Clinical Newtonmore net MacTavish Cup

PREMIERSHIP champions Newtonmore showed why they are the best team in shinty as they defeated dangerous opponents Lochaber 5-1 in the Co-operative MacTavish Cup final on Saturday.

The clash at the Bught Park promised to be a cracker, as North Division One side Lochaber arrived in the Highland capital high in confidence and having suffered just one loss all season, and that was against Kingussie in the Artemis MacAulay Cup.

Add to that, Lovat beating Newtonmore 3-0 the previous weekend to replace them at the top of the league and it was clear that the Badenoch team had a few questions to answer.

However, they got into their stride as soon as 45 seconds when Glen Mackintosh fired them in front to quieten a strong support for the red and whites.

The task for the underdogs got tougher on 14 minutes when Chris Sellar added another.

To their credit, Michael Delaney’s troops settled well and threatened the More goal on several times before the break, with Ben Delaney going the closest to halving the deficit.

Sellar notched his second of the day six minutes into the second half, Newtonmore threatened to run riot, but Lochaber responded with a goal on the hour mark from Sean Nicholson made it 3-1.

However, John Mackenzie and Danny MacRae struck the killer goals to add gloss to the scoreline and ensure another trophy was making its way south to The Eilean.

Earlier in the afternoon at the Bught, Kinlochshiel defeated Skye 4-2 to win the Juvenile MacTavish Cup.

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