2014 RBS MacTavish Cup Final .............. 2 Days To Go! | |
19 June 2014 Both Glenurquhart and Lovat had tricky ties to negotiate before reaching the he 2014 RBS MacTavish Cup Final at the Bught Park, Inverness on Saturday 21 June 2014.
Saturday 29 March 2014 RBS MacTavish Cup – First Round Lovat 11 Boleskine 0 As far as David versus Goliath cup ties go, the meeting between MacTavish Cup holders Lovat and Boleskine at Balgate was up there with the best of them. The home side sat proudly at the top of the Orion Group Premiership whilst Boleskine played in Marine Harvest North Division 2 – a full three leagues below. Lovat had Lorne MacKay free of suspension after he had served his two match ban. Boleskine’s Mathew Ross missed out as he served a one match ban for a points accumulation. Kevin Bartlett opened the scoring on 9 minutes and Jamie Matheson made it 2-0 on 23 minutes. Kevin Bartlett got his second and Lovat’s third a minute later before Lorne MacKay made it 4-0 on 36 minutes. Greg Matheson scored Lovat’s fifth whilst Kevin Bartlett completed his hat-trick on the stroke of half time to make it 6-0 at the break. Greg Matheson got his second on 51 minutes whilst Lorne MacKay did like-wise just 3 minutes later to make it 8-0. Greg Matheson completed his hat-trick on 68 minutes whilst two goals on the last two minutes from Jamie Matheson – his second – and Owen Ferguson, competed the 11-0 triumph. Skye Camanachd 0 Glenurquhart 1 (after extra time) It took extra time to separate Skye Camanachd and Glenurquhart at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree. The Islanders might have sat a couple of leagues below their opponents but they made the Orion Group Premiership side fight all the way for their one goal victory. Skye Camanachd manager John MacLeod was without Neil MacVicar who was working whilst Jordan Murchison was a late call-off for the same reason so Paul MacKinnon was called up from the second team. Glen co-managers Billy MacLean and Dave Menzies were without the injured Andrew Corrigan and David Smart whilst David MacLennan and Euan Lloyd also missed out. There was a start for former Boleskine player Raymond Robertson in attack. Glenurquhart had the better of the first half without really troubling Skye keeper Jamie Gannon. However the home custodian made a great save with his hand from Ally MacKintosh in the second period and he also denied Neale Reid and Ewan Brady. At the other end, a Kenny MacLeod snap-shot went wide of target. With neither side able to make the breakthrough, referee Deek Cameron took the game into an extra-time period. Glenurquhart had introduced James MacPherson in the latter stages of the second half. The former Lovat player had started on the bench as he was troubled with a hamstring injury. And it was MacPherson who made the difference 3 minutes into extra time when he got on the end of a superb Lewis MacLennan flick to steer the ball past the out-rushing Jamie Gannon to make it 1-0. The goal came at a price though as MacPherson pulled his hamstring in the act of scoring and he had to leave the field. Two late David Grant free-hits from his own half landed in the danger area and troubled the Glen defence but they saw off the threat to book their place in the next round. Steven Morrison was superb in defence for Skye whilst Ally MacKintosh in the middle of the park was the pick of the Glenurquhart players.
Saturday 19 April 2014 RBS MacTavish Cup Quarter Finals Kilmallie 2 Lovat 5 Holders Lovat won through to the last four of this year’s competition thanks to a 5-2 win over Kilmallie in their 4pm throw up at the Canal Parks. Lovat made a bright start to the game and they were awarded a 4 minute penalty by referee Innes Wood when home keeper Shane Gillies was deemed to have saved the ball with his foot off the ground. Greg Matheson slotted home the penalty to make it 1-0. Liam MacDonald levelled for Kilmallie on 13 minutes but good passing move from Lovat just 3 minutes later gave the visitors the chance to go back in front and Greg Matheson finished in style. Greg Matheson then completed his hat-trick with just half an hour on the clock to make it 3-1. And that’s the way it stayed until 12 minutes from time when substitute Graeme MacMillan made it 4-1. Kevin Bartlett added a fifth 5 minutes from time. Kilmallie pulled a goal back on 88 minutes with Liam MacDonald’s second goal; this time from the penalty spot to make the final score 5-2 and set up a semi final meeting with Kinlochshiel. Glenurquhart 2 Caberfeidh 0 Orion Group Premiership side Glenurquhart eventually beat Caberfeidh from the Marine Harvest National Division 2-0 at Blairbeg. Ally MacKintosh and James MacPherson remained sidelined for Glenurquhart whilst Andrew Corrigan was also missing. The visitors went into the game with confidence following an 8-0 win over Bute the previous weekend. Cabers defended really well in the first half although the home forwards did pass up a couple of good opportunities with Fraser Heath and Lewis MacLennan going close on more than one occasion. David Smart put the Glen ahead just 3 minutes after the restart. Neale Reid was the provider and although Smart’s first shot was closed down, he made no mistake second time-around as the ball flew past a helpless Donald Mellis in the Caberfeidh goal. The pattern of play continued in the same vein after the break with the home side having the majority of the pressure. David Smart got his second goal of the afternoon after 63 minutes to clinch a 2-0 win. A brilliant Donald Mellis save just under the crossbar denied Neale Reid a goal but his side were worthy winners. One sour point for Glenurquhart was a nasty facial injury to midfielder Ewan Brady which required a trip to hospital and a few stitches. Glenurquhart will meet Newtonmore in the last four of the competition.
Saturday 17 May 2014 RBS MacTavish Cup - Semi Finals Glenurquhart 1 Newtonmore 1 (Glenurquhart won 2-1 on penalties) Glenurquhart are once more through to the RBS MacTavish Cup Final following a dramatic penalty shoot-out win over Newtonmore in their 3.30pm throw up at Blairbeg. Glenurquhart’s Michael Brady served a one match ban for a points accumulation and Ally MacKintosh remained sidelined through injury. This coupled with Andrew Corrigan being unavailable through work commitments, meant the Glen were without three of their recognised back four. As a result, Lewis MacLennan started in defence and Calum Smith and Jack Hosie, who had featured for the Glen second team in their morning match, were drafted into the squad. Newtonmore were without the injured Paul MacArthur and Norman Campbell was only fit enough for a place on the bench. However Glen MacKintosh returned to the side. Newtonmore suffered an early blow when Danny MacRae had to leave the field after going over his ankle. Glenurquhart also had to make a change of their own when their only other regular defender, John Barr, had to limp off because of injury although he was able to return to the field of play in the second half. Newtonmore had the better of a scoreless first half and they took the lead when Calum Stewart escaped the attentions of his marker and volleyed home from a corner to make it 1-0 with 63 minutes played. However Glenurquhart fought back and they were on top for the remainder of the game. They got their reward when David Smart finished off a good move to level with just 10 minutes remaining. Glenurquhart had a chance to win it at the death when referee Evan MacRae pointed to the penalty spot. Regular penalty taker Stuart MacKintosh, who has a good record from the spot, stepped up but Michael Ritchie saved his effort. Neale Reid netted from the rebound but the goal was ruled out as another player was offside. There was no scoring during the extra time period although Newtonmore did take the opportunity to introduce Norman Campbell onto the field of play. The tie had to be decided on the day and the drama intensified as the penalty shoot-out unfolded. Glen’s Lewis MacLennan and ‘More’s Norman Campbell were the only two players to convert from the first ten spot-hits. Visiting keeper Michael Ritchie denied James MacPherson, Stuart MacKintosh, John Barr and Neale Reid. Home goalie Stuart MacKintosh saved from Glen MacKintosh, Michael Ritchie and Steven MacDonald with Calum Stewart missing the target. So the tie went to a sudden death shoot-out. Both James MacPherson and Callum Stewart failed to convert their opening sudden death penalty and when Newtonmore’s Norman Campbell put his spot-hit over the bar, Glenurquhart keeper and captain Stuart MacKintosh stepped forward, having already been foiled twice from the spot. However he proved that old adage of third time lucky when, to the delight of the home support, he forced the ball past Michael Ritchie, off the keeper’s shoulder into the roof of the net, to earn the Drumnadrochit side a place in the final. Kinlochshiel A Lovat A Holders Lovat and Kinlochshiel will have to do it all over again after their semi final tie at Kirkton was abandoned after 20 minutes by referee John Angus Gillies. After a dry morning, the west coast was hit by constant rain and the grade one official deemed it unsafe to continue play so the sides will meet next weekend with ‘Shiel losing home advantage. Saturday 24 May 2014 RBS MacTavish Cup - Semi Final Lovat 4 Kinlochshiel 0 Holders Lovat made sure of a repeat of the 2013 final against Glenurquhart with a 4-0 last four win over Kinlochshiel at Balgate. The original tie was postponed after 20 minutes last weekend when the heavy west coast rain left the Kirkton pitch unplayable so ‘Shiel lost home advantage. Lovat boss Allan MacRae was without forward Kevin Bartlett so Jamie Matheson made his first start of the season in attack. The injured Craig Mainland remained out. Duncan “Ach” MacRae missed last weekend’s aborted game but he was back for the visitors for this one whilst David Falconer started in defence. Lovat took the lead after 13 minutes. There was some good build up ahead of Greg Matheson’s strike which took a bounce before flying past ‘Shiel keeper Scott Kennedy to make it 1-0. Lorne MacKay made it 2-0 on 23 minutes when a cross fell nicely for him at the edge of the D and he made no mistake with a crisp shot. Lovat dominated the first half and Graeme MacMillan made it 3-0 on the stroke of half time. The goal came as MacMillan and Greg Matheson broke forward. Matheson was in space but MacMillan opted to shoot and with very little back-lift, he crashed the ball high into the net. Kinlochshiel were better in the second half and their manager Colin Fraser made several changes throughout the game to try and change his team’s fortunes. One such switch saw the introduction of substitute Neil Fraser and he came so close to pulling a goal back after 61 minutes when he hit the crossbar. However when Greg Matheson got his second on 65 minutes, there was only going to be one winner. Ryan Ferguson was excellent at full centre for Lovat, whilst his brother Owen Ferguson produced some intelligent play at wing centre. Along with Lewis Tawse, they made up a formidable midfield. Both previous encounters between the sides this season have been close affairs, with their Artemis Macaulay Cup tie going to extra time. Therefore the four-goal winning margin was some-what of a surprise. This can be put down to a combination of Lovat’s devastating first half performance and ‘Shiel failing to reach the standards they are undoubtedly capable of.
Event Details T The 2014 RBS MacTavish Cup Final between Glenurquhart and Lovat throws up at 4.05pm and there will be extra time and penalties if necessary. Camanachd Association Grade 1 referee Innes Wood is the man in the middle. The final will be preceded by both the 2014 Tulloch Primary Schools Trophy Final between Portree Primary School and Kyles Athletic and the 2014 RBS MacTavish Juvenile Cup Final between Kingussie U17 and Newtonmore U17. Both throw up at 1pm and there will be extra time and penalties if necessary. Tickets for the whole day cost £10 for Adults, £5 Concession and U12s go FREE when accompanied by a paying adult. Discounts are available for Camanachd Association members. Spectators only attending the youth finals can get a refund on their ticket if returned to the ticket office prior to the start of the senior final. Car parking is available at the ground from 11am (weather permitting) and costs £1. Food and drink outlets will be open from midday. The 2014 RBS MacTavish Cup Final between Glenurquhart and Lovat will be screened live on BBC Alba and will be repeated later in the evening. Match commentary comes from Hugh Dan MacLennan whilst Norman Campbell is the match summariser. |