Fort William To The Four! | |
21 September 2010 As the dust settles on the 103rd Camanachd Cup Final, Fort William emerge with an historic 4 in a row. The Fort looked like they might run away with the match as Kingussie struggled to contain the energetic Gary Innes during the first half. Twice he came close before giving his side the lead with a very good finish. Innes then led a charge through the middle of the Badenoch side’s defence before releasing a perfectly timed pass which allowed Bryan Simpson to double his side’s advantage. Ronald Ross escaped Liam MacIntyre’s clutches just before the break to reduce Fort William’s lead but few thought Kingussie would be so dominant in the second period. Kingussie left their opponents waiting in the Inverness rain for several minutes before appearing for the second half. If this was a tactic designed to dampen down Fort William’s enthusiasm, then it worked. Kingussie enjoyed large periods of dominance but only had a Thomas Borthwick goal, following a defence splitting Ronal Ross pass, to show for all their pressure. Peter MacIntyre set is side out to snuff out the threat of Ronald Ross by deploying Liam MacIntyre in a man marking role and using a second defender, Adam Robertson to double up when necessary. MacIntyre was focused and his performance and discipline played a major part in his side’s success. However this tactical ploy left space for others which Kingussie seemed unable to capitalise on until the second half when Barry Dallas continually found himself in acres of space down the left side of the attack. With extra time looming, the cup was won with a move from the training ground and Gary Innes’ finish would have been a fitting finale to any game. However this wasn’t any game and few will recall a more delighted and excited captain being presented with the famous trophy than Niall MacPhee. Fort William had famously replaced a manager who had won 3 consecutive Scottish trophies so the eyes of the shinty world were watching how Peter MacIntyre and his assistant Willie MacDonald fared and they have assembled a side which didn’t disappoint the yellow and black legions. Paul MacKay is looking more assured with every game and Liam MacIntyre has been a valuable addition to a defence where the Robertson brothers still play their part and where Duncan Rodger continues to improve following a serious knee injury and he is a top player. The midfield trio of Chris Bamber, Niall MacPhee and John MacDonald is well balanced. MacDonald in particular deserves a mention for effectively doing the work of two men for times in the game because of the space allowed to Kingussie from Fort’s double marking of Ross. Although Fort William missed the injured, speedy Drew Ferguson in attack, Bryan Simpson, and Gordie MacKinnon are always a threat. James Clark’s fitness problems seem to be catching up with him which is a shame as on his day he can be unplayable and Gary Innes is equally effective whether in midfield or attack and he has an impressive 32 goals already this season. The Fort second team looks to have put youth ahead of honours which is the correct route for any club to take and so expect another couple of youngsters to role of the conveyor belt when they are ready. Fort William still have the small matter of a Scottish Premier Division title to play for. If they beat Kingussie at the Dell this coming weekend, they will face Newtonmore at An Aird on 2 October in a final day show-down. This promises to be an absolute cracker and a large crowd is expected for that one. Once Kingussie manager Stevie Borthwick and his assistant Russell Jones get over Saturday’s disappointment, they will surely reflect on what has been a successful first season at the helm. The Co-operative MacTavish Cup and the Artemis Macaulay Cup sit in the Kingussie boardroom and they came within a whisker of snatching shinty’s top prize. If this can be achieved during a transitional season, then the Kings should be even stronger in 2011. They were forced to play Ricky Grant and Paul Gow when neither seemed fully fit and Iain Borthwick and Ally MacLeod were experienced absentees. Surely they cannot have the same injury situation to contend with next season and players such as Lee Bain and youngsters Ryan and Thomas Borthwick will have the experience of a first full season for the side under their belts. Lee Bain was excellent at the back for Kingussie and many observers have commented that he must have pushed Gary Innes all the way for the prestigious Albert Smith medal for man of the match. Bain proved what many have said in recent seasons, particularly in relation to international selection, and that is that there are many very good players playing out with shinty’s top flight who are more than capable of holding their own with the best of them. Bain moved from Strathglass just after they won the Balliemore Cup in 2009 and has established himself in the current Kingussie side, catching the eye of Scotland Head Coach Drew McNeil. Of course Ronald Ross remains integral to Kingussie’s game and it is important for the club’s future success that he retains his zest for the game. Finally, a word or two for referee Billy Wotherspoon and his team of officials. The action montage from the 2007 final between these sides which opened television coverage was brutal and its content did the sport no favours. However Wotherspoon and his team are to be praised for keeping a lid on this one with John MacDonald’s early booking showing that he would stand for no nonsense. He did look to have got a penalty decision wrong in the first half when Thomas Borthwick was brought down by Adam Robertson and Garry Munro was extremely fortunate to escape a booking when Bryan Simpson was wiped out just outside the D as he closed in on goal. Otherwise, Wotherspoon played his part in what was an intriguing spectacle. |