Lovat won the 2013 Co-operative MacTavish Cup after two hours of shinty and a penalty shoot-out saw them topple Glenurquhart at the Bught Park, Inverness on Saturday 15 June 2013.
Glenurquhart co-managers Fraser MacKenzie and Drew Mcneil started were boosted by the return of Scotland defender Andrew Corrigan who managed to return from his job off-shore in time for the final. Ruairidh Cameron proved his fitness and started in attack. However Paul MacKintosh and Andrew MacDonald were ruled out through injury.
Lovat boss Allan MacRae was without the services of forward Lorne MacKay who was suspended for the final after picking up three bookings. Wing back Michael MacKenzie also missed the final as he was on holiday. However Scotland international Kevin Bartlett returned and he was the tournament’s top scorer with six goals, although five of these came in the opening round 11-0 win over Inverness.
Glenurquhart had the wind at their backs in the first half and they made the better start.
Glenurquhart put an interesting free-hit routine into practice after 5 minutes with their players initially bunching but as David Smart broke free of the pack; his shot went wide of target.
They tried the same free-hit routine 5 minutes later and this time Fraser Heath shot past the post.
The Glen were in control of the early stages and they went in front after 17 minutes. Tembo found Neale Reid on the right. Fraser Heath took Reid’s reverse pass in his stride and slammed the ball into the back of the net to make it 1-0.
Lovat responded and Greg Matheson made space before hitting a thunderbolt shot which forced Stuart MacKintosh to produce a terrific save above his head.
Lewis Tawse controlled a Craig Mainland shy from the left on 23 minutes but although he did well to make space for a shot, his effort flew high over the bar.
Lovat full back Drew Howie was booked for persistent fouling on 24 minutes.
Glenurquhart made an early substitution with Euan Lloyd coming on for Liam Girvan.
Stuart MacDonald made a neat save with his feet from a Euan Lloyd shot on 26 minutes after the youngster got on the end of a Fraser Heath knock-down.
Stuart MacDonald was called into action again and he made a marvellous save from a Fraser Heath rocket shot on 28 minutes following determined lead up play by Neale Reid.
Lovat had to scramble the ball away on the half hour mark after Euan Lloyd showed great skill to cut through the Lovat defence.
A Calum Macaulay ball into the Glen D cause the home defence problems on 34 minutes and MacKintosh did well to palm away Kevin Bartlett’s shot from the right.
Glenurquhart’s David Smart became the second player to find his way into referee Deek Cameron’s notebook on 43 minutes for speaking out of turn.
Goalscorer Fraser Heath shot over the junction between post and bar with the last goalmouth action of the first half.
Lovat pressed from the start of the second half without troubling the Glen goal.
A surging run from Fraser Heath on 54 minutes was brought to an abrupt end by Craig Mainland just outside the D. Lovat keeper Stuart MacDonald confidently dealt with the ball into the goal area from the free hit.
Martin Maitland was replaced by Graeme MacMillan on 57 minutes with MacMillan going to wing centre.
Lovat’s Lewis Tawse required treatment for a cut mouth on 59 minutes.
Lovat manager Allan MacRae made his second change of the afternoon on the hour with Duncan Davidson replacing a hobbling Calum Macaulay.
The Lovat equaliser came on 62 minutes. Kevin Bartlett collected the ball wide on the right from Owen Ferguson. Greg Matheson was unable to get on the end of Bartlett’s cross but substitute Graeme MacMillan lost his marker and darted into space behind Matheson and he thumped the ball low into the net to make it 1-1.
Glenurquhart co-managers Fraser MacKenzie and Drew Mcneil made their second substitution with Euan Lloyd replaced by Ruairidh Cameron.
Lovat should have gone ahead on 64 minutes. Graeme MacMillan’s introduction had injected energy into the Balgate side and he collected a Duncan Davidson pass and skipped past Ally MacKintosh before sending a perfectly weighted ball to Greg Matheson on his left. However Matheson’s shot went just the wrong side of the post.
Lovat were now on the ascendancy and Greg Matheson shot wide on 67 minutes with the Glen defence flying in to try and block his effort.
Some niggly challenges began to creep into the game and referee Deek Cameron kept a lid on proceedings by issuing a couple of stern warnings.
Glenurquhart made another change with Arran MacDonald caming on for David MacLennan.
Lovat continued to be the dominant side as the game entered the final 10 minutes of regulation time but the Glen defence, superbly marshalled by Lewis MacLennan, stayed firm.
Andrew Corrigan was booked for bringing down Kevin Bartlett at the edge of the D on 81 minutes after the former Caberfeidh man had been played in by Owen Ferguson.
Ewan Brady volleyed a Ruairidh Cameron corner wide following a rare Glen attack on 87 minutes.
Danny Kelly replaced Owen Ferguson for Lovat with just over a minute remaining.
Four minutes of injury time failed to produce a winning goal so Deek Cameron took the final into an extra time period.
Stuart MacKintosh raced off his line to deny Duncan Davidson in the first real chance of the extra time period on 93 minutes.
Lovat’s Ryan Ferguson was replaced by Owen Ferguson on 95 minutes.
A looping ball from Kevin Bartlett was knocked into Owen Ferguson’s path by Greg Matheson on 98 minutes and Stuart MacKintosh had to dash from his line again to thwart the Lovat man.
Eddie Tembo limped off a minute later with Euan Lloyd re-introduced into the action. However Tembo later returned to the field after receiving treatment.
Glen’s Neale Reid collected a pass from Ruairidh Cameron but pulled his shot wide of target.
Glenurquhart continued to play the game in the Lovat half and Ewan Brady picked out Ruairidh Cameron with a free hit on 103 minutes but Cameron’s shot went wide.
Lovat had the wind advantage for the second half of extra time.
Stuart MacKintosh saved well from an Owen Ferguson drive on 111 minutes.
David MacLennan came back on for Euan Lloyd as the players on both sides started to tire.
Glen’s Ally MacKintosh required treatment from Jemma Docker after receiving a blow just below his eye with 6 minutes remaining.
With just seconds of the extra-time half hour to go, Duncan Davidson drifted a great drive in from the left and Stuart MacKintosh had to tip the ball away from just under his crossbar.
Callum Cruden did well to turn a Ruairidh Cameron cross from the right away for a corner the second minute of injury time.
Referee Deek Cameron took the game to a penalty shoot-out in which arguably the two top goalkeepers in shinty at present were to play a central role.
Lovat keeper Stuart MacDonald was a hero when his side won a penalty shoot-out after a 3-3 draw against Lochaber at the quarter final stage. He made three great saves that day and he was to be a key player once again.
Lovat won the toss and opted to take the first penalty and Greg Matheson slammed the ball high into the net. Lovat 1 Glenurquhart 0
First up for Glenurquhart was their captain and keeper Stuart MacKintosh. He hit his penalty to the same spot as Matheson but Stuart MacDonald made a fantastic save as he turned the ball away with his caman. Lovat 1 Glenurquhart 0
Glen keeper Stuart MacKintosh got his stick to Kevin Bartlett’s penalty but the power of Bartlett’s shot saw the ball hit the back of the net. Lovat 2 Glenurquhart 0
Glenurquhart needed a goal and Ewan Brady obliged from the spot for their first score. Lovat 2 Glenurquhart 1
Lovat scorer Graeme MacMillan was next up and he rounded off a fine afternoon’s work by blasting the ball into the net. Lovat 3 Glenurquhart 1
It was then the turn of Lovat scorer Fraser Heath but he was foiled as Stuart MacDonald dived to his right to make a spectacular save. Lovat 3 Glenurquhart 1
Lovat’s first miss from the spot came when Owen Ferguson didn’t catch the ball as he would have liked and Stuart MacKintosh made a comfortable save. Lovat 3 Glenurquhart 1
Lewis MacLennan had to score but hit his penalty straight at Stuart MacDonald who made his third save of the shoot-out to win Lovat the Co-operative MacTavish Cup. Lovat 3 Glenurquhart 1
Lovat did enough to deserve the victory, especially in the second half.
Glenurquhart’s Lewis MacLennan was named the BBC Alba man of the match.
A delighted Callum Cruden became the first Lovat captain in 60 years to lift one of shinty’s major honours as he held aloft the MacTavish Cup in front of an ecstatic Lovat support.
Glenurquhart from; Stuart MacKintosh (captain), Ally MacKintosh, John Barr, Lewis MacLennan, Andrew Corrigan, Ewan Brady, Eddie Tembo, David MacLennan, David Smart, Fraser Heath, Liam Girvan, Neale Reid, subs, Euan Lloyd, Ruairidh Cameron, Arran MacDonald, Stuart Reid
Lovat from; Stuart MacDonald, Drew Howie, Daniel Grieve, Martin Mainland, Callum Cruden (captain), Owen Ferguson, Craig Mainland, Ryan Ferguson, Kevin Bartlett, Calum Macaulay, Lewis Tawse, Greg Matheson, subs Graeme MacMillan, Duncan Davidson, Danny Kelly, Jamie Matheson
Match Referee – Deek Cameron
Goal Judges – John Angus Gillies, Neil Ferguson