2017 winners Skye Camanachd Ladies won back the Mowi Valerie Fraser Camanachd Cup with an 8-6 victory over holders Badenoch Ladies in their 4.05pm throw up at a sunny Dell on Saturday 7 September 2019.
This was a repeat of the 2018 final, at the same venue, which Badenoch won 4-1 and the match, in front of a large crowd, was broadcast live on BBC ALBA for the second successive season.
There was an early chance for Badenoch’s Zoe Reid before Caitlin MacLean won possession and found Lorna MacRae who weaved through the defence to give Skye a 3 minute lead.
Badenoch skipper Zoe Reid limped off, replaced by Mairi Stewart, before play got back underway although Reid did return midway through the first half.
Kirsty Deans equalised on 7 minutes when she got away from her marker on the left before shooting across the keeper into the net from the edge of the D.
Skye keeper Sarah Jane Ferguson made a brilliant save with her club to deny Mairi Stewart before Rhona MacIntyre put Badenoch ahead on 12 minutes. MacIntyre took down Mairi Stewart’s ball from the right before scoring from the front of the box.
Mairi Stewart blazed over after being slipped in by Kirsty Deans before, at the other end; Elizabeth MacGregor made a great save to deny Sarah Corrigall.
Both forward lines were running riot and Kirsty Deans passed up a great chance after running clear and then Ruth Forbes lifted the ball over from the edge of the box.
Sarah-Jane Ferguson saved well with her left foot from Kirsty Deans before the Skye keeper then thwarted Mairi Stewart who’d run onto a defence splitting pass from the influential Deans.
Skye came right back into it though and they drew level on 32 minutes when Holly MacLean’s corner from the right evaded Jeanette MacGregor and Lorna MacRae, on her back-hand, fired the ball across the keeper from a tight angle to the left of the D.
Badenoch responded immediately and Sarah-Jane Ferguson did well, using her club to parry Kirsty Deans shot from distance.
Elizabeth MacGregor made a superb stop, tipping over Lorna MacRae’s shot from the right following Abby MacLean’s defence-splitting pass.
It was Skye who would take a two-goal cushion into the interval, scoring twice in a couple of minutes. First, on 37 minutes, Lorna MacRae took a pass from Caitlin MacLean before running at the defence. With two defenders drawn to MacRae, Abby MacLean was left unmarked at the front of the D and she had time to take a touch before picking her spot.
Elizabeth MacGregor turned away Lorna MacRae’s drive from the left before Abby MacLean ran onto Sarah Corrigall’s bouncing ball forward and she thundered the ball into the net, on her back-hand, from the left of the D and Skye led 4-2 at half-time.
With the tireless Rhianna Kirk urging Skye forward from the middle of the park, Lorna MacRae completed her hat-trick a couple of minutes after the restart when Badenoch failed to clear Caitlin MacLean’s ball into the danger-area and MacRae hammered the ball home.
Abby MacLean completed her hat-trick on 48 minutes, scoring low into the net after exchanging passes with Lorna MacRae. Skye led 6-2 and Badenoch now had a mountain to climb.
Sarah-Jane Ferguson saved with her legs from Megan Ralph however Badenoch grabbed a life-line on 50 minutes when Rhona MacIntyre scored from inside the D following the resultant corner.
Skye keeper Ferguson was quickly off her line to foil Kirsty Deans but Deans did get her second goal of the game on 57 minutes when she scrambled to ball home to make it 6-4.
Zoe Reid ran onto a great Kirsty Deans pass but shot wide and the next goal was going to be crucial.
Megan Ralph passed up a great chance when Kirsty Deans found her in space in front of goal and Lorna MacRae made Badenoch pay on 66 minutes when she gathered the ball in midfield before running at the defence, scoring from inside the D.
Kirsty Deans hit the post from the left before scoring on her back-hand to complete her hat-trick on 71 minutes, with Ruth Forbes and Megan Ralph involved in the build-up, to make it 7-5.
Skye re-introduced a strapped up Sarah Corrigall and her inspiration steadied the back-line during the closing stages and they restored their three-goal cushion on 74 minutes. Lorna MacRae picked up a stray clearance before again running at the defence. Keeper MacGregor saved with her left foot from MacRae but Abby MacLean sent the rebound high into the net on her back-hand to make it 8-5.
Skye lost Ilana Paterson through injury and there was still time for Ruth Forbes to make it 8-6, slotting the ball low to the keeper’s left with a minute remaining following a fine Zoe Reid run from the left.
Badenoch’s Mairi Stewart hit the bar from point-blank range in stoppage time and referee Ross Brown blew for time with Skye finishing the final on the attack.
This was a second Valerie Fraser success for Skye and a fitting triumph for Head Coach Robbie Gordon who steps down at the end of the season.
Skye’s Lorna MacRae was on top form throughout and she was the choice of sponsor Peter Gow as player of the match and few, if any, would argue with his selection.
Skye Camanachd captain Ilana Paterson stepped forward to be presented with the Valerie Fraser Camanachd Cup by Jayne MacKay from sponsors Mowi, with WCA President Lisa MacColl in attendance.
The sides are likely to meet again before the season is over; in a play-off for the Mowi National Division title.
Skye Camanachd Ladies from: Sarah-Jane Ferguson: Holly MacPhee, Christina MacDonald, Ilana Paterson (captain), Holly MacLean, Rhianna Kirk, Caitlin MacLean: Abby MacLean, Lorna MacRae, Sarah Corrigall: subs Emma Gordon, Izzy Law, Ceitidh Smith, Molly MacKinnon Amy MacKinnon,
Badenoch from: Elizabeth MacGregor: Jeanette MacGregor, Roma Fraser: Rona Stewart, Sarah Caird, Rhona MacIntyre, Rachael Borthwick: Megan Ralph, Kirsty Deans, Zoe Reid (captain): subs Mairi Stewart, Ruth Forbes, Katie Falconer, Hope Borthwick, Eilidh Ross, Shannon Macwhirter
Match Referee – Ross Brown