The Shinty Preview – Saturday 28 August 2010. | |
27 August 2010 The focus returns to the Scottish Hydro Premier Division title race on Saturday 28 August 2010. Scottish Hydro Premier Division leaders Newtonmore are not in action once again so Fort William have the chance to play their game in hand which is a tricky trip to the Winterton to play Inveraray. The Fort passed up the chance to go top of the table last weekend when they went down 2-1 to Kyles Athletic so they won’t want any slip-ups this week. Peter MacIntyre’s side will again be without injured forwards Bryan Simpson and Drew Ferguson. However beaten Artemis Macaulay Cup finalists Inveraray have a 100% record in both the league and cup matches on their own patch this season. Kingussie are ready to pounce should Fort William and Newtonmore drop any points and they should be too strong for bottom side Glasgow Mid Argyll at the Dell. It will be interesting to see whether Mid Argyll adopt the 6 defender formation which brought relative success against Fort William recently. However whilst Mid Argyll produced a degree of surprise with this formation against the Fort, you can bet that Kingussie boss Stevie Borthwick will be preparing for this eventuality. Glasgow Mid Argyll will be relegated to Marine Harvest South Division 1 if they lose the match. Lovat can secure their top flight status if they beat Kyles Athletic at Balgate. This will be a difficult game for Lovat as Kyles showed with last weekend’s impressive win at An Aird. There is a crucial relegation match at the Meadows, Rothesay where Bute host Oban Camanachd. Bute currently hold a 4 point lead over second bottom Oban Camanachd although the Mossfield side have a game in hand. The title race in Marine Harvest North Division 1 is finely balanced between Lochaber and Kilmallie with the Spean Bridge men enjoying a slender 1 point advantage after the sides drew at Canal Parks last weekend. Lochaber should remain top as they will go into their game against Strathglass at Cannich as hot favourites even if they are without their suspended buckshee back Neil MacDonald. Second place Kilmallie welcome Skye Camanachd to Canal Parks. The sides have met twice already this season – both times at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree. Skye won their Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup encounter whilst their league meeting finished all square. Kilmallie have been potent in attack with John Stewart netting 23 times and Liam MacDonald 20 times already this season. Skye’s promotion chances have gone and Aonghas MacDonald has been focusing on expanding the senior squad for next season by introducing several of the club’s talented youth players. Kinlochshiel will look to get over last weekend’s defeat to Skye Camanachd when they play Beauly at Kirkton. A Finlay MacRae double helped Shiel to a 4-1 win over Beauly at the same venue in the quarter finals of the Balliemore Cup earlier in the season. Inverness and Lochcarron meet at the Bught Park, Inverness. Both sides lost last week and Lochcarron were narrow 2-1 winners when the sides met at Battery Park in June. There is one match in Marine Harvest South Division 1 as the bottom two sides, Ballachulish and Inveraray meet at Jubilee Park. Ballachulish were 4-3 winners when the sides met a fortnight ago. Marine Harvest North Division 2 leaders Glengarry suffered a blow last weekend when they went down 3-0 to Fort William at An Aird last weekend. They have the chance to get back on the winning way when they play Beauly at Braeview Park. However they won’t find it easy as Beauly battle to secure their Division 2 status. There is a noon throw up at Balgate as Lovat meet Kingussie. Lovat were 5-1 winners when the sides mat at the same venue in the Aberdein Considine Sutherland Cup semi finals. Resurgent Fort William should be too strong for Kinlochshiel at An Aird. Kilmallie travel to the Eilan to play Newtonmore hoping they have put their team raising difficulties behind them. There is a noon throw up in Marine Harvest South Division 2 as Bute and Glasgow Mid Argyll meet at the Meadows, Rothesay. Marine Harvest North Division 3 leaders Aberdeen University are not in action so second place Lochaber have the chance to narrow the gap when they play one of their games in hand. The Spean Bridge men travel to Castle Leod to play third place Caberfeidh. Ardnamurchan travel to Battery Park to play Lochcarron. Lochbroom and Strathglass meet in Ullapool. Lochbroom were 6-0 winners when the sides met in Cannich earlier in the season. |