Glen set for cup test as Strath boss resigns
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LOVAT and Newtonmore may be involved in a titanic tussle at the top of the Orion Premiership, but their absence from the last eight of the Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup presents an opportunity tomorrow for an unfancied side to make it through to the last four.
Holders Newtonmore crashed out in round two at the hands of Kyles Athletic, while Lovat were ambushed by Kingussie who produced a strong performance in a 2-1 win at Balgate.
With Beauly, Caberfeidh and Inverness also exiting at the second round stage, the baton has been passed to Glenurquhart to take forward the hopes of the Inverness area.
The Glen face Camanachd Cup specialists Inveraray at Blairbeg tomorrow in a game that has all the ingredients to produce a cracking cup-tie.
The Royal Burgh side, beaten finalists in 2012, also reached the semi-final stage in the preceding two years and will present a formidable obstacle to the Glen.
For both clubs the Camanachd Cup represents the last chance for silverware this season and home advantage should give Glenurquhart a slight edge.
Managers Billy MacLean and Dave Menzies hope to field more or less the same starting line-up that faced Lovat in the final of the RBS MacTavish Cup two weeks ago, which should mean the return of John Barr, who missed last Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Newtonmore.
There is also an all-Premiership clash at the Dell where last year’s beaten finalists Kyles Athletic face Kingussie.
Kyles stormed to victory in last Saturday’s AJG Parcels Celtic Society Cup final and are clearly hitting form at the right moment. Kingussie are in fine form as well and have their eyes on lifting the trophy for the first time since 2006.
In other ties, Kilmallie face North Division One pace-setters Skye and also in the West Highlands, competition dark horses Fort William go up against Kinlochshiel.
Elsewhere, with six matches of their season left, Callum Duff has stepped down as Strathglass first-team manager with immediate effect.
Duff’s last match in charge was the 5-0 Marine Harvest North Division One defeat to Skye last Saturday.The loss effectively ended the Strath’s league challenge and Duff’s resignation will bring further despair to the club.
It is understood that Duff broke the news to club officials and players at the beginning of the week. It is unclear who will take charge of the side for tomorrow’s league match at Inverness, but it is thought that a group of senior players will perform the role of caretaker until the end of the season.
Duff remained tight-lipped about his reasons for splitting with the club, but it is understood that he had become disillusioned with the commitment being shown by a number of players and had intended standing down at the end of the season.
"I am disappointed to be leaving, but I feel I have taken the club as far as I can," he said. "I have talked through my decision with club chairman Donald Fraser and we are parting very amicably.
"Mr Fraser and the rest of the committee have been brilliant and have supported me all the way. I wish them all the best for the future".
Duff, who is youth director at the Camanachd Association, will continue in that role until his tenure completes later this year. This was his second full year in charge of first-team matters at the Cannich club after a six-month spell as Robert Geddes’ understudy.
In a busy day of fixtures, Glenurquhart face Newtonmore in the semi-final of the Strathdearn Cup and this match will serve as curtain-raiser to Camanachd Cup. Also in Strathdearn action are Beauly, Lovat and Inverness, who have reached the semi-final stage of the Plate competition.
