Hat-trick of derbies whet shinty fans' appetites
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THREE derbies are the highlight of Saturday’s Orion Group Premiership programme.
Leaders Lovat travel over the hill to Drumnadrochit where they will place their nine-match 100 per cent record on the line against Glenurquhart.
Saturday’s encounter will take Lovat to the halfway stage in their league campaign, with victory leaving them in a very strong position to go on to win their first Premiership title.
Glen will no doubt have other ideas, although they will start as underdogs after having lost to their near neighbours four times last year, including suffering the heartache of losing the MacTavish Cup final after a penalty shoot-out.
That said, it shouldn’t be regarded as a major shock if Glen turn the tables and inflict the first defeat of the season on Allan MacRae’s men.
Sitting four points adrift of Lovat having played a game less are reigning champions Newtonmore. Boss Paul John MacKintosh will go into Saturday’s Badenoch derby against Kingussie at The Eilan well aware that defeat to their deadly rivals would be a major setback in their bid to become champions for a fifth consecutive year.
Inveraray, having gone down 5-1 to Kyles Athletic last Saturday, have their Argyll rivals as visitors to The Winterton for the second time in seven days. It will take a remarkable transformation for joint bottom Inveraray to avoid another defeat.
The remaining Premiership fixture sees Kinlochshiel welcome Lochaber to Kirkton, with the joint bottom visitors seeking a first victory of the season to leapfrog their hosts.
’Shiel have played three more games than their visitors and defeat would leave Colin Fraser’s team in a perilous position at the halfway stage in their league programme.
Sixteen clubs are involved on Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup duty on Saturday as they bid to progress to the second round where the eight Orion Group Premiership teams will lie in wait for the victors.
Tie of the round looks to be at Braeview Park where Beauly face National Division One table-toppers Oban Camanachd. Roger Cormack’s men will be seeking revenge for a 1-0 league defeat inflicted upon them seven weeks ago on the same pitch.
North Division One adversaries Strathglass and Inverness meet at Cannich in what looks like being a competitive affair. When the sides met last year the honours were even, with each team registering a home win and their third meeting finishing in a 2-2 draw at the Bught.
Skye will fancy their chances of a place in the second round at the expense of National Division One strugglers Glenorchy. However, the notoriously difficult Mart Park surface could dampen the impact of the skills the islanders have throughout their team.
At Castle Leod, Caberfeidh should account for South Division One visitors Kilmory, who make their second trip to the Highlands this year after going down 5-2 to Inverness three weeks ago in the first round of the Balliemore Cup.
Fort William travel to Yoker to take on fellow National Division side Glasgow Mid Argyll. With three defeats from four league matches, albeit by fairly narrow scorelines, GMA will do well to contain a rampant Fort side sure to be brimming with confidence after engineering Premiership side Glenurquhart’s exit from the Artemis MacAulay Cup last week.
Kilmallie are also on their travels, with their destination being Strachur. It will be a major shock if the South Division One side topple a Kilmallie side tipped to be closely involved in the race for promotion to the Premiership.
The remaining two first round ties are both all-South encounters. Bute have the chance to end their season-long run of defeats when Taynuilt pay a visit to Rothesay, whilst Ballachulish – who beat Oban Celtic 8-0 last Saturday – will be confident of another win over the Oban team at Jubilee Park.
