Boleskine pull out of cup semi-final
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THE Camanachd Association have confirmed that Boleskine will not be sending a team to Fort William to contest the semi-final of the RBS MacTavish Plate competition tomorrow.
A Boleskine spokesman declined to comment other than to confirm that their team has been stood down with the players given the day off.
Speculation surrounding Boleskine’s decision will centre on reconstruction of the cup competitions, which resulted in single team clubs like Boleskine being barred from entering the junior cups and being thrown into senior competitions such as the MacTavish and Camanachd Cups.
Several mismatches have already taken place with Boleskine themselves on the receiving end of an 11-0 thumping from Lovat in the first round of the MacTavish.
With several key players missing for tomorrow’s clash with the Fort, it is thought that there was no relish among the Boleskine players to be on the receiving end of another demoralising hammering.
It is understood that the Camanachd Association will not be taking punitive action against the Farr-based club.
Meanwhile, in the other semi-final, Inverness head west to face Skye in Portree with a place in the Plate final at stake. A win would put the city in their first final since they unsuccessfully challenged Kilmallie in the 1993 Balliemore Cup final.
Inverness manager Allan MacLeod is remaining upbeat ahead of facing Skye, despite losing three key players for the clash with islanders.
"We will be without Craig Nicholson, Daniel Palombo and John MacLennan, who are each away on pre-arranged family get-togethers, but on the plus side we have Mark Sproule back in the pool."
The loss of the influential trio leaves Inverness short in key positions, but MacLeod vows that he will be encouraging his side to have a go.
"They have been playing well and defensively are a tough nut to crack," he said. "Home advantage for them is a huge factor, but it could also work in our favour.
"It’s a semi-final, so there’s a lot at stake and we are the underdog. With the right attitude, I am confident that we can pull off a victory."
MacLeod will look to his top scorer, the former Skye favourite Dougie Rankin, to sink his erstwhile team-mates as he bids to steer his side to the final, which goes ahead on 7th June at a venue yet to be confirmed.
The controversy surrounding Boleskine’s decision not to contest the MacTavish Plate competition has shifted the spotlight away from tomorrow’s semi-finals in the MacTavish Cup where Glenurquhart and Lovat look to set up a reprise of their clash in last year’s final.
Glenurquhart face Newtonmore, the record winners of the competition, but the Glen struck an early blow by calling correctly in a coin toss to decide home advantage.
It may be a significant call, yet for Glen chairman Russell Fraser the outcome is on a knife edge as he played down the significance of his club being at home.
"This is the third year in succession that we have met Newtonmore at the semi-final stage and so far it is one apiece," he said.
"In 2012, they edged us after a penalty shoot-out at Blairbeg but we got our revenge when we beat them 2-1 at the Eilan a year later."
Fraser reports that the Glen should be at full strength, although Michael Brady begins a two-match ban after exceeding the points total when he was booked in the recent Macaulay Cup defeat at Fort William. Ally MacKintosh will face a late fitness check on his knee problem.
A badly depleted Glen went down 4-1 to Newtonmore in an early season league match, but no one is reading too much into that result.
"Both clubs have been over the course before, so I think it is going to be about who can produce on the day," said Fraser. "We would love another shot at the final, but as always the focus is on tomorrow’s game."
The Glen’s great rivals Lovat are in the other semi-final with Kinlochshiel, playing in front of their own support, providing the opposition and standing on the brink of their first-ever appearance in the final of the MacTavish Cup.
So far this season the clubs have been involved in two incredibly close encounters with Lovat coming out on top both times, but by the narrowest of margins.
As holders, Lovat will be determined to hang on to the trophy, although home advantage could swing this one in ‘Shiel’s favour.
It is also semi-final day in the AJG Parcels Celtic Society Cup in the south with Kyles Athletic and Inveraray expected to progress at the expense of Glasgow Mid Argyll and Oban Camanachd respectively.
In the National Leagues, Kingussie face Lochaber in the Orion Premiership, while in the Marine Harvest National Division, Beauly are in Dalmally to face Glenorchy and Caberfeidh take on Kilmallie at Canal Parks with vital promotion points at stake.
