The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Cormack’s final pay-off
International Conor Cormack’s decision to quit Beauly in February to play at the top level with Kinlochshiel has paid off as he returned to his former stamping ground to help steer the Wester Ross men to their first senior final. Kinlochshiel, who only reached the Premiership four years ago, will play Inveraray in the Artemis Macaulay Cup final at Oban next month after impressively beating Camanachd Cup holders Lovat 3-0 in Saturday’s semi-final at Beauly. It is a huge achievement for a club that was only formed in 1958 through the amalgamation of Kintail, Lochalsh and Glenshiel and which was still playing in the North Third Division nine years ago. Shiel’s juniors won the Sutherland Cup in 1962 and the Balmacara-based club has also won the Balliemore Cup but manager Colin Fraser said: “Reaching our first senior final, and in a national competition, is a huge thrill for the club and the whole community. It’s a wonderful milestone for so many families associated with the club, including my own, with my father having played and then being the secondteam manager, and myself and my three brothers all playing for the team.
“We took an excellent support to the tie at Beauly and they’ll certainly follow us to the Oban final as we try to make more history. We’ve also got a Camanachd Cup semi-final to look forward to as well.”
Fraser added: “Conor Cormack was excellent at the heart of our defence and he’s now very pleased he made the switch as he has a national medal awaiting him. Young defender Donald Nixon was only declared fit at 9am on Saturday and gave an outstanding performance against a Lovat side which never gave up and, even when three goals down. They kept coming back at us.”
International brothers Finlay and Keith MacRae were also to the fore in the Shiel success. Keith continued his scoring streak with a double and the manager said: “His performance was