The Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup Final between Kingussie and Glenurquhart takes place at the Bught Park on Saturday 13 September 2014.
Kingussie have had some tough ties on their way to the final.
Saturday 7 June 2014
Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup – Second Round
Lovat 1 Kingussie 2
Kingussie are through to the Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup quarter finals after they beat Lovat 2-1 at Balgate. Lovat marksman Greg Matheson missed out as he failed to recover from a hamstring injury picked up in the previous weekend’s 3-3 draw with Inveraray. Jamie Matheson had a back injury and Owen Ferguson was on holiday but there was a return from injury in midfield for Craig Mainland. Fraser Munro was still out for the Kings. Many speculated as to whether Ronald Ross would feature for Kingussie but he was not added to a squad which has competed well this season. Thomas Borthwick opened the scoring on 4 minutes. His shot bobbled on the surface and went under keeper Stuart MacDonalds feet to make it 1-0. Both keepers – Kingussie’s Craig Dawson and particularly Stuart MacDonald – made some good saves and Borthwick hit the post as Kingussie went into the half time break a goal to the good. Kingussie put the Lovat defence under pressure at the start of the second half and during one attack, referee John Angus Gillies penalised a Lovat defender for wild swinging inside the D and awarded Kingussie a penalty. However Thomas Borthwick did not connect the ball as he would have liked and Stuart MacDonald saved his effort quite comfortably. Stuart MacDonald made a tremendous reflex save from a Thomas Borthwick rocket shot on 60 minutes. Lovat struggled to create any clear chances and they seemed to miss Greg Matheson’s presence up front. Kingussie went 2-0 ahead on 66 minutes when Savio Genini took advantage of a mix up in Lovat defence to score. There was very late drama though as Lovat’s Kevin Bartlett pulled a goal back two minutes into stoppage time to make it 2-1. Then Lovat substitute Iain Nicolson came within a whisker of getting his side a replay at the Dell when he hit the side-netting with just seconds remaining. Kingussie deserved their victory over the piece and the result means that whilst both Newtonmore and Lovat will battle it out for the Orion Group Premiership, both sides are out of this year’s Camanachd Cup. Kingussie will now host Kyles Athletic in the quarter finals so another of the game’s more fancied sides will exit the tournament.
Saturday 5 July 2014
Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup - Quarter Finals
Kingussie 1 Kyles Athletic 0
If Kingussie are going to lift this year’s Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup, they look as if they will do it the hard way. The Kings beat much-fancied Lovat in the last round and saw off Kyles Athletic in the quarter-finals - who themselves conquered Newtonmore in the last round - 1-0 at the Dell. There was no Ronald Ross in the Kingussie line-up whilst Lee Bain started in defence; marking Kyles’ danger-man Roddy MacDonald. Kyles were without midfielder David Zavaroni and forward Roberto Zavaroni so Grant Irvine started at full centre. The decisive goal came very early in the tie. John Gibson won the centre for Kingussie and Rory MacGregor collected the ball and played it across goal where Savio Genini hit a backhand shot into the top right corner of the net. Reports from the game suggest there were less than 10 seconds played. Fraser Munro passed up a chance to make it 2-0 but Kyles, with Grant Irvine dominant in midfield, enjoyed plenty possession over the remainder of the game. However the Kingussie defence, and keeper Craig Dawson, were in fine form and the Kyles forwards seemed crowded out at times. Kyles threw Calum Miller forward late in the game with Cammy Keith coming on at the back but they were unable to get the goal that would have given them a replay at Tighnabruaich.
Saturday 9 August 2014
Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup - Semi Final
Kingussie 2 Fort William 2 (Kingussie won 3-2 on penalties)
Kingussie are through to the Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup Final after they beat Fort William 3-2 on penalties in their 4.05pm throw up at An Aird. Fraser Munro returned for Kingussie after serving a two match ban for a points accumulation whilst Gary Innes was missing for Fort William.
Fort William played with the wind in their favour in the first half and they drew first blood on 3 minutes when an Alexander MacMillan shy from the right wasn’t dealt with by the Kingussie defence and Bryan Simpson flashed a shot on his backhand across keeper Craig Dawson to make it 1-0.
Alexander MacMillan almost turned a Gordie MacKinnon free-hit goalwards on 7 minutes as the Fort continued to threaten.
Alexander MacMillan pushed the ball into Arran MacPhee’s path on 12 minutes and Craig Dawson did well to get his left foot behind the ball to deflect it away for a corner.
However Ronald Ross levelled on 15 minutes with a fine strike into the corner of the net which Paul MacKay tried to get to with his left foot. Ross was found by a combination of Borthwick and Munro.
Kingussie survived a penalty appeal when Bryan Simpson went down inside the D on 18 minutes.
Daniel Stewart looked very lively for the Fort and he scored to put his side back in front on 29 minutes. Stewart collected a Bryan Simpson pass before unleashing a 22 yard shot at the second attempt which dipped low past Craig Dawson to make it 2-1.
Fort William powerhouse Niall MacPhee required treatment to a head cut after a challenge with John Gibson on 32 minutes but MacPhee was able to carry on.
Craig Dawson saved a Bryan Simpson shot from the left with his feet on 35 minutes and Louis Munro flicked the ball away to safety.
Arran MacPhee found Daniel Stewart with a long ball down the middle on 39 minutes but Stewart’s drive went just the wrong side of Craig Dawson’s left post.
Parity was restored for a second time on 42 minutes. Fort defender Stevie Stewart got too far underneath a high ball out of defence from John MacLean and Savio Genini broke down the Kingussie left before sending a superb shot high into the net to make it 2-2.
Bryan Simpson darted across the D and almost got on the end of a long Gordie MacKinnon ball from the restart.
Kingussie had the elements in their favour in the second half but the first 15 minutes of the second half conjured little in the way of clear-cut chances.
That changed on 61 minutes when Bryan Simpson raced onto a bouncing diagonal Daniel Stewart ball from the right and of midfield and although Simpson steered the ball past Craig Dawson, who came off his line to narrow the angle, the ball came back off the face of Dawson’s left post and was cleared.
Kingussie’s James MacLean was replaced by Rory MacGregor a minute later.
Ronald Ross then collected a Rory MacGregor pass on 65 minutes but his shot went wide of target.
Craig Dawson deflected a Gordie MacKinnon shot away for a corner with his feet as play quickly switched to the other end.
Fort William defender James Tangey was yellow carded by referee Billy Wotherspoon for persistent fouling on 69 minutes.
Young Fort wing centre Alexander MacMillan required treatment for a cut above his shinpad on 72 minutes but he was able to carry on.
Paul MacKay did well to sweep away a corner form the right under close attention from Thomas Borthwick on 79 minutes and Borthwick hit the side-netting from a tight angle on the right a minute later.
Kingussie were now enjoying the bulk of the pressure and Neil Robertson did superbly well to dive in to block a Ronald Ross attempt at goal from the edge of the D with just 4 minutes remaining.
There was a stoppage-time chance for the Kings when Thomas Borthwick ran through on goal following a huge Garry Munro shy from the left which bounced through the Fort William defence. However Neil Robertson hauled Borthwick back just past the penalty spot and he was booked by referee Billy Wotherspoon. Kingussie were unable to create a chance from the resultant free-hit and referee Wotherspoon took the tie to extra-time.
Fort William had the elements back in their favour during the first half of extra-time
John Gibson was booked for catching Niall MacPhee on the side of the head with his caman as the Kingussie man tried to win a ball in the air. MacPhee required treatment for a cut close to his right eye. Chris Bamber also had his mane taken for speaking out of turn to referee Wotherspoon.
The players on both sides looked to be tiring and neither side was able to threaten their opponents’ goal during the opening 15 minutes of additional time.
Despite now playing against the elements, Fort William pressed Kingussie from the start of the second period of extra-time. There was a massive scramble in the Kingussie goal area on 109 minutes. MacKinnon played a free-hit short to Arran MacPhee and although Craig Dawson saved MacPhee’s shot, he was unable to see the ball behind him but a combination of James Hutchison and Lee Bain kept Fort William out.
A last-gasp James Hutchison challenge was enough to halt Daniel Stewart’s progress as he ran at the heart of the Kingussie defence and Stewart eventually shot over.
Kingussie lost an injured Lee Bain with 5 minutes remaining so Rory MacKeachan came on in defence.
Ronald Ross found Borthwick wide on the right but his shot whistled across goal.
There was now a sense of inevitability that this tie would be settled by penalties but there was a late chance for Kingussie when Fort William failed to clear another Garry Munro shy from the left. Thomas Borthwick took advantage and homed in on goal but was fouled by Neil Robertson on the edge of the D. Referee Wotherspoon had little option but to show Robertson a second yellow park and the full back left the field with 3 minutes remaining.
Referee Billy Wotherspoon took the tie to a penalty shoot-out. The goal areas on the An Aird pitch have seen better days and the penalty spot had to be remarked.
Ronald Ross was up first and he placed the ball low into the net to the keeper’s right to give Kingussie a 1-0 lead.
Arran MacPhee is Fort William’s regular penalty taker but he put his effort over the bar.
Kingussie’s Savio Genini saw his well-hit penalty brilliantly saved by Paul MacKay in the air as the ball headed for the top corner.
Craig Dawson then made a fantastic save in the air save to deny Alexander MacMillan.
Kings’ Louis Munro put his penalty low into the net and the Badenoch men now led 2-0.
Craig Dawson got his feet to Daniel Stewart’s penalty but he couldn’t keep the ball out of the net so Kingussie led 2-1 after three penalties each.
Paul MacKay saved with his foot from James Hutchison.
Stevie Stewart hit his penalty hard down the middle and although Craig Dawson got a hand to ball, he couldn’t prevent it going into the net. It was now all-square with one penalty each of the regulation five remaining.
Kingussie’s Thomas Borthwick hit his penalty low but Paul MacKay saved with his foot.
That meant that Bryan Simpson had a penalty to put Fort William through to the final but he didn’t connect with the ball as cleanly as he’d have liked and Craig Dawson saved with his feet.
It was now sudden death and the players returned in the same order. Ronald Ross struck the ball hard and low into the net in what was a replica of his first penalty so Kingussie led 3-2.
Craig Dawson then became the Kingussie hero as he got his caman to Arran MacPhee’s spot-hit to send Kingussie through to the final where they await the out-come of this weekend’s semi-final between Skye Camanachd and Glenurquhart.
The tie never really hit the heights but that won’t worry Kingussie whilst Fort William’s Chris Bamber was named BBC Alba man of the match by top shinty pundit Fraser Inglis.
Kingussie from: Craig Dawson; James Hutchison, Lee Bain, Barrie Dallas, Louis Munro; John MacLean (captain), John Gibson, Garry Munro; Thomas Borthwick, Fraser Munro, Savio Genini, Ronald Ross; subs Rory MacGregor, Darren Hanlon, Ryan MacWilliam, Rory MacKeachan, Robert Mabon
Fort William from: Paul MacKay; Neil Robertson, Sean Cruickshank, James Tangey, Stevie Stewart; Alexander MacMillan; Chris Bamber, Niall MacPhee; Gordie MacKinnon (captain), Arran MacPhee, Bryan Simpson, Daniel Stewart; subs Lewis Smith, Sean Cameron, Calum Shepherd
Match Referee – Billy Wotherspoon
Event Details
The 2014 Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup Final will be refereed by David Mitchell and he will be joined by goal judges John Angus Gillies and Graham Irving. Throw up is at 2.30pm.
The whole match will be broadcast live on BBC2 Scotland. Jonathan Sutherland presents the programme which starts at 2.15pm and Hugh Dan MacLennan is the match commentator.
Earlier in the day, Skye Camanachd U14 and Oban Camanachd U14 will contest the MacMaster Cup Final at the Bught Park. This is a repeat of last year’s final when the Oban side came out on top. Throw up is at 11.30am and Calum Girvan is the match referee.
The Scottish Hydro Development Cup Final takes place on the Bught Park Outside Pitch. Inveraray U14 and Kilmallie U14 contest this 9-a-side contest. Throw up is at 11.30am and Martin MacLean is the match referee.
Admission is £10 with £5 concessions and U12s accompanied by a paying adult go free.