Lovat Win 2015 SSE Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup | |
20 September 2015 Lovat 2 Kyles Athletic 1 Lovat lifted the SSE Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup for only the second time in their history when they beat Kyles Athletic 2-1 in the 108th Final of shinty’s blue riband event at Mossfield on Saturday 19 September 2015. Kyles Athletic boss Norman MacDonald and coach James Perlich have readjusted their team to compensate for the loss of key defenders Zac Coley and Donald Irvine during the season, with both moving abroad to work. Kyles opted to play a fixture last weekend, passing up the chance of a free-Saturday ahead of the final. They beat Fort William 5-2 at An Aird in the Marine Harvest Premiership. However the 21 time winners rested defender Andrew King for that encounter as he had a slight groin problem. Wing centre Innes MacDonald limped off during that match but both are expected to be passed fit for the final. Both took their places in what was an expected Kyles starting line-up. Roddy MacDonald lined-up with strapping on his left knee after cutting it when he fell on a stone against Kinlochshiel at Kirkton four weeks earlier. Lovat haven’t played since they drew 1-1 with Inveraray in the Marine Harvest Premiership on Saturday 29 August 2015 and they had a number of injury concerns ahead of the final. Ace marksman Greg Matheson hadn’t played since he suffered a knock in the Artemis MacAulay Cup semi-final defeat to Newtonmore on Saturday 25 July 2015. Lorne MacKay was injured during the SSE Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup win over Inveraray on Saturday 8 August 2015 and has been sidelined since that game. Callum Cruden had also missed recent games. All three have been receiving extensive treatment and all three started in attack along with former Caberfeidh player Kevin Bartlett. However there was no cup final spot for Lovat’s Jamie Matheson whose partner Emma gave birth to their son Murray just after mid-day on cup final day. With the Oban High School Pipe Band in full flow, Lovat were led onto the magnificent Mossfield surface by veterans Alan MacLaren and Willie MacLean from their 1953 Camanachd Cup winning team whilst Neil Galbraith, who was on the losing Kyles side that day, led out Kyles Athletic. The players were introduced to a host of dignitaries ahead of throw up including Neil Wilson from sponsors SSE Scottish Hydro, Camanachd Association Chieftain Jock Turner, Camanachd Association President Jim Barr and Argyll & Bute Provost Len Scoullar Throw up was at 2.15pm and the whole match was broadcast LIVE on BBC 2 Scotland. Referee Deek Cameron stopped play after 3 minutes so that Lovat goalie Stuart MacDonald could change his blue shirt which clashed with the Kyles colours and it wasn’t the last time that the Balgate custodian was to be the centre of attention as the afternoon wore on. Kyles were awarded a free-hit close to the penalty spot on 5 minutes when Drew Howie stretched out a leg and tripped Dunkie Kerr. Lovat blocked their path from the free-hit and Kyles had to settle for a corner on the right. The ball broke to Grant Irvine on the Kyles right and his shot went narrowly past Stuart MacDonald’s right post. Kyles kept the pressure on and they forced a couple of more corners without getting a clean shot at goal. Craig Mainland required treatment after 11 minutes. The defender was hit in the face by the ball at close range following a Drew Howie clearance. Stuart MacDonald twice came to Lovat’s rescue after 14 minutes. He first came off his line to foil a penetrating Grant Irvine run from deep as he linked up with Dunkie Kerr and Roddy MacDonald before skipping into the D but MacDonald came out to block. The Lovat keeper then made a great save as he stretched high to keep out a drive from the fight from Roddy MacDonald. Stuart MacDonald then saved a Grant Irvine shot from a tight angle on the left with his stick as Kyles began to turn the screw. The shots were raining in on the Lovat goal and Stuart MacDonald then leapt to tip away a Dunkie Kerr drive from wide on the left which was dropping under the crossbar, Already, the Lovat stopper was making himself an early contender for man of the match. Lovat responded and mounted a rare attack with Lorne MacKay breaking down the left. His ball inside was played first-time by Greg Matheson to Kevin Bartlett who took a touch before volleying the ball wide with 18 minutes played. Kevin Bartlett did well to lose Thomas Whyte following a good Craig Mainland clearance down the Lovat left on 20 minutes but his shot lacked power and direction and a cross into the middle might have been a better option. Greg Matheson and Lorne MacKay linked up on 22 minutes after Ryan Ferguson won an aerial duel in the centre circle but Lovat were unable to engineer a shot on goal. Lorne MacKay was giving Callum Miller a hard time and he showed great skill to beat his marker on the Lovat right before tugging his shot wide on 25 minutes. Lovat were coming more into the game and they won their first corner of the match on 28 minutes when Cammy Keith deflected a Greg Matheson cross out of play. However Innes MacDonald and David Zavaroni combined to clear their lines from the set-piece. Kyles broke at pace with Grant Irvine and Dunkie Kerr involved to play in Gordon Whyte on the Kyles left and he found Innes MacDonald, who had almost run the length of the field, but his low first-time drive went just wide of Stuart MacDonald’s left post Roddy MacDonald won possession for Kyles in midfield seconds later and he slipped the ball to Grant Irvine who sent it forward to Dunkie Kerr. Roddy MacDonald had continued his run forward and he took Kerr’s pass in his stride but Stuart MacDonald, who had come off his line, made another great save above his head as the match reached the half hour mark and the keeper cleared the danger from the resultant corner. Grant Irvine found David Zavaroni in space at his back post on the left a couple of minutes later but Stuart MacDonald raced off his line to get his body in the way of the shot at the edge of the D. Kyles defender Andrew King brought down Martin Mainland as the winger raced down the Lovat right but Kyles defended the free-hit expertly. John Whyte saved with his feet from Greg Matheson on 37 minutes after good battling from Lorne MacKay and such was Kyles dominance that this was Lovat’s first shot on target. Kyles returned on the attack and Stuart MacDonald palmed away an Andrew King chip into the D away for a corner after the ball had bounced in front of him. When Kyles won a free on the left, Gordon Whyte took it and Roddy MacDonald thumped the ball goalwards but keeper MacDonald was again equal to the shot, turning the fierce shot away with his feet as the final moved into the final 5 minutes of the first half. A David Zavaroni run caused panic in the Lovat defence on 45 minutes and although Drew Howie got the ball away, Innes MacDonald found Robbie MacLeod who shot goalwards and Stuart MacDonald saved. Roddy MacDonald got onto the rebound but his deft touch could only direct the ball over the bar. For all Kyles’ pressure, they couldn’t find the back of the net and they were made to pay as the final moved into first half stoppage time. Another fine Martin Mainland shy from the right of midfield was directed at the heart of the Kyles defence and the ball was deflected into the path of Kevin Bartlett took a touch before crashing the ball over John Whyte’s right shoulder from just inside the D to make it 1-0. Lovat were buoyant and Callum Cruden crossed from the left and Greg Matheson took the ball down but his bobbling shot went wide with Kevin Bartlett just unable to reach the ball in an attempt to steer the ball on target and Lovat took their unlikely 1-0 lead into the break. Kyles had a slight breeze in their favour after the restart and they set out to get themselves on level terms and the second half was just a couple of minutes old when Stuart MacDonald had to move smartly to clear a low David Zavaroni cross from the left away to safety. Kyles continued to press and they drew level on 50 minutes. Drew Howie was penalised for a push on the back on Dunkie Kerr who was darting down the right. Gordon Whyte took the free-hit and he found Robbie MacLeod running into space at the back post and he crashed an unstoppable shot high into the net to make it 1-1. Robbie MacLeod sent a high ball into the goal area on 52 minutes and Stuart MacDonald tipped the ball away, not knowing that it was going wide. If there was an expectation that Kyles would now power to victory, no one told Lovat and they got their noses back in front on 55 minutes. Ryan Ferguson chipped the ball forward and it was taken down by Lorne MacKay and the ball broke to Kevin Bartlett wide on the left and he sent a blistering shot across keeper John Whyte into the net to make it 2-1. Stuart MacDonald made his best save yet on 58 minutes when he some-how twisted to get his caman to divert a low Gordon Whyte shot+ away for a corner after a Grant Irvine shot deflected into Irvine’s path. Lovat made the first change of the final seconds later with Lewis Tawse replacing a tiring Martin Mainland. Grant Irvine broke down the left and found Roddy MacDonald but his first time shot went wide as the contest moved into the last half hour. Ryan Ferguson took an accidental blow to the forehead from Innes Macdonald on 62 minutes and he had to come off for treatment with blood streaming from his head. Euan Ferguson came on in his place with Callum Cruden dropping into midfield and Ferguson joining the attack. The final restarted with a throw-up. Stuart MacDonald dealt with a low Grant Irvine shot following a low Gordon Whyte free-hit on 66 minutes. Michael MacKenzie required treatment after being caught on the sole of the foot by a Roddy MacDonald swing on 68 minutes. Meantime Fraser Gallagher took over from a limping Greg Matheson. Lovat had a set-piece chance when Euan Ferguson, who looked really lively since being introduced to the field of play, was brought down just outside the D by Thomas Whyte as he broke goalwards. Before the free-hit was taken, Kyles’ Roberto Zavaroni came on for Dunkie Kerr. Kyles defended the free-hit well as Lovat tried to find Kevin Bartlett and the Balgate side stayed 2-1 in front with 71 minutes played. A turn and shot from Fraser Gallagher went wide after a sweeping Lovat move on 74 minutes. Dunkie Kerr’ time on the sidelines lasted only 3 minutes as he came back on for wing centre Innes MacDonald who was suffering from cramp. Stuart MacDonald dived to his left to turn away a Roddy MacDonald shot with his stick as the Kyles talisman collected a long John Whyte free-hit and ran at the Lovat defence with 13 minutes remaining. Stuart MacDonald turned another low Roddy MacDonald strike behind the goal on 79 minutes following a Gordon Whyte free-hit and Roddy MacDonald turned and hooked a shot wide from the resultant corner. Stuart MacDonald used his stick to turn away a 20 yard waist-high shot from Roddy MacDonald, whose knee wound had now opened up, on 81 minutes after the Kyles man had chested down a Grant Irvine ball forward. Roberto Zavaroni batted the ball goalwards from the corner but Stuart MacDonald got his legs in the way and would not be beaten. Stuart MacDonald made an unbelievable point-blank stop with his caman to deny Roberto Zavaroni when the ball broke to the Kyles substitute in space on the right. Grant Irvine steered the rebound agonisingly wide for the Tighnabruaich support with the goal at his mercy. Lovat were lining dangerously but they were just 7 minutes away from glory and the media reporters were running out of superlatives to describe the Lovat keeper’s performance. Kyles pushed almost everyone forward in a desperate attempt to take the final into extra-time. Keeper John Whyte and full back Callum Miller were the only two players in the Kyles half as Dunkie Kerr played a free-hit into the danger-area after Euan Ferguson fouled Andrew King on 87 minutes but Lovat were brave and their defence stood firm, ushering the ball out for a goal-hit. Lovat scrambled the ball away as Stuart MacDonald again saved from Roddy MacDonald after he was set-up by Dunkie Kerr as the final moved into stoppage time. Stuart MacDonald palmed a looping Robbie MacLeod ball away for a corner with 5 minutes injury time looming. You could feel the tension around the ground and Callum Miller blocked a Lorne MacKay shot after the forward was played in by Euan Ferguson. Lovat were in no hurry to take the resultant corner and when they did, Lorne MacKay kept the ball in the corner before being clattered by Callum Miller and the Kyles captain was fortunate not to be the games’ only booking. Kyles had a late set-piece opportunity and after Callum Cruden found Dunkie Kerr and Roberto Zavaroni ran across goal to latch onto the Gordon Whyte’s free-hit but he dragged his shot wide of goal. The Lovat support went through agony during what was almost 6 minutes injury time but referee Deek Cameron’s final whistle sparked elation and tears in equal measure. Lovat had fifteen heroes on the field of play but it was right that keeper Stuart MacDonald was named man of the match and he received the coveted Albert Smith medal from Renee Smith. Two-goal Kevin Bartlett and defender Michael MacKenzie also deserve special mention for their performances. Kyles will have played worse this season and won and the outcome was more about Stuart MacDonald’s brilliance and Kevin Bartlett’s clinical finishing than any failings from the Tighnabruaich camp. Lovat captain Daniel Grieve was presented with the Camanachd Cup by Neil Wilson from sponsors SSE Scottish Hydro and Kyles captain Callum Miller collected the Celly Paterson memorial caman. The jubilant Lovat players rightly enjoyed the moment as the squad which largely grew up together came of age and repaid the faith of many who have worked so hard for the club over the years. First team manager and Club Chairman John MacRitchie and trainer Paul Mellis will also feel vindicated that their philosophy over the season has culminated in the capture of shinty’s greatest prize. When the dust settles on this final, the record books will record a second Camanachd Cup triumph for Lovat. However the performance of their goalie Stuart MacDonald will also be spoken about for years to come. Lovat from: Stuart MacDonald; Drew Howie, Daniel Grieve (captain), Michael MacKenzie, Craig Mainland; Martin Mainland, Danny Kelly, Ryan Ferguson; Callum Cruden, Kevin Bartlett, Greg Matheson, Lorne MacKay; subs Lewis Tawse, Fraser Gallacher, Euan Ferguson, Scott MacKenzie, Martin Bell Kyles Athletic from: John Whyte; Callum Miller (captain), Thomas Whyte, Cameron Keith, Andrew King; Innes MacDonald, David Zavaroni, Robbie MacLeod; Roddy MacDonald, Grant Irvine, Dunkie Kerr, Gordon Whyte; subs Roberto Zavaroni, Matthew MacColl, Ross MacRae, Christopher Blair Match Referee – Deek Cameron Goal Judges - Robert Baxter, John MacGregor Fourth Official – Lachie Wood Linesmen - Jon Gallagher, Willie MacDonald, Alex MacVicar, John Wood |