Newtonmore Lift 2015 Aberdein Considine Sutherland Cup | |
10 August 2015 The Newtonmore second team lifted the Aberdein Considine Sutherland Cup with a convincing 5-0 win over Lochside Rovers in their 1.30pm throw up at Jubilee Park on Saturday 8 August 2015. The Newtonmore second team were on an eleven match unbeaten run going into the final and they had won their last six games on the trot. They had a number of scoring options with Calum Stewart on 18 goals for the reserves this season. Conor Jones was just two goals behind whilst Scotland U17 cap Iain Robinson had netted 14 times. Kenny Ross provided the experience for Cammy MacDonald’s side but Struan Kish was missing as he was at his brother’s wedding. Lochside Rovers had won their first ten matches of the season. However they had stuttered along since then, having only won one of their last four games. Brian MacCallum was there top of their scoring charts with 13 goals whilst young-guns Daniel MacMillan and Daniel MacVicar had 11 and 8 strikes respectively. Oban Camanachd stalwart Gareth Evans managed the side and Craig MacDougall was their captain. Newtonmore’s last appearance in this junior final ended in controversy when they beat Kingussie in the 2012 final but were eliminated from the competition for mistakenly fielding Calum Stewart after he had reached the threshold of five first team appearances. However how times change as three years later, Stewart was the man who made the difference in the 2015 final, netting all five Newtonmore goals on the day of his 21st birthday. There was little sign that the winning margin would be so great in and evenly contested the first half. Calum Stewart broke the deadlock after just 3 minutes when he shrugged off a couple of challenges before shooting from a tight angle, with the ball hitting Lochside keeper Beano Logan’s foot on the way into the net. Lochside Rovers had their chance during the first 45 minutes and they could have gone into the break ahead had it not been for some fine saves from ‘More keeper Owen Fraser. The turning point in the final came after 61 minutes. Calum Stewart collected the ball with his back to goal and he turned before striking the ball hard on his back-hand, low into the bottom corner of the net to make it 2-0 to the delight of the Newtonmore support. Calum Stewart completed his hat-trick on 67 minutes when he cut inside, again on his back-hand, and fired goalwards. Beano Logan got his stick to the ball but he couldn’t keep it out. Newtonmore were now in the grove and when Drew MacDonald ran towards goal on 71 minutes, he had a look up before cutting the ball back to Calum Stewart who sent a powerful shot into the top corner of the net to make it 4-0. Calum Stewart rounded off the scoring with his and Newtonmore’s fifth goal of the afternoon just 12 minutes later. Neil Stewart saw his shot was saved by Beano Logan but as the ball trickled over the keeper’s stick, Calum Stewart was first to react and he ran in to tap the ball into an empty net to make it 5-0. Lochside keeper Beano Logan deserves a mention for same fine saves but it was a good all-round team performance from Newtonmore which won them the trophy and for five-goal Calum Stewart, it was a 21st birthday he will always remember. Camanachd Association President Jim Barr presented the Aberdein Considine Sutherland Cup to Newtonmore captain Martin Ivil. Calum Girvan was the match referee. This could be quite a season for Newtonmore as they are in the Strathdearn Cup semi-finals and they are just a couple of points off the top of Marine Harvest North Division 1 with a game in hand. |