Fly me to Dunoon!
Oban Saints travel to the Cowal Peninsula on Saturday to face Dunoon Amateurs in a rearranged Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division tie following the previous week’s weather enforced postponement.
In the reverse fixture back in August braces from Lewis Cameron, James Ford and Matthew Kelly, together with strikes from Craig MacEwan and Matt Rippon, gave Saints an almost perfect start to their league campaign with Jamie Robertson’s first half counter to briefly level the scores and deny Graham Douglas a clean sheet being the only black mark.
Since gaining promotion thanks to last season’s third place Premier Division One finish behind Barrhead Arky, Dunoon have struggled to adapt to life in the top flight and currently prop up the Premier Division with just one point from their eleven fixtures so far. The opening day 8-1 reverse at Glencruitten was a baptism of fire for the Cowal men setting the tone for a run of seven defeats which was finally ended with a share of the points at home to reigning Premier Division One Champions Barrhead Arky.
Sadly for Dunoon making their first impression on the points tally proved not to be the turning point hoped for and remains their only point to date as a further defeats to Inverclyde, North Glasgow Colts and Barrhead Arky have left them cut adrift at the foot of the table.
Cup Competitions
Any hopes Dunoon may have harboured of an extended cup run to take their minds off their league predicament were dealt a particularly cruel blow when the Scottish Amateur Cup first round draw saw them paired with Ayrshire Amateur Football Association Premier League high fliers Stewarton United.
The Cowal men made their opponents work hard for their 4-2 win at Dunoon Stadium which set the Ayrshire men off on an impressive run which was finally halted in the sixth round by St Joseph’s FP.
It was Ayrshire Premier League opponents again in the West of Scotland Amateur Cup when another very difficult first round draw sent Dunoon to Stevenston to play Ardeer West Recreation. Dunoon’s miserable luck on the road continued with another heavy defeat to leave them to concentrate fully on league survival.
In charge of proceedings for the 2pm kick-off at Dunoon Stadium is Lochgilphead based whistler Jimmy Litster where Saints will definitely be without the suspended Donald Campbell but will hope for more positive news from injury victims Steven MacLeod, Daniel Croarkin, Matt Rippon and Lewis Cameron.