Glen youngsters go for glory
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For ’Shiel, current youth coach of the year Murdo Fraser will be on the sidelines and they are certain to look towards the scoring prowess of Conal Fraser, who hit four in last Saturday’s 4-1 defeat of Fort William.
The Glen have also been coached by Scotland supremo Drew MacNeil, although Russell Fraser will be in charge of the side tomorrow.
Conor Golabek, nephew of former Caley Thistle stalwart Stuart Golabek, has ben recruited from Inverness, who currently do not run an under-17 side, and his attacking style should cause the ’Shiel defence some anxious moments.
The Glen will rely on attacker Ewan Brady, from Glengarry, who plays for the Glen after going to school in Drumnadrochit. Brady, who played in the Glen’s first-team as a 14-year-old, grabbed the equaliser against Oban last weekend and is seen as an outstanding talent. He will line up alongside another rising star Daniel MacKintosh, while Fraser Heath has also played for the Glen’s senior side.
Tomorrow at Balgate, it is likely to be just as close with ‘Shiel installed as narrow favourites.
The Glen, however, finally made it through to the final last Saturday, winning a penalty shootout against Oban Celtic.
For the class of 2011 the route to the final has been anything but straightforward, coming through a difficult qualifying group that also included Beauly and Skye.
Stuart MacKintosh and Andy Corrigan went on to become full internationalists, while current first-team players Stuart Reid and Arran MacDonald were also in the squad.
Fraser led an outstanding group of players and although he was lured away to football, many of his team-mates are now the backbone of the current Glenurquhart first-team.
Ten years ago, Glenurquhart were captained to victory by Michael Fraser, the former Caley Thistle goalkeeper and current number one for Scottish First Division leaders Ross County.
The Glen are bidding to win the trophy for the first time in 10 years, but face a ‘Shiel side who look to be a formidable outfit.
Meanwhile, Glenurquhart’s under-17 side have the opportunity to steal the thunder of the senior team when they face Kinlochshiel in the final of the London Shield, the national under-17 championship.
No announcement regarding a successor for Borthwick has been made yet by the club.
He was awarded the Marine Harvest manager of the year, while in the current season he retained the MacTavish Cup, but once again saw Camanachd Cup glory elude him by the narrowest of margins when Kingussie lost in extra-time to arch-rivals Newtonmore.
In his first season at the helm, Borthwick won the MacTavish and MacAulay Cups and guided the club to the Camanachd Cup final.
The match will be the last for Kingussie manager Steve Borthwick, who made the shock announcement in midweek that work commitments have forced him to step down after two years in charge.
A draw or win will see Kingussie leapfrog Glenurquhart into fourth place, while Kyles have secured second place and a win will see them finish just a point behind champions Newtonmore.
THE curtain falls on the 2011 season tomorrow with the final game in the Scottish Hydro Premier Division when Kingussie travel to Tighnabruaich to face Kyles Athletic.
