The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
CUPFINALJUSTTHE
SkipperCameronsaysclubislookingto progressanddowellinthePremiershipand alsoquietlyfancyaCamanachdCuprun
Internationalist Daniel Cameron thinks Oban Camanachd reaching the Scottish Sea Farms Celtic Society Cup final, where they will play last year’s runners-up Kyles Athletic, is far from the height of ambition for the Mossfield men this season.
Cameron skippered Oban to glory in this competition last year and it is 30 years since they successfully defended the trophy. He celebrated his 31st birthday on Thursday by captaining Oban to a remarkable 5-0 semi-final victory at home to Inveraray – and scored two goals.
This polished player swiftly left the changing rooms and rushed off for his “birthday treat”, a trip to Glasgow to watch Josh Taylor in world title boxing action.
“Our aim is to do well in the Premiership and perhaps win one of the big finals,” said Cameron.
“New manager Steven Sloss and his assistant Kenny Wotherspoon set us targets in pre-season and the Celtic final is the first box ticked.
“Steven and Kenny have sacrificed a great deal of personal time to put in the preparation for the team. They’ve
shown great commitment and now we’re beginning to get a run of results. We had an indifferent start. That was partly due to new manager, new ideas and we had to adjust. It was also due to injuries, but the players are now filtering back into the squad and the team is gaining momentum.”
Michael Clark, usually up front, has adjusted to a new role in defence, somewhere he has never played before, while new signing Daniel Madej, from Oban Celtic, took time to settle but is playing really well in his unaccustomed role at full-back.
Cameron said: “Once Daniel gets his sharpness up, he’ll be a terrific player for us.”
The defence has played well and Scott Macmillan and 16-yearold Daniel Sloss were strong against Inveraray.
The skipper said: “We can kick on this year now we’ve a good blend of youth and experience, and we quietly fancy a Camanachd Cup run.”
Yet it was Inveraray who started the semi-final the stronger and Lewis MacNicol had a great chance, only for young keeper Cammy Sutherland to pull off a superb stop.
Goals by Andrew MacCuish, 24, and Cameron, 41, put Oban two up at the interval.
Inveraray kept fighting but were rocked by two goals in two minutes from the 64th minute when Cameron hit his second before young Daniel MacCuish netted.
Gary MacKerracher fired Oban’s fifth five minutes from time.
Kyles are eyeing revenge for losing to Oban in last year’s final, but they needed late goals to overcome Glasgow Mid Argyll, a division lower, at Peterson Park, Yoker.
Ever-dependable Robbie Macleod slammed Kyles’ opener in 22 minutes but Mid Argyll roared back in the second half with Craig Anderson slotting home a 50th-minute penalty then former Kinlochshiel youngster Duncan MacRae put them ahead five minutes later.
Conor Kennedy levelled with 15 minutes remaining before Macleod fired the winner three minutes later.
“We can kick on this year now we’ve a good blend of youth and experience”