Glenurquhart Secure First RBS MacTavish Cup Success | |
14 June 2015 Glenurquhart won the RBS MacTavish Cup for the first time when they beat Newtonmore 3-1 at the Bught Park on Saturday 13 June 2015. Newtonmore boss Paul John MacKintosh gave a start at wing centre to captain Cameron Binnie following his recovery from a broken hand. Jamie Robinson started at full centre with Rory Kennedy in attack. Newtonmore U17 starlet Iain Richardson was rewarded for some fine performances this season with a place on the bench. Glenurquhart co-managers Billy MacLean and Dave Menzies were without Billy Urquhart who has a hand injury. Ally MacKintosh started at full centre and Ewan Brady was back in attack following a calf muscle injury. Eddie Tembo and Arran MacDonald both started on the bench. John Barr was given an early marking job on Glen MacKintosh. After enjoying warm weather throughout the week, it was a wet and blustery Highland Capital which greeted the players and this meant for a greasy surface. There was a minutes silence ahead of throw up as a mark of respect for Charles Kennedy, whose funeral took place in Fort William a day earlier. Glenurquhart, with the wind at their backs, started well and when the ball broke to Conner Golabek on the left after 4 minutes, he sent in a great shot towards the top corner of the net but the ball came off Michael Ritchie’s left post. The game’s first flash-point came on 12 minutes when Andy MacKintosh and Ewan Brady tangled on the Glen right and referee Evan MacRae booked both players. A bouncing ball on the left of the Glen D caused problems in the Glen defence on 14 minutes and Paul MacArthur flicked the ball across the face of the goal but there were no takers in the blue and white hoops. One of the final’s major incidents came on 18 minutes. Jamie Robinson was caught on the head by a trailing caman in a challenge with Ally MacKintosh. Robinson reacted by having a wild lash which caught MacKintosh on the thigh and he was shown a straight red card by referee MacRae. It was a second red card for in a major final for Robinson after being sent off in the 2013 Artemis Macaulay Cup Final defeat to Kyles Athletic. Glen played with the spare man at buckshee back and Newtonmore moved Rory Kennedy to full centre in Robinson’s place. Evan Menzies slipped the ball to Fraser MacKintosh and his effort from the right rose just over the bar with 21 minutes played. A long ball from Ewan Brady took a wicked bounce in front of Michael Ritchie but the keeper palmed the ball away for a corner. ‘More never properly cleared Iain MacLeod’s resultant corner from the right and when an Andrew Corrigan ball into the goal area was stabbed into the path of Fraser Heath on the Glen left by Neale Reid and Heath smashed the ball over Ritchie’s left shoulder to give Glenurquhart a 25 minute 1-0 lead. The game swung from end to end for the next 10 minutes with both teams realising the importance of the next goal. Evan Menzies was warned for speaking out of turn to goal judge Andy MacLean on 35 minutes after his shot was deflected wide, with Menzies claiming in vain for a corner. Stuart MacKintosh watched carefully as a Cameron Binnie effort went wide of goal with 5 first half minutes remaining. Michael Ritchie saved well with his hand from a Fraser Heath shot from the right with just 90 first half seconds left on the clock. There was still time for Evan Menzies to take a pass from Fraser MacKintosh but his effort went wide with what was the last chance of the first half. Newtonmore would have had the elements in the second half but the wind seemed to drop and both sides resisted the temptation to make any half-time substitutions. ‘More went on the attack from the restart and Stuart MacKintosh did well to stop a high ball into the D and he batted it away for a corner with Glen MacKintosh closing in on him. A chipped ball from Fraser Heath set Neale Reid free on 53 minutes but Michael Ritchie was up to the challenge and the ‘More keeper cleared the danger. Fraser Heath was causing the Newtonmore defence all sorts of problems and he was impeded by Norman Campbell on the Glen left on 54 minutes. Newtonmore replaced Fraser MacKintosh with Chris Sellar before the free-hit was taken. The resultant set-piece from Neale Reid was missed by Ewan Brady but Fraser Heath knocked the ball home from the right. However Brady was ruled offside and it remained 1-0. Glenurquhart made their first change when Eddie Tembo came on for 38 year old Iain MacLeod on 57 minutes who had been excellent. A clumsy John Barr challenge on Glen MacKintosh gave ‘More a set-piece chance on 65 minutes and Evan Menzies looped the ball over the bar from the free-hit. A minute later, a nice passing move from the Gen saw Michael Ritchie save well with his caman, low to his right from Fraser Heath and Andrew Corrigan raced onto the rebound and his cross from the left found Neale Reid in front of goal but he couldn’t steer the ball into the net. However Glenurquhart got their second goal on 70 minutes when Andrew Corrigan cut the ball back to Neale Reid. Reid’s shot was saved with his feed by Michael Ritchie but Ewan Brady rushed in to slot the rebound into the net to make it 2-0. Newtonmore showed their mettle a minute later when a Steven MacDonald corner from the right found Paul MacArthur and he turned before sending a blistering drive across keeper Stuart MacKintosh into the net to make it 2-1. However Glen were not to be denied and Neale Reid gathered a Ewan Brady cross from wide on the right on 73 minutes, and he controlled the ball before rifling it into the net to make it 3-1. Glen MacKintosh flashed a shot wide on 74 minutes as Newtonmore tried to get back into the game. Newtonmore youngster Craig Ritchie was a straight swap for Paul MacArthur on 75 minutes Michael Russell was booked for something he said to the officials after he felt he was shoved in the back when knocking the ball out for a corner on 76 minutes. Andrew Corrigan played a one-two with Neale Reid but the captain missed the target on 78 minutes. Chris Sellar was next to have his name taken for charging into Fraser Heath, who was now playing in a deeper role, on 79 minutes. Andrew Corrigan almost caught out Michael Ritchie with a shot from distance on the right on 82 minutes but the goalie played the ball away for a corner. Scott Chisholm came on for Evan Menzies with Steven MacDonald pushed into attack as ‘More made their final change. A Glen MacKintosh shot was defected wide with just over 3 minutes remaining. James MacPherson came on for Ewan Brady late in the game Referee Evan MacRae’s final whistle signalled joy in the Glenurquhart camp whilst Newtonmore were left to reflect on what had gone wrong. Glenurquhart full centre Ally MacKintosh was named man of the match for his midfield performance although Fraser Heath, who had a 21st Birthday to remember, must have run him close. Glenurquhart were second favourites going into the final and they deserve great credit for their approach to the game. They were quickest out of the blocks at the start of the final and they won their individual battles in most areas of the park. There wasn’t a prouder man than Glenurquhart captain Andrew Corrigan, who has travelled so many miles to play for his side this season, as he was presented with the RBS MacTavish Cup by Martin Girvan from sponsors RBS. Newtonmore from: Michael Ritchie: Norman Campbell, Andy MacKintosh, Michael Russell, Steven MacDonald: Paul MacArthur, Jamie Robinson, Cameron Binnie (captain): Rory Kennedy, Evan Menzies, Fraser MacKintosh, Glen MacKintosh: subs Chris Sellar, Craig Ritchie, Scott Chisholm, Liam Mullender, Iain Richardson Glenurquhart from: Stuart MacKintosh: Lewis MacLennan, Euan Lloyd, Michael Brady, John Barr: Ally MacKintosh, Iain MacLeod, Connor Golabek: Andrew Corrigan (captain), Ewan Brady, Neale Reid, Fraser Heath: subs Stuart Reid, Calum Smith, James MacPherson, Andrew MacDonald, Eddie Tembo Match Referee – Evan MacRae Goal Judges – Andy MacLean & Iain Petrie Fourth Official – John Angus Gillies |