MacRae returns to shackle Bartlett as Lochaber triumph

Donald MacRae, the Lochaber stalwart who is at sea for a month at a time, became the first player this season to keep Caberfeidh’s Kevin Bartlett from scoring to help the Spean Bridge side to its first Premiership win of the season.

After rattling in 13 goals in five cup and league games, Bartlett was shackled by MacRae, 35, as Lochaber won 3-0 at Strathpeffer.

Manager Neil MacDonald said: “I banked on Donald’s experience and pushed him to full back to do a marking job on Kevin and he kept him very quiet.

“Donald is in the Merchant Navy and can be offshore for four weeks but still play well when he returns because he keeps himself extremely fit.

“It was good to see Shaun Nicholson scoring a couple and if he can keep finding the net that will be a big help to us.”

Understrength Cabers slipped to their first defeat after Nicholson’s first-half double but John Mackenzie fired the visitors’ lastminute clincher.

Oban Camanachd also gained their first victory with Matt Rippon switching to full back for the suspended Daniel Cameron and frustrating Kingussie’s forwards in a 2-0 win at Mossfield. The first double red card of the Premiership season came when Oban’s Daniel Sloss and the visitors’ Ryan MacWilliam were sent off after a clash.

Oban manager Ian Hay said: “Daniel got hit and grabbed the other guy’s helmet in retaliation and referee Robert Baxter had little option.

“We had the best first-half chances but Kingussie came back well in the second half and keepers Craig Dawson and Cammy Sutherland had good saves at key times. We were well on top in the last 10 minutes.”

Daniel MacVicar made Oban’s 17 th-minute breakthrough from close range and, on 79 minutes, Andrew MacCuish slotted home his second penalty in successive weeks for the Mossfield men.