Kingussie U17 3 Newtonmore U17 3 (Kingussie win 3-2 on penalties) | |
04 November 2014 Kingussie U17 edged out local rivals Newtonmore U17 following a penalty shoot-out in the London Shield Final at the Dell on Saturday 1 November 2014. The sides had already met twice this season and had enjoyed one victory apiece. A Savio Genini hat-trick cancelled out goals from Duncan Gorman and Craig MacLeod when the sides met at the Eilan in the London Shield section games in May. However Newtonmore came out on top when the teams clashed in the MacTavish Juvenile Final as an Iain Robinson brace and a Craig MacLeod strike gave them a 3-1 win with Roddy Young on target for the Kings. Kingussie beat Skye in the semi-finals with Newtonmore over-coming Lochcarron after extra-time. Both teams had several second team regulars on duty. Indeed some of their respective squads included players with first team experience with Rory MacKeachan, Savio Genini and James Falconer in the Kingussie ranks and Craig Ritchie and Craig MacLeod starring for Newtonmore who had Sam Richardson back in the fold. The venue for this 1pm throw up was decided by a toss of the coin between both managers and the decision to play locally was justified as a large crowd congregated for the clash. Kingussie took the lead in the opening minute when Newtonmore goalie Calum Grover made a save but Savio Genini was first to react and he tapped the rebound into the net to make it 1-0. Newtonmore equalised on 5 minutes. Craig MacLeod was the provider with some good play on the right and the Iain Robinson netted to make it 1-1. Savio Genini got his and Kingussie’s second goal with a terrific strike. The Marine Harvest U17 National Player of the Year ran onto a ball down the right wing from midfield and he hit a first time shot from the edge of the D which went through the keeper’s legs and nestled in the back of the net. However the end to end nature of this derby encounter continued and the prolific Iain Robinson scored twice more and his first half hat-trick put ‘More ahead for the first time in the final. That’s the way the first half looked set to finish until Kingussie’s U14 starlet Roddy Young popped up to score with only seconds of the first 40 minutes remaining to make it 3-3. There was plenty of goalmouth action in the second half but both keepers – Robert Shiells for Kingussie and Newtonmore’s Calum Grover – were in fine form and the final finished 3-3 at the end of the regulation 80 minutes. Neither side was able to get in front during the 20 minute extra time period so referee Innes Wood took the final to a penalty shoot-out. Savio Genini, Calum Grant and Owen Reid all netted from the spot for Kingussie but their keeper Robert Shiells was the local hero, saving three Newtonmore penalties, and the Kings ran out 3-2 victors. This was Kingussie’s first London Shield success since 1991 and Camanachd Association Youth Director presented the trophy to Kingussie captain Savio Genini. |