2017 Aberdein Considine Sutherland Cup Final | |
27 July 2017 The Aberdein Considine Sutherland Cup Final between Lochside Rovers and the Kingussie seconds takes place at An Aird on Saturday 29 July 2017. Lochside Rovers have been riding high in Marine Harvest South Division 1 this season. Lewis Buchanan and Craig MacDougall have provided the goals with half backs Craig Easton and Daniel Sloss – both U17 players – shining at the other end of the pitch. Kingussie’s James Falconer has been a key player and the Kings have the option of including U17 players Roddy Young, Ruaridh Anderson and Alexander Michie. The trio have mainly been with the first team squad this season but they are eligible to play because they are under 17 and they featured in the semi-final win over the Newtonmore seconds. Lochside could similarly use Daniel MacCuish. Both teams have had to work hard to reach the final. Lochside Rovers beat the Beauly second team 2-0 at Braeview Park in their opening round tie which was the team’s first match since the passing of Neil “Nonny” MacInnes. This was only Lochside’s third game of the season and they took the lead midway through the first half through Craig MacDougall. Lewis Buchanan added a second before the break. Beauly came more into the game in the second half but Lochside finished deserved winners. In the second round, Lochside were 2-0 winners against the Kyles Athletic second team at Tighnabruaich. Michael MacQueen gave the Oban side the lead with a 25 yard rocket shot into top corner of the net. Keith Burnett added a second courtesy of a lovely assist from Michael MacQueen that left Burnett one-on-one with keeper. A 7-0 triumph over the Bute seconds 7-0 at The Meadows took Lochside into the semi-finals. Lewis Buchanan scored four times with Craig MacDougall bagging a brace. Iain MacMillan got the other. Lochside Rovers reached the Aberdein Considine Sutherland Cup Final with a 5-0 win over the Glenurquhart second team at The Jubilee Park. A Lewis Buchanan double, Craig MacMillan, Michael MacQueen and Iain MacMillan were all on target. The latter was the goal of the game as he went on a run from around the half-way line, turning a defender before striking home from around 30 yards out. Kingussie opened the competition with a 1-0 win over the Skye Camanachd colts at The Dell. Liam Borthwick scored the goal that made the difference, with his effort coming on the half hour mark. Next up was a 7-0 win over the Aberdour colts at Silversands. Dylan Borthwick scored twice whilst Daniel Donald, an Alistair Abbott own goal, Kevin Thain, Liam Borthwick and Owen Reid all found the net. Kingussie reached the Aberdein Considine Sutherland Cup semi-finals when they beat the Fort William colts 3-2 at An Aird. Goals from Fort William’s Ewan Campbell and Mark Fraser and Kingussie’s Kevin Thain meant that the home side led 2-1 at the break. However Kevin Thain scored twice more in the second half to complete his hat-trick and give Kingussie a 3-2 win. The Kingussie colts came out on top, winning this semi-final 6-4, against Badenoch rivals and cup holders Newtonmore colts at The Dell. ‘More gained an early advantage through Chris Sellar and John MacKenzie on. However the Kings stormed back and they scored the game’s next six goals. Ruaridh Anderson and Dylan Borthwick levelled the tied before Roddy Young fired home to put the hosts 3-2 up at the break. The same three Kingussie players scored again in the second half to make it 6-2. A second from Chris Sellar and an Evan Menzies goal on made it 6-4 but ‘More had left themselves too much to do. 2016 beaten finalists Kingussie warmed up for the final with a 4-0 win over their Kinlochshiel counter-parts. After the match, manager Ally MacLeod said, “We’ve worked hard to get to the Sutherland Cup Final and we’ve had to beat some good teams along the way. We’re building a side for the future here and it’s pleasing to see just how much the players have come on since last year. Lochside will be difficult opponents. They’ve been going well in the south and, like ourselves, they have a number of really good young players. It should be a great final.” Speaking after the draw with Bute, Lochside Rovers manager Gareth Evans said, “We have a few injuries to assess so we won’t decide on our starting line-up until later in the week. Both sides will be able to call on U17 players who are usually with the first team – the likes of Roddy Young and Ruaridh Anderson at Kingussie and our own Daniel MacCuish. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that; in fact I think it’s a good thing that the youths are still able to play in their second team’s cup competitions. That’s why the rules allow it. I saw the match between our U17s and the Kingussie U17s at Mossfield earlier in the season and it was an excellent game and many of the same players from both clubs will be on show in the final. So we’ll have two fit, young teams lining up on an An Aird pitch that will suit both sides for what I’m sure will be a great game of shinty.” The 2017 Aberdein Considine Sutherland Cup Final between Lochside Rovers and Kingussie at An Aird throws up at 2.30pm. Iain Kennedy is the match referee. |