Saints take on Yoker for a place in last eight of the Scottish Cup
Oban Saints
Yoker United Scottish Cup – 7th round
SCOTTISH Amateur Cup fever returns to Glencruitten this Saturday when Oban Saints host Yoker United in the last 16 of the Scottish Amateur Football Association’s blue riband event.
Visitors Yoker United of the Strathclyde Saturday Morning Amateur Football League only came into being 12 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 Hearts and took in various stops at Albion Rovers, Yoker, Whitefield and Thorniewood Juniors upon hanging up his boots decided to form a local club to compete in the Strathclyde Saturday Morning League.
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 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 12 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 60 minutes reduced to 10 men.
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 League Premier Division Two side Paisley.
Incredibly, Yoker fought back from 6-1 down with 25 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 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 7-0.
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 Mòd Cup their place in the visit to Glencruitten, were edged out by the odd goal in three to set up a last 32 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.
Saints started their Scottish Cup campaign with a 4-0 home win over Mauchline United in the first round thanks to goals from Craig MacEwan (3) and Shaun MacIver.
This was followed by a convincing 6-0 home win against Plains in round two. Donald Campbell (3), Fraser MacFarlane, Scott Maitland and Paul Carmichael were on target for the Oban side.
It took Saints two hard games to get past an impressive Falkirk side in round three, the first game ending in a 3-3 draw at Alva Academy. Donald Campbell (2) and Craig MacEwan were Saints’ scorers. The replay in Oban a week later saw Saints edge through 3-2 thanks to goals from Craig MacEwan, Willie Gemmell and Myles McAuley.
The D & K Lafferty-sponsored Oban side then took on old rivals Greenock High School in the fourth round and came away with a creditable 2-2 draw from Battery Park with a depleted squad. Two goals from Scott Maitland ensured that the Oban side stayed in the cup.
Bad weather and the festive break meant the replay didn’t take place until Saturday January 6, when manager Alex Craik had a full squad of players to choose from. The Oban side turned in a top class performance to win 2-0 thanks to goals from Ally McKerracher and Donald Campbell.
The fifth round saw the Oban side travel to take on East Kilbride Rolls Royce and they returned home with a well deserved 4-2 victory thanks to goals from Scott Maitland (2), Myles McAuley and Craig MacEwan.
Kilwinning Sports Club was the venue for the sixth round encounter with Kilbride Thistle and again the Oban side had to come from behind to win a cracking game 3-2 with goals from Craig MacEwan, Donald Campbell and young Daniel MacCuish.
Saturday’s tie against Yoker, which kicks off at 2pm at Glencruitten, will be refereed by top Motherwell official Tommy Gilchrist.
The game gives the Oban Saints faithful one last opportunity to catch their favourites in home Scottish Amateur Cup action this season as the winners of Saturday’s seventh round have been drawn away from home in the quarter-finals against either Sandys of the Lothian and Edinburgh League or Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division table toppers Goldenhill.