Premiership
League leaders, NEWTONMORE, kept the pressure on nearest rivals Kyles on Saturday, as the Premiership is now a near two-horse race.
Newtonmore took the two points in their game against Kingussie on Saturday, with goals from Glen Mackintosh and Norman Campbell.
The win leaves them three points ahead of Kyles, with each team having five games left to play, including when the sides meet on October 31.
Third-place Glenurquhart are only a point behind Kyles, but have only two fixtures still to fulfil.
Newtonmore travel to face Lovat on Saturday, with a 12 midday throw-up.
LOCHABER continued to climb the table this weekend when a 4- 0 home victory over Inveraray saw them overtake Fort William for fourth place.
Goals from Stuart Callison, Kevin Ferguson and a double from Shaun Nicolson ensured there was no coming back for Inveraray.
Ally Ferguson’s men have two free weekends before their final game of the season, an away clash with Oban Camanachd on October 17.
OBAN CAMANACHD took two vital points against newly- crowned Camanachd Cup champions, Lovat, on Saturday.
Two goals from Daniel Cameron sealed the win at Mossfield, leaving the Oban side four points ahead of bottom-place Inveraray, but with three games in hand over their Argyll rivals, as the relegation battle continues.
Camanachd travel to Balmacara to take on Kinlochshiel on Saturday, with a 2.30pm throw-up.
It was a day for firsts and lasts for FORT WILLIAM on Saturday when they made history by playing a female and said goodbye to a long-serving player.
The An Aird side went down 3-1 in the away game against Glenurquhart, with co-manager, Victor Smith, scoring the team’s only goal in the 84th minute.
But the scoreline was the least exciting part of the day for the Fort, as they played 16-year- old Zoe Smith for 40 minutes of the game.
They also waved goodbye to Gordie MacKinnon, who has played for the club for 22 years, including travelling from Glasgow on match days for the last six years.
Smith said: ‘ We were really short of players so Zoe [daughter] went on for a while and so did I.
‘We had a good send off for Gordie and we would all like to thank him for his hard work over the years and for his commitment to the club.’
The Fort’s final game of the season will be away to Newtonmore on October 10.
KYLES ATHLETIC get back in action this weekend after a free
Saturday last weekend and the disappointment of losing the recent Camanachd Cup final .
They will be hoping to get their title hopes back on track on Saturday when they play host to Glenurquhart.
With just three games of their season remaining, INVERARAY remain favourites for the drop.
The league’s basement side fell further behind second-bottom Oban Camanachd on Saturday after the Oban side defeated Camanachd Cup holders, Lovat, away from home. Inveraray fell to a 4- 0 defeat at Spean Bridge against Lochaber, leaving themselves four points behind Oban Camanachd, who have played three games fewer.
A home tie versus Kingussie on Saturday is up next for the Royal Burgh side, and both pride and points will be at stake at the Winterton.
LOVAT made a return trip to Oban on Saturday, a week after their 2-1 win in the Camanachd Cup final against Kyles.
John MacRitchie’s men were beaten 2-1 by Oban Camanachd, with a vastly different starting 12 on the pitch compared to the side’s cup final win.
Lovat have three tough league games left now this season, playing hosts to Newtonmore on Saturday with a 12midday throw-up, and then a home tie against Kyles and away trip to Newtonmore in their last two games.
GLENURQUHAT recorded a 3-1 home win over a depleted Fort William side at Drumnadrochit last weekend. On target for the red and blacks were Connor Golabeck, James MacPherson and Neale Reid. This Saturday they make the long journey to Tighnabruaich to take on Kyles Athletic.
KINGUSSIE dropped into the relegation dogfight after going down 2- 0 to Badenoch rivals, Newtonmore, last weekend. This Saturday, Kingussie travel to take on botom of the table, Inveraray, at the Winterton where a win is vital if they are to climb up the table.
KINLOCHSHIEL return to action after a free Saturday last weekend when they entertain Oban Camanachd at Balmacara. The game throws-up at 2.30pm with referee, Deek Cameron, in charge.
National Division
BALLACHULISH ended the season with a sigh of relief on Saturday, with one final defeat at the hands of Kilmallie.
The home side’s only goal came from Lorne Brown in the second half, but the Caol side had more to celebrate with goals from Aaron Sandison, John Stewart and four from captain Liam MacDonald. It has been a tough season for the south Lochaber men who didn’t win a single game after losing many experienced players last year.
KILMALLIE rounded off their league effort with a comfortable 6-1 win against Ballachulish on Saturday, but could have to wait for more than a month for their promotion play- off.
It’s now a waiting game for the Caol side to find out if they face Kingussie or Oban Camanachd for a place in the Premiership.
Manager, Mark MacPherson, said: ‘Oban still have six games to play, so it could be November or December. It’s hard to keep the team playing and fit for that length of time, but there’s not a lot anyone can do. We’ll play some friendlies and keep training but it’s a waiting game other than that.
‘I think at the moment I would rather play Kingussie than Oban because they’re an ageing team. In saying that, they did well against Newtonmore on Saturday. There wasn’t a huge goal difference so maybe they’re playing better than I thought.’
SKYE CAMANACHD have finished the season undefeated for the second year in a row.
The islanders had already secured their promotion but were determined not to ease the pressure for their final game against Beauly, which they won 6-1 at home.
Skye were undefeated in north division one last season to gain promotion to the national league, where they have again won every game, bar one draw, to see themselves soaring to the premiership.
Goal from Shockie MacLennan, Iain Nicolson, Kenny Campbell and a Jordan Murchison hat-trick secured Skye’s fate, only contested by one goal from Beauly’s David MacLean in the first half.
South Division One
LOCHSIDE ROVERS had a free weekend, but remain at the top of the Marine Harvest Divsion One by two points, with one game in hand over second-place Bute.
The league appears to be a fourhorse race between Rovers, Bute, Inveraray and Oban Celtic, with only three points separating the teams.
Gareth Evans’ side will be in action this Saturday against Kyles Athletic’s second string, with a 2.30pm throw-up.
OBAN CELTIC lost to Bute at the weekend, in what could be a vital two points dropped for David Hamilton’s men.
Bute are now in second place behind Lochside Rovers, with Celtic in fourth place.
Celtic face third-place Inveraray this Saturday, and were they to beat them, and if Bute were to lose to Taynuilt, then Oban Celtic side would jump into second place.
Celtic against Inveraray throwsup at 12 midday on Saturday at the Winterton, in what is Inveraray’s final league game this season.
Bottom side KILMORY fought out a 2-2 draw against fellow-strugglers, Glenorchy, at MacRae Park last Saturday. The point leaves Kilmory on three points with two games remaining, while Glenorchy have clawed themselves level with Strachur on five points.
It’s the same tie this weekend, reversed, for Kilmory and Glenorchy as the Mid Argyll outfit travels to Dalmally for a league match.
BUTE record a well- deserved 3- 0 win over Oban Celic at the Meadows last weekend with goals from David Whitelaw and a double from Craig MacKay. This Saturday the islanders play host to Taynuilt
Yet again struggling for numbers after one of their players missed his train from Glasgow, STRACHUR travelled to Taynuilt for a league match. The teams left the pitch at half-time level at 1-1, but the home side pulled away in the second half, scoring two further goals to grab maximum points and leapfrog Kyles into sixth spot in the division. For Strachur, the defeat leaves eighth, or third bottom of the league, on five points, and precariously close to the bottom two clubs of Glenorchy and Kilmory.
While KYLES ATHLETIC’S second-string had their eyes elsewhere in Glasgow, Taynuilt sneaked in and took their sixth position in the league. Kyles have 13 points from 14 games. Mid-table respectability seems now the only real goal left this season, but face a hard task this weekend in Oban as they play league leaders Lochside Rovers.
The trip to Aberdour is never an easy one, and this proved true for INVERARAY’S second team on Saturday. Two goals down at half-time at the Silversands, things didn’t improve much after referee, Robert Baxter, started the second period. The match finished 3- 0, meaning that Inveraray’s title challenge took a dent as they slipped to third place behind Lochside and Bute.
Inveraray’s final game of the season this Saturday is a tough one, as they host Oban Celtic at the Winterton.
TAYNUILT recorded a well- deserved 3-1 home win over Strachur last Saturday thanks to goals from Jamie MacFarlane, Stuat Scott and Willie Neilson. This Saturday they make the journey ove the water to take on Bute.
GLENORCHY travelled to take on Kilmory at Lochgilphead last Saturday and came home with a share of the points thanks to two goals from Andrew Smith. This weekend the Dalmally side will have a chance to go one better when they face the same opponents at Mart park
North Division Two
GLENGARRY secured another win on Saturday when they beat Caberfeidh 2-1 with a reduced team.
Steven Cameron opened the scoring in the second minute, followed by team-mate, Martin Cameron, in the 77th. Andrew MacMaster got Caberfeidh’s only goal in the 86th minute, but it wasn’t enough to keep a share of the points.
This weekend Glengarry make the short trip to Caol to take on Kilmallie’s second team.
Manager, Ewen Cameron, said: ‘ We were short of players on Saturday so we were delighted to win. We will be short again this weekend.
‘ We played Kilmallie in the first game of the season and I haven’t seen them since so I’m not sure what we’re up against.’
South Division Two
Due to team-raising difficulties, OBAN LORN failed to fulfill their away fixture in Bute last Saturday. The islanders were awarded a walkover and a 5- 0 win. This weekend the Oban side face Ballachulish at home.
Bullough Cup final
There was no consolation for THE Annual General Meeting of the Camanachd Association will take place on Friday, November 27, in Fort William at a venue still to be decided.
Member clubs and associations are invited to submit proposed amendments to the Memorandum, the Articles of Association or the Rules of Play or any further proposals for consideration by the AGM.
These require to be intimated to the Camanachd Association in writing at least eight weeks before the event and therefore must be received in a form that can be put forward to the meeting and on which a vote can be taken by 5pm on Friday 2nd October. Kyles following the senior team’s defeat to Lovat in the Camanachd Cup Final a week earlier.
The Bullough Cup, a south of Scotland competition contested by second teams and lower league clubs, was won by Perthbased Tayforth at the expense of Kyles’ second string, holders of the trophy.
Currently playing their shinty in south division two, Tayforth beat their division one opponents at Yoker.
The east coast club raced into a 4- 0 lead in the Glasgow sunshine, thanks to goals from Calum Barton, Ewan Menzies, Finlay Stark and Andy Scot.
In front of a sizeable crowd, Kyles fought back, and two late goals by Rupert Williamson had Tayforth nerves jangling but proved just to be consolation for the Cowal men.
Tayforth held out to secure the club’s first silverware for many years. THE ANNUAL north vs south women’s shinty matches were held at Mossfield Stadium in Oban on Sunday.
In both the under-18 and over18 matches, the north teams overcame their southern rivals.
Marion Gillies, who is secretary of the Women’s Camanachd Association, said: ‘There were fantastic games today with two very convincing wins for the north.
‘It’s great to see the ladies game thriving and hopefully this will continue. Mossfield has been a fantastic venue and the facilities here in Oban are great. Thanks to the MacAulay Association from the WCA for all their help.’