Lovat and Newtonmore meet in the 2018 Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup Final at Mossfield on Saturday 15 September 2018.
Newtonmore's route to the final is as follows:
Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup – Second Round
Saturday 2 June 2018
Lochaber 0 Newtonmore 1
Holders Newtonmore reached the last-eight of the competition with a 1-0 win over Lochaber in their noon throw up at Spean Bridge.
Lochaber’s John MacKenzie featured against his former side.
Newtonmore missed Glen MacKintosh who has a rib injury whilst Michael Russell served a one-match ban for passing through the disciplinary points threshold.
Newtonmore started as favourites but they had to work hard for this one, winning thanks to Steven MacDonald’s goal on the hour mark.
It was a tough day for ‘More and they found Lochaber keeper Alistair MacDonald in fine form, especially in the second half.
Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup - Quarter Finals
Saturday 14 July 2018
Kinlochshiel 2 Newtonmore 4
Newtonmore secured the remaining Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup semi-final spot when they beat Kinlochshiel 4-2 at Kirkton.
‘Shiel suffered a pre-match blow with the news that Keith MacRae had not sufficiently recovered from a knee injury. However Oliver MacRae was back in the side.
Newtonmore were without Iain Robinson who is abroad and the injured David MacLean.
Newtonmore got off to a good start and they looked in control from when Drew MacDonald gave them a 15 minute lead. MacDonald hit a low drive from 15 yards out which evaded keeper Scott Kennedy.
Glen MacKintosh made it 2-0 on 29 minutes and he followed that up 4 minutes later with a contender for goal of the season. With the ball bouncing towards MacKintosh, he knocked it round full back Paul MacRae before spinning the other way and then rounding the keeper and hitting the ball into the empty net to make it 3-0 half-time.
Michael Russell added a fourth on 66 minutes. Russell had by this time moved back to full centre. A ball was crossed in to the danger area and with Evan Menzies having tucked it to the full forward position, this left the back post area completely clear and Russell had plenty of time to set himself up before shooting goalwards. Keeper Kennedy got a touch a touch but the pace of the ball took it into the net.
That made it 4-0 and the game was over as a contest.
Newtonmore made a few changes and perhaps took their eye off the ball on a couple of occasions and ‘Shiel took advantage with Oliver MacRae on 70 minutes and John MacRae on 83 minutes making the final score 4-2.
Newtonmore deserved the win and the result sounded a warning, if one were needed, that they are still tough opponents and cannot be written off.
Newtonmore will now face Kilmallie in the first Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup semi-final at An Aird on Saturday 28 July 2018. Lovat and Kingussie meet in the second semi-final at the Bught Park a fortnight later. Both semi-finals will be broadcast live on BBC ALBA.
Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup – Semi-Final
Saturday 29 July 2018
Newtonmore 1 Kilmallie 1 (After extra-time – Newtonmore won 2-1 on penalties)
Newtonmore’s quest for a third successive Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup win is still on course, but only just as it took penalties to finally see off a spirited Kilmallie at An Aird.
Newtonmore manager Paul John MacKintosh was still without the injured David MacLean whilst Steven MacDonald served the second game of a two-match suspension. The starting line-up was unchanged from the side that beat Skye in the league a week earlier.
Kilmallie boss Mark MacPherson was without influential full back Iain Robertson who was on holiday. Martin Stewart (foot) and Innes Blackhall (hand) remained on the injury list. Steven Stewart went to full back whilst Michael Rodger dropped into buckshee back.
This tie was broadcast LIVE on BBC ALBA and the players were piped onto the field ahead of this 4.05pm throw up.
An early Liam MacDonald turn and shot was well dealt with by ‘More keeper Kenny Ross before Macdonald went close again a couple of minutes later.
‘More’s Jamie Robinson needed treatment after being caught on the top of the head by Jordan MacPhee’s loose caman following an aerial dual but he was able to carry on after treatment.
‘More switched Rory Kennedy to mark Liam MacDonald which helped settle their defence.
Kilmallie suffered a blow on 15 minutes when Aaron Sandison had to come off with a hamstring. He was replaced by Craig MacIsaac. Newtonmore’s Craig Ritchie was also treated for a knock and although he was able to continue for a few minutes, he eventually limped off. Michael Russell dropped back into defence and Neil Stewart came off the bench to join the attack.
There was a scare in the Kilmallie defence as an Evan Menzies flick into the D bounced through the legs of keeper Shane Gillies but the goalie was able to turn and sweep the ball away before it rolled over the goal line.
Shane Gillies then made a great double-save, using his feet to first deny Evan Menzies and then Glen MacKintosh.
After Kilmallie’s early dominance, Newtonmore were now much more in the game and they took the lead on 31 minutes. Neil Fraser did well to block Michael Rodger’s attempted clearance and, as the ball fell for Ewen Fraser, he still had plenty to do but he turned his marker Cam Clark before running across goal and sending a glorious back-hand drive into the top corner of the net to make it 1-0.
There was a booking for Michael Rodger for a late flick-out at Neil Stewart following the restart.
There was action for both keepers before the interval as Shane Gillies came off his line to foil Evan Menzies whilst, at the other end, Kenny Ross was smartly off his line to sweep away a dangerous ball following a Kilmallie free-hit on the left.
Kenny Ross then used his caman to turn away a dropping Jordan MacPhee ball from the right of midfield.
Keeper Ross was again called into action moments later. Michael Rodger’s long pass was controlled by Liam MacDonald and his shot from a central position was well-stopped by the Newtonmore custodian who also thwarted MacDonald again following a corner.
It then took a good Rory Kennedy challenge to halt a Craig MacIsaac run forward.
The tie brought together the Premiership and National Division leaders and you would struggle to tell which was which as Kilmallie went in search of a leveller.
And it arrived on 58 minutes. The Newtonmore defence didn’t deal with Jordan MacPhee’s shy from the right and Calum MacDougall gathered the ball and, on his left side, slammed it low through the keeper’s legs and into the net to make it 1-1.
Jordan MacPhee needed treatment for a head cut after a blocking challenge on Glen MacKintosh. There was a two-minute break in play when MacPhee was bandaged up and the break came at a bad time for Kilmallie who had the momentum at this stage.
A further stoppage followed as there was almost a four minute break as Fraser MacKintosh needed treatment for a bleeding nose.
Evan Menzies sent a dropping ball wide of target with 20 minutes remaining.
Fraser MacKintosh was then withdrawn with Craig Ritchie coming back on, allowing Michael Russell to push further forward again whilst Duncan Gorman replaced Drew MacDonald.
Newtonmore had a great chance to win the game with 13 minutes to go. Great play from Neil Stewart, cutting in from the left, set up the chance, leaving Ewen Fraser one-on-one with Shane Gillies but the keeper raced from his lime to make a crucial stop with his foot.
Glen MacKintosh was booked for a high swing at Liam Cameron with 10 minutes remaining.
Michael Russell sent a shot over after being played in by Glen MacKintosh.
Iain Robinson took over from Ewen Fraser with 5 minutes remaining.
With no further scoring, and after 6 minutes’ stoppage time, referee Lachie Wood took the tie to an extra-time period.
Drew MacDonald returned for the start of extra-time in favour of Neil Stewart.
‘More pressed from the throw up and Drew MacDonald crossed low from the right to Iain Robinson but his fierce shot rose just over the top.
Robbie MacFadyen did well to get in the way of an Evan Menzies shot from the left of the D as the first period of extra-time drew to a close.
As tiredness really kicked in, a number of late chances were created.
With 12 minutes remaining, Shane Gillies came off his line to save from Iain Robinson who had been played in by Evan Menzies.
Gillies then got his body in the way of a Glen MacKintosh shot through a crowded goal area, which came after a Michael Russell pass.
There enough time for a last couple of chances for Kilmallie as Calum MacDougall played on a Jordan MacPhee shy from the right to Liam MacDonald who couldn’t get any power in his shot.
Kenny Ross then dived low to block a Liam MacDonald effort from a corner.
The sides were now slugging it out and, after some more heroic Kilmallie defending; Shane Gillies used his feet to turn Jamie Robinson’s strike away for a corner as ‘More tried to win it at the death.
The final whistle sounded and a penalty shoot-out is a cruel way to decide any match, far-less a Camanachd Cup semi-final. However the managers nominated their five penalty takers and had a final word with their players before the shoot-out got underway.
Kilmallie’s Michael Rodger was first up but saw his strike saved with his feet by Kenny Ross.
Shane Gillies then saved with his hand from Glen MacKintosh.
Liam MacDonald didn’t catch his penalty cleanly but got enough on it to send it past Kenny Ross so when Shane Gilles saved with his feet from Evan Menzies, Kilmallie had a 1-0 advantage.
Daniel Stewart didn’t catch his penalty as he would have liked and Kenny Ross saved with his feet.
Jamie Robinson certainly hit his penalty with power but Shane Gillies made an outstanding save with his stick to his right.
Nerves must have been playing a part and Stephen Mcalister topped his strike and Kenny Ross saved easily.
Iain Robinson produced a great finish, sending the ball inside the keeper’s right post to make it 1-1 and, with two penalties to go; it was now effectively sudden death.
Craig MacIsaac was last up for Kilmallie but his powerful shot was well-saved with his stick by Kenny Ross – his fourth save of the shoot-out.
So it now fell for Newtonmore captain Andy MacKintosh, an unlikely spot-hit taker, to send his team into the final and he didn’t disappoint, despatching the ball into the corner of the net to win the shoot-out 2-1.
Once again, Newtonmore found a way to win and they now await the outcome of the second semi-final between Lovat and Kingussie at the Bught Park on Saturday 11 August 2018.
New Scotland Head Coach Garry Reid selected Kilmallie defender Steven Stewart as the BBC ALBA man of the match.
Event Details
The 2018 Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup Final between Lovat and Newtonmore at Mossfield on Saturday 15 September 2018 throws up at 2pm.
Gates open at 10am and the MacMaster Cup Final between Beauly U14 and Fort William U14 throws up at 11am.
Admission is £15 with £10 Concessions (Children aged under 12 go free when accompanied by a paying adult).
There will also be a climbing wall, face painting, a Pipe Band as well as food and drink at the venue.
Highland Print Studio will also present artwork from four artists as part of the Throw Up 2018 project.
If you can’t make it to Oban, the whole match will be broadcast LIVE on BBC2 Scotland. Coverage starts from 1.45pm. Commentary is by Hugh Dan MacLennan and Gary Innes, with expert analysis and shepherding advice from Eddie Tembo.