taking the lead, but in a remarkable replay at Victoria Park, witnessed by 1,500 spectators, with neither side making any changes, the Shire went through in a seventeen-goal thriller; the half-time score being 4–1 in favour of the visitors, who increased their lead to 6–1 early in the second, before the score went 6–2, 6–3, 7–3, 8–3, 8–4, 8–5, 9–5, 9–6, and finished at 10–6. Local leagues The introduction of the Scottish League saw clubs that had not been included trying to form leagues more locally. Camelon was one of the ten sides which formed the Midland League in 1891, with secretary Murphy appointed secretary of the league at the inaugural meeting in Alloa, and the club remained a member until 1897, when it left with most of the surviving clubs to form the Central Football Combination. The club played in the Combination until 1903; for three seasons, it played with five other clubs in the Falkirk area in the Falkirk & District League. The club was generally a mid-table side throughout its tenure of all three competitions, although it was runner-up on three occasions. Second Stirlingshire Cup triumph With regular league football, the club was in a better position than most other amateur clubs in the area, and in 1897–98 the club reached the final of the Stirlingshire Cup for a second time, against Falkirk. The two sides met the week before the final in the Central Combination, the Mariners winning 2–1. The final was held at East Stirlingshire's ground, and Camelon won a thrilling game with a last-minute winner. Camelon reached the final for the next four seasons, but lost every time; twice to Stenhousemuir, once to King's Park, and once to East Stirlingshire. The club gained some revenge over Stenhousemuir by winning the Consolation Cup final in 1903–04 against the Warriors. During this run of finals, the club had its best run in the Scottish Qualifying Cup, in 1902–03, beating Falkirk in the third round to gain entry to the Scottish Cup proper for the first time since 1892. In the first round, the club proved "quite a handful" for Ayr F.C. before going down 2–0. Combination The club stepped up to the national stage in 1903–04, by joining the Scottish Combination. The move effectively killed. Although the Mariners finished mid-table in its first season, the extra costs proved crippling for the club. It only managed 7