2017 Bullough Final - Preview | |
04 August 2017 Strachur will host the 2017 Bullough Cup Final against the Inveraray second team on Saturday 5 August 2017. The venue was decided by the toss of a coin at the Camanachd Association offices which Strachur won so the final will take place at Strachurmore on Saturday 5 August 2017 with a 3pm throw up. The sides currently occupy the top two places in Marine Harvest South Division 2 with Inveraray holding a two-point advantage with each team having only three games remaining. Strachur were given a Bullough Cup opening round bye when the Glasgow Mid Argyll seconds were unable to raise a team. Inveraray also received free passage through to the quarter-finals where Marine Harvest South Division 1 side Kilmory were their opponents. Inveraray proved too strong; winning 6-1 at The Winterton. Inveraray’s Andy Stewart got an early opener but Kilmory’s John MacMillan levelled a couple of minutes later. David MacPherson restored Inveraray’s lead and David Robertson added two more before the break. David Robertson completed his hat-trick before Andy Stewart got his second goal of the game to round off the 6-1 win. Strachur met Oban Lorn at Strachurmore in the last-eight of the competition; scoring five times without reply. Ian MacLennan and Stuart Robertson had Strachur two goals to the good before Ian MacLennan got his second to make it 3-0 at the break. Ian Wilson and William Mcgladdery netted after the break to give Strachur a solid 5-0 win. The win set up a semi-final meeting against Kyles Athletic at Tighnabruaich and, after two hours of shinty, the tie produced the most dramatic finish before Strachur won a final spot. Roberto Zavaroni gave Kyles a 30 minute lead only for Angus Campbell to level on the hour mark. With no further scoring, referee Des McNulty took the tie into an extra-time period. When George Thomson put Kyles back in front from the penalty spot after 95 minutes, Strachur had it all to do. And Kyles stayed in front until a couple of minutes from time when an Ally Mirlees goal seemed likely to take the tie to a penalty shoot-out. However, with just seconds remaining, Ally Mirlees got his second to send Strachur into the final. Inveraray’s semi-final task could hardly have been more difficult as they faced Marine Harvest South Division 1 title hopefuls Lochside Rovers at Ganavan. Lochside Rovers were on an eleven game winning run during which they’d only conceded two goals. However Inveraray’s Neil Campbell scored the only goal of the game after 31 minutes. Campbell took his goal really well following a move in which all four Inveraray forwards combined to good effect. Campbell finished with a nice half-swing from a tight angle, under pressure from Steven Sloss, with both players having a great battle throughout. Lochside spurned a number of chances to make their mark on this tie and Graham MacPherson in the Inveraray goal made some fine saves, including turning a Neil MacFarlane shot which was heading for the top corner over the bar. On another day they could have been comfortable winners but the Inveraray colts deserve great credit for passing such a difficult test. Strachur and Inveraray have met once already this season when four-goal Euan McMurdo helped Inveraray to a 6-0 victory at The Winterton. David Robertson and young Ruaraidh Graham got the others. The return league fixture is scheduled to take place at Strachurmore the following Saturday when the sides return to the scene of the final with two crucial league points at stake. |