners Heart of Midlothian who are unable to attend. The Kinlochleven men enjoyed an excellent 2018-19 season culminating in a thrilling last day of the season victory over title rivals Helensburgh to secure the Greater Glasgow Premier Amateur Football League Division Two crown. With both sides having already clinched promotion to Division One Thistle had only to avoid defeat against visitors Helensburgh at Lochaber High School on Saturday 1st June to be crowned champions whereas Burgh knew only a win would do for them.

Helensburgh came into the fixture on the back of an incredible fourteen match winning streak including a 3 - 2 win over Thistle at Hermitage Academy on 8th May. The hosts however were also in impressive form having recorded four thumping away victories in a row before setting up the title decider with Helensburgh courtesy of a 2 - 0 home win over old rivals Newshot.

It was Thistle who struck first through veteran striker Danny Mackintosh who beat Burgh keeper Paul Cavanna from a narrow angle after twenty minutes to settle the host's early nerves.

The visitors got back on level terms before the interval when David Sinclair headed a long David Wilkie throw-in past evergreen Thistle goalkeeper David Dunlop.

A share of the points was of no use to Helensburgh and they came out all guns blazing in the second half. As the hosts committed more and more men forward they were caught out on the break with a long ball over the top which man of the match Andrew Maclean latched onto and smashed past Paul Cavanna to seal victory.

South Lochaber Thistle Greater Glasgow Premier Amateur Football League Division Two Champions 2018-19

The 2018 - 19 campaign saw new Co-Managers Donald Campbell and Willie Gemmell take the reins from Alex Craik who stood down after three years in charge. Veteran defender Jamie Graham joined Peter MacCallum on the coaching team while David Buchanan continued in his administrative role as Secretary, Treasurer and just about everything else.

Campbell and Gemmell built on the sterling work of predecessors Iain Jackson and Alex Craik and lead Saints to the club's first ever major cup final on Friday 3rd May. After a pulsating ninety minutes where six goals were shared Saints and opponents Bannockburn couldn't be separated and an additional thirty minutes was signalled by Referee Ross Holms. Unfortunately for Saints they conceded a sloppy fourth goal early in extra-time giving their more experienced opponents a lead which they never looked like losing. Two further breakaway goals for Bannockburn finally ended Saints hopes of a first ever major cup success and confirmed a fifth West of Scotland Cup win for 'Burn.

Despite the disappointment of losing out to Bannockburn the Saints Management duo still had silverware in their sights in the Scottish Amateur Football League however lady luck was also to desert them on that front. The final destination of the Premier Division trophy was decided in highly controversial circumstances at Clydebank High School on a sunny Wednesday evening where a share of the points with a depleted Saints was enough for St Joseph's FP to reclaim the league title from local rivals Goldenhill. A hotly disputed late Craig Cameron headed goal levelled the scores at 3 - 3 giving St Joe's an unassailable lead at the top of the table and consigning Saints to the runners-up spot.

There was similar heartbreak for Saints in the Jimmy Marshall Trophy where a semi-final penalty shoot-out defeat to eventual cup winners Goldenhill saw Saints end their forty three year membership of the Scottish Amateur Football League trophyless.

The 2019-20 season sees the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Saints with the addition of a second team, which will compete in Division 3 of the Greater Glasgow Premier Amateur Football League, and the first team's move to the Central Scottish Amateur Football League where they have been drawn in what promises to be a highly competitive Division 1B.

The Oban Saints starting eleven for the West of Scotland Amateur Cup Final against Bannockburn. Also pictured are mascots Jack Cassells and Donald Campbell

Past Winners

2018

Dundee United

2017

Hamilton Academical

2016

Hamilton Academical and supporting cast

2015

Heart of Midlothian

2014

Hamilton Academical

2013

Hamilton Academical

2012

Heart of Midlothian

2011

Alloa Athletic

2010

Dundee United

2009

Alloa Athletic

2008

Dundee United

2007

Alloa Athletic

2006

Heart of Midlothian

2005

Dumbarton

2004

Dundee United

2003

Nairn County

2002

Heart of Midlothian

2001

Clyde

2000

Clyde

1999

Joint Winners Clyde and Inverness Caledonian Thistle

1998

Inverness Caledonian Thistle

1997

St Mirren

1996

Maryhill Juniors

1995

St Mirren

1994

Oban Saints AFC

#monthesaints

Sunday, 26 May 2019

Trophy Hopes Dashed

The Scottish Amateur Football League Jimmy Marshall Trophy

Tuesday 21st May 2019
Scottish Amateur Football League Jimmy Marshall Trophy
Semi-final
Goldenhill 2 - 2 Oban Saints
Goldenhill win 4 - 3 on penalties

Glasgow Green Football Centre
28 King's Drive

Glasgow
G40 1HB

Kick Off 8.00pm
Referee Mr Decio Espinha
Assistant Mr Derek Milton
Assistant Mr Jamie Andrews

Oban Saints hopes of ending their final season in the Scottish Amateur Football League with some silverware were dashed last Tuesday night at Glasgow Green. For the second time in six days the fixtures schedule handed Saints a midweek trip to Glasgow and once again there was disappointment for the Oban men.

The 8pm kick-off in the Jimmy Marshall Trophy Semi-final against last season's Scottish Amateur Cup runners-up Goldenhill produced four goals in the ninety minutes, including a controversial equaliser from the penalty spot for the Clydebank men, before Saints were edged out in the penalty shoot-out.

Saints welcomed back to the squad Scott Maitland, Cammy Hill and Keir MacLean who had all missed the previous week's league encounter with St Joseph's FP.

Graham Douglas took his customary place between the posts behind a back four of Ruaridh Horne, Steven MacLeod, Captain Dene Cassells and Scott Maitland. Myles McAuley joined Matty Kelly in the holding midfield role behind James Ford, Lewis Cameron and Cammy Hill. Matt Rippon continued in his newly found centre forward's position while Daniel Croarkin, Willie Gemmell, Fraser MacFarlane, Aaron McKay and Keir MacLean occupied the substitutes bench.

Used substitutes:-
Fraser MacFarlane
Willie Gemmell

Unused substitutes:-
Daniel Croarkin
Aaron McKay
Keir MacLean

Saints were almost caught napping from Goldenhill's kick-off on the newly laid 4G surface. The ball was played quickly up to former Beith Juniors striker Ross McPherson on the edge of the box who turned smartly away from Dene Cassells and fired in a low shot which Graham Douglas did well to parry before Scott Maitland hacked the ball out for a throw-in.

Long throw specialist Kevin Maxwell came up from his central defensive role to take the throw from level with the six yard line which Graham Douglas collected at his near post.

Saints responded with a passing move up the left which saw Lewis Cameron find James Ford in the Goldenhill box however Ford, under pressure from Jack Bennett, couldn't make the contact he was looking for and Scott Rennie was able to gather comfortably.

Lewis Cameron and Scott Maitland linked up well again on the left in the eighth minute with the Goldenhill defence able to only partially clear Cameron's cross which Ruaridh Horne returned from the right for Cammy Hill to blast over from the eighteen yard line.

Jonny Dyer's electric pace on the Gowdie right was probably not what Scott Maitland would have chosen to face on his return from the chest infection which had laid him low the previous week. The speedy Goldenhill wide man raced away in the tenth minute and sent over a dangerous cross which Ross McPherson headed wide from the corner of the six yard box.

The woodwork denied Saints an opening goal in the fourteenth minute. The danger once again came from Lewis Cameron on the left with Cammy Hill getting underneath Cameron's cross and Matty Kelly deftly lobbing the ball over Scott Rennie from a tight angle onto the crossbar.

Goldenhill took full advantage of the let-off two minutes later with a ball over the top for James Gallagher to chase. Gallagher's pace took him away on the left and his low cross, fizzed along the six yard line, was tucked away by Jonny Dyer racing in at the back post to open the scoring.

The Clydebank men came close to doubling their advantage in the twenty third minute when Saints switched off at a throw-in after Graham Douglas had hooked a clearance out of the park. Goldenhill Skipper Tommy Martin gathered the throw and slipped in leading goalscorer James Gallagher who cracked a right foot shot off the outside of Graham Douglas' left hand post.

Myles McAuley thumped a shot from a Lewis Cameron left wing cross over the Goldenhill crossbar before another ball over the top for James Gallagher turned the Saints defence with Graham Douglas making a good save to deny the Goldenhill danger man.

Restored to the Goldenhill ranks after a spell with Drumchapel United PYM in the Central Scottish Amateur Football League Scott Rennie made the first of a number of good stops on the half hour mark pushing a Lewis Cameron shot over for a corner kick.

Two minutes later Rennie foiled Cameron once again after good work from Matt Rippon set up Cameron who fired off an early shot which Rennie pushed away diving full length to his left.

The goalkeepers continued to shine with Graham Douglas making a vital save with his feet to deny James Gallagher in the thirty third minute after another lightning quick break on the Goldenhill left.

Saints got back on level terms in the thirty sixth minute from a James Ford and Matt Rippon interchange on the right which Ford played into the path of up in support Matty Kelly to slot low past Scott Rennie.

Saints had the chance to get their noses in front two minutes later when Lewis Cameron flicked a Scott Maitland free-kick on for James Ford who shot straight at the keeper from sixteen yards.

Matty Kelly joined the attack again in the forty first minute but, after carrying the ball across the Goldenhill box couldn't get enough on his left foot shot to trouble Scott Rennie.

A mistimed challenge in the centre-circle on Jonny Dyer earned James Ford the first caution of the evening from Referee Decio Espinha.

Matty Kelly continued his rich vein of form with a second goal in the forty fourth minute. Timing his run from deep well Kelly met Lewis Cameron's cross from the left with inside of his right foot and passed the ball into the net past a static Scott Rennie. Kelly's strike takes his total for the season to eight, half of which have come in the past six weeks.

Saints ended the first half on the front foot with Matt Rippon, who lead the line well, winning a corner kick on the left. Lewis Cameron's delivery was plucked out of the air by Scott Rennie before Mr Espinha blew the half-time whistle.

In the first personnel change of the match Goldenhill introduced recent signing Steven Davies as a half-time replacement for goalscorer Jonny Dyer.

As Saints set about increasing their advantage in a good start to the second half Goldenhill keeper Scott Rennie stood up well at his near post to beat away a Lewis Cameron effort from the corner of the six yard box in the fiftieth minute.

Substitute Steven Davies left his mark on Matty Kelly with a late fifty third minute challenge just inside the Goldenhill half which earned him the game's second yellow card.

Saints conceded possession cheaply from a fifty eighth minute free-kick midway inside the Goldenhill half and were made to pay a heavy price. Once again Goldenhill broke with pace with James Gallagher tearing up the right wing. Racing back towards his own goal Ruaridh Horne slid in fractionally ahead of Ryan Deas at the back post and hooked Gallagher's low cross out for a throw-in before colliding with Deas just short of the goal-line. Somehow Mr Espinha, warming up for his appearance as an Assistant at the Scottish Amateur Cup Final, interpreted this as a foul and pointed to the penalty spot. To add insult to injury Horne was added to the list of cautions before Goldenhill's 2017-18 Player of the Year James Gallagher slammed the spot kick straight down the middle to level the scores.

Before the restart Robert Adens replaced Kevin Maxwell in the Goldenhill back three.

Former Petershill Juniors defender Chis Wilson joined the list of miscreants in the sixty fourth minute cynically taking out James Ford after the Saints wide man had skinned him on the outside.

Skipper Tommy Martin made way for Chris McGrath in Goldenhill's final change in the sixty fifth minute.

Matty Kelly was denied by the woodwork for a second time in the sixty seventh minute striking the bottom of Scott Rennie's left hand post with a left foot shot at the end of a flowing Saints move.

Saints came close again three minutes later when Matt Rippon and Cammy Hill tee'd up Myles McAuley arriving late in the box for a shot from close range which Scott Rennie did well to block.

Saints kept the pressure up with two corner kicks in quick succession the second of which Dene Cassells headed narrowly wide after beating Robert Adens at the back post.

James Ford was replaced by Fraser MacFarlane in the seventy third minute before Lewis Cameron made a driving run into the Goldenhill box. After evading three challenges Cameron looked set to pull the trigger but was foiled by an excellent sliding interception by Jack Bennett.

Goldenhill had the ball in the net with fifteen minutes remaining however Assistant Referee Derek Milton was well up with play to flag James Gallagher's header from a Ross McPherson right wing cross offside.

In an end to end closing quarter of an hour both sides had chances to seal victory with Saints coming closest when Matt Rippon crashed a shot off the crossbar and Scott Rennie made another fine save to deny Matty Kelly a hat-trick from the rebound.

At the other end Graham Douglas showed good reactions to save from James Gallagher at the end of another quick Goldenhill break.

With the threat of a penalty shoot-out looming Saints Co-Manager Willie Gemmell joined the action for the closing minutes sacrificing non penalty taker Myles McAuley.

Mr Espinha brought the ninety minutes to a close with the scores level at two goals each confirming the need for a penalty shoot-out to decide who would progress to the final.

There were a few raised eyebrows on the Saints bench when Steven MacLeod strode up to take the first penalty but they needn't have worried as the ever reliable central defender drilled his effort into the bottom corner beyond Scott Rennie's right hand.

Hoping for a repeat of James Gallagher's earlier straight down the middle approach Graham Douglas remained on his feet for Goldenhill's first penalty but Gallagher won the battle of minds by placing the ball neatly into the corner to level the scores.

Next for Saints was Matt Rippon who sent his low effort too close to Scott Rennie who dropped gratefully onto the ball to give give his side the edge.

Ross McPherson took full advantage placing his penalty in exactly the same spot as Gallagher to give Goldenhill an early advantage.

Young Cammy Hill kept a cool head to send Scott Rennie the wrong way before Graham Douglas levelled things up leaping to his right to stop a decent effort from Ryan Deas.

Lewis Cameron and Steven Davies were both on the mark to effectively put the shoot-out into sudden death.

So often Saints saviour from dead ball situations Willie Gemmell was unable to find the target on this occasion pulling his effort wide of Scott Rennie's right hand post. Referee Espinha ordered a retake however, bizarrely, then changed his mind.

Second half substitute Chris McGrath didn't want to hang about for the Referee to change his mind again and as soon as Gemmell's brief protestations had ended thumped the ball into the roof of the net to take his side through to the final and a local derby against arch rivals St Joseph's FP.

Saints were due to travel to face Motherwell Thistle on Saturday 25th May however the home side were unable to raise a team and were forced to cancel. The three remaining home fixtures against North Glasgow Colts, Goldenhill and Alba Thistle also appear unlikely to be fulfilled bringing the curtain down on Saints Scottish Amateur Football League era earlier than anticipated and leaving the Glencruitten faithful without a home league match to savour since 24th November.

The Saints management and players would like to express their gratitude to sponsors D&K Lafferty and Aulay's Bar and also to their loyal following for their support for their and encouragement throughout the season.

The players will now take a break before returning to action in the D&K Lafferty Cup tournament on Saturday 13th July.