Lovat and Newtonmore meet in the 2018 Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup Final at Mossfield on Saturday 15 September 2018.
Lovat’s route to the final was as follows:
Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup – Second Round
Saturday 2 June 2018
Skye Camanachd 0 Lovat 3
2017 Scottish runners-up Lovat are safely through to the quarter-finals after they beat Skye Camanachd 3-0 in their noon throw up at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree.
Iain Nicolson returned for Skye and he started in attack with youngster Ruaraidh MacLeod rested to the bench. Kenny Campbell played at full centre despite having 10 stitches from two separate head wounds removed just ahead of throw up.
Callum Cruden returned to the Lovat starting line-up having missed the previous week’s league win over Caberfeidh through injury.
It was a warm day but, just following throw up, a cooling mist descended over the pitch for most of the match.
Lovat broke the deadlock on 26 minutes. Greg Matheson touched a ball forward from midfield into Lorne MacKay’s path and he took a couple of steps forward before slipping the ball outside to Marc MacLachlan who found a yard of space at the left of the D. MacLachlan sent the ball low into the net to make it 1-0.
The closest Skye came to a first half goal was a dipping Will Cowie effort from fully 40 yards out which dropped past the junction between post and bar on keeper Stuart MacDonald’s left side.
Lovat made a strong start to the second half and Lorne MacKay’s strike following a cross from the left came back off Iain MacLeod’s right post, deflecting behind the keeper and away to safety.
Skye goalie MacLeod then did well to save with his foot from Marc MacLachlan before denying Greg Matheson seconds later.
Lovat extended their lead from the penalty spot on 68 minutes. Marc MacLachlan slipped the ball into the danger-area where it deflected into Duncan Davidson’s path as he ran into the D. However Davidson went down under Allan MacLeod’s challenge and referee Calum Girvan pointed to the penalty spot after speaking to his goal judge. Greg Matheson cracked the penalty over Iain Macleod’s right shoulder.
Lovat killed the tie off straight from the restart as Callum Cruden won possession and fed captain Lewis Tawse. He sent the ball long to the impressive Marc MacLachlan who threaded a low, diagonal ball to Lorne MacKay who was running in on the right. MacKay took a touch before knocking the ball low past the advancing keeper to make it 3-0.
Skye had enough possession but they didn’t threaten Stuart MacDonald in the Lovat goal.
At the other end, Duncan Davidson sent a flashing shot just past the keeper’s left post whilst Iain MacLeod made a smart double-save 10 minutes from time to deny Marc MacLachlan a second.
This was the third meeting between the sides in Portree this season with Lovat winning all three but this was their best performance.
Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup - Quarter Finals
Saturday 7 July 2018
Bute 0 Lovat 7
Lovat are safely through to Monday’s Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup semi-final draw after they beat Bute 7-0 at The Meadows.
Lovat were without Drew Howie and Lorne MacKay whilst Bute’s Craig MacKay was suspended.
There was a minutes silence ahead of throw up as the Island of Bute tried to come to terms with the tragic loss of 6 year old Alesha MacPhail.
This tie was always going to be a test for Bute who play two divisions below in South1.
Lovat’s Greg Matheson broke the deadlock on 7 minutes when he was first to a rebound off the keeper and he ran in and slipped passed the goalie and into the bottom corner of the net.
Graeme MacMillan added a second on 14 minutes with a really good forehand strike into the top corner of the goal from around 15 yards range.
Marc MacLachlan made it 3-0 a minute later when he beat a couple of defenders before rolling the ball past the onrushing goalkeeper.
Greg Matheson got his second from the penalty spot on the half hour mark. Bailey MacKay had made a great run from wing centre and, as he was about to shoot from inside the D, he was wiped out and referee David Mitchell pointed to the spot. Matheson sent the spot-hit into the top left corner of the net.
Marc MacLachlan got his second 5 minutes before the interval. MacLachlan’s shot from out on the right deflected off the full back with the keeper going the other way.
Lovat started to make a lot of changes in the second half and the game became more even. Bute gave a good account of themselves without really troubling Stuart MacDonald in the Lovat goal.
Marc MacLachlan completed his hat-trick on 85 minutes when he got clear of the full back to go one-on-one with the keeper and he played a low shot into the net.
MacLachlan notched his fourth a minute later. Bute were penalised for a handball and Greg Matheson was alert, taking a quick free-hit before the Bute defence had the chance to regroup. Matheson played the free to MacLachlan in acres of space and he produced a nice first-time finish across the goalkeeper into the far corner of the goal to make it 7-0.
Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup – Semi Finals
Saturday 11 August 2018
Lovat 3 Kingussie 3 (after extra-time – Lovat won 2-1 on penalties)
Lovat will play Newtonmore in the Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup Final at Mossfield but it took a penalty shoot-out to finally see off Kingussie in their 4.05pm throw up at The Bught Park.
Lovat’s Danny Kelly accrued a badly timed suspension for passing through the disciplinary points threshold. Mark Kelly and Scott MacKenzie remained longer term absentees but Drew Howie was fit enough to take up his usual place in defence.
Kingussie’s Kieran MacPherson was still out through injury whilst captain Rory MacGregor took a place on the bench with Roddy Young given a start in attack.
There was a minute’s silence ahead of throw up to remember Alan MacLaren, who scored for Lovat’s 1953 Camanachd Cup winning team, who recently passed away.
Lovat made the better start and created a couple of half-chances before Kingussie scored from their first attack of the game to take a 2 minute lead. Louis Munro’s strike from a central position was blocked by a Lovat defender. The ball broke out to the right where James Falconer took a touch to the outside before shooting low past Stuart MacDonald in the Lovat goal with the ball bouncing by the diving keeper by his right post.
Roddy Young set up Falconer just 3 minutes later but this time he took the ball wide on the left and his back-hand effort went wide of the keeper’s left post.
It was a very open start to the game and Marc MacLachlan had a fresh-air swipe from inside the Kingussie D with the goal at his mercy.
A Lewis Tawse run down the right asked questions of the Kingussie defence and his low cross found Greg Matheson on the left and he fired a great shot which Kingussie goalie Craig Dawson did well to parry with his club at the expense of a corner.
Play quickly switched to the other end and Falconer went clean through, one-on-one with the keeper, but Stuart MacDonald flew off his line and spread himself to turn the ball away, injuring himself in the process.
Lovat claimed for a penalty when Greg Matheson was pushed by Calum Grant on the edge of the D but they had to settle for a free-hit.
Having exited both the MacTavish and MacAulay Cup competitions at the semi-final stage, Lovat were determined to go one better this time and they drew level on 23 minutes. Graeme MacMillan delivered a perfectly weighted cross from the right and Greg Matheson ran onto the ball and he took a delightful first touch before tucking the ball low into the net from inside the D.
Lovat suffered a blow when defender Callum Cruden had to go off, suffering an accidental facial injury after being caught by a teammate’s caman. Martin Mainland came on in his place.
At the same time, Kingussie’s Fraser Munro took over from Lee Bain in attack.
Kingussie had a great chance to regain the lead when Roddy Young was chopped down by Daniel Grieve as he darted into the D from the Kings’ right. Alexander Michie struck the resultant penalty well enough but Stuart MacDonald showed just why he is Scotland’s number one as he stretched high to turn the ball away with his stick.
There were chances at both ends late in the half but it remained 1-1 going into the interval.
A low Ruaridh Anderson shot went wide of Stuart MacDonald’s right post just a minute into the second half.
Kingussie had made the better start to the second period and they went back in front on 51 minutes. Fraser Munro played the ball to James Falconer on the left. Munro continued his run and he took a lovely touch from Falconer’s return ball and calmly touched the ball past the keeper from inside the D.
Lovat were on the ropes and a great run from Roddy Young was thwarted by Stuart MacDonald with the keeper blocking the ball with his feet.
Stuart MacDonald then made a fine reflex save to keep out Louis Munro’s powerful strike from the right.
Lovat started to come more into it and they can usually rely on Greg Matheson to dig them out of a hole and he did just that on 67 minutes. Marc MacLachlan’s back-hand shot was saved with his feet by Craig Dawson but the ball bounced out to Greg Matheson who gleefully knocked the rebound into the net to level the contest once more.
James Falconer had the ball in the net again with 20 minutes remaining but it was ruled out as the referee’s whistle had already gone for an earlier infringement.
With 10 minutes to go, Martin Mainland was shown a yellow card for flattening Fraser Munro.
Stuart MacDonald saved and cleared following a Louis Munro strike from the right whilst Duncan Davidson went close at the other send seconds later.
Thomas Fraser replaced Bailey MacKay for Lovat as several players started to show the effects of a tiring contest.
With no further scoring, referee Archie Ritchie took the tie to an extra-time period.
Kingussie brought on Rory MacGregor and Ryan MacWilliam at the start of extra-time with Savio Genini and Fraser Munro withdrawn although Genini was to return.
The additional 30 minutes spell was less than a minute old when Graeme MacMillan fought for possession and the ball broke to Thomas Fraser who played in Marc MacLachlan and he found Greg Matheson who swept the ball into the net and Lovat led for the first time in the tie.
Louis Munro was yellow-carded after a tussle with Duncan Davidson.
Chris Johnstone took over from Graeme MacMillan who mas still moving uncomfortably after the earlier knock although he also later returned.
A James Falconer strike went just the wrong side of the post as Kingussie fought to get level.
Drew Howie needed treatment for a head cut but he was able to continue.
With the first period of extra-time coming to a close, Craig Dawson made a brilliant reflex save with his caman keep out Thomas Fraser’s powerful shot from the left.
Kingussie now threw everything at Lovat and Stuart MacDonald used his body to save James Falconer’s shot from the right.
Lorne MacKay was booked for throwing his stick to put off Rory MacGregor as he shot goalwards. Rory MacGregor played the resultant free-hit to Ruaridh Anderson and his shot dipped off the crossbar. Stuart MacDonald then made a great double save to deny Roddy Young but Kingussie full back Robert Mabon, who had been pushed forward, forced the ball over the line to make it 3-3 with just a couple of minutes remaining.
Just as with the first semi-final between Newtonmore and Kilmallie, it was now penalties that would decide who would go through to the Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup Final.
Kingussie’s regular penalty taker Alexander Michie was up first but Stuart MacDonald saved well to his left with his stick.
Lovat’s regular penalty taker Greg Matheson went next and powered the ball home to give Lovat a 1-0 lead.
Savio Genini and Lorne MacKay both saw their attempts well-saved by the respective keepers.
Stuart MacDonald made his third save, this time from Rory MacGregor and when Graeme MacMillan thumped the ball high into the net it was to prove to be an important goal.
Kingussie’s Louis Munro had to score and he did and Lewis Tawse had the chance to win it but saw his effort saved with his feet by Craig Dawson so it remained 2-1 to Lovat with a penalty each remaining.
The pressure was on Kingussie’s James Hutchison and his strike was saved with his legs by Stuart MacDonald and Lovat were through to the final.
New Scotland Head Coach selected Lovat’s Greg Matheson as his BBC ALBA man of the match.
Lovat have now reached three of the last four finals and they now meet Newtonmore in next month’s final at Mossfield in what is a repeat of last year’s final which ‘More won 3-2.
Event Details
The 2018 Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup Final between Lovat and Newtonmore at Mossfield on Saturday 15 September 2018 throws up at 2pm.
Gates open at 10am and the MacMaster Cup Final between Beauly U14 and Fort William U14 throws up at 11am.
Admission is £15 with £10 Concessions (Children aged under 12 go free when accompanied by a paying adult).
There will also be a climbing wall, face painting, a Pipe Band as well as food and drink at the venue.
Highland Print Studio will also present artwork from four artists as part of the Throw Up 2018 project.
If you can’t make it to Oban, the whole match will be broadcast LIVE on BBC2 Scotland. Coverage starts from 1.45pm. Commentary is by Hugh Dan MacLennan and Gary Innes, with expert analysis and shepherding advice from Eddie Tembo.