Glen hoping to create history
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GLENURQUHART, who have never won a national senior shinty trophy in their 127-year history, aim to break that unwelcome record at Mossfield Park Oban tomorrow when they meet Oban Camanachd in the final of the Artemis MacAulay Cup.
It seems an unlikely statistic for a club that have been credited with being at the forefront of the sport and along with Strathglass were prime movers in modernising the game in the latter part of the 19th century.
But a one-off unsuccessful appearance in the final of the Camanachd Cup in 1988, along with MacAulay Cup final appearances in 1972 and 1977, is the closest the Glen have come to national success, although they have lifted the Sutherland Cup and the Balliemore Cup - the junior and intermediate national trophies.
The long-suffering Glen support will be hoping that it is a case of third time lucky for the MacAulay Cup and tomorrow two supporters buses, plus a cavalcade of cars, will descend upon Oban hoping to witness history being made. Joint managers Fraser Mackenzie and Drew MacNeil took over the reins at Blairbeg and it has taken them time to impose their ideas on an underperforming squad.
But a recent run of impressive results shows that the Glen may have turned the corner and they go into the final as clear favourites, despite the fact that Camanachd will be playing on their home pitch.
There is no doubt that the Glen deserve their place in the final having seen off Kilmallie, Kingussie and Fort William along the way.
Mackenzie and MacNeil are in the enviable position of being able to name their strongest squad - a situation which will bring its own problems. Last weekend, Stuart Reid was outstanding at full back against Lovat and he might get the nod ahead of John Barr, who could move to half back or even to full forward.
Teenager Fraser Heath joined the Glen from Inverness last season and he has blossomed in 2012 in the demanding full centre position, while Dave Smart has stepped up from the reserve side to make the half forward position his own.
The Glen are likely to make full use of rolling substitutes, which will allow them to play a high tempo game. At the heart of the Glen team is their international quartet of goalkeeper Stuart MacKintosh, Andy Corrigan, Barr and Eddie Tembo and with the powerful Arran MacDonald and Lewis MacLennan also available, the Glen have the experience and energy to present Oban with plenty of problems.
Oban, relegated for the first time from the Premiership last season, will be doughty opponents, however, and in defender Daniel Cameron they have one of the emerging talents in the sport. Upfront Iain and Scott MacMillan are regular goalscorers and en route to the final they got the better of Inveraray with a 4-3 victory in a tense South area semi-final.
With both more used to playing in red and black hoops, the clubs will be sporting unfamiliar colours tomorrow with the Glen playing in red tops, while Oban will take the field in an all white strip.
The match goes out live on BBC Two with a 2.30pm throw-up time.
